Item
Colt M-16A1 w/M203 40MM Grenade Launcher
Original Item: Only One Available. This is a genuine M16A1 and M203 grenade launcher manufactured by Colt in the 1960s for use in the Vietnam war. This fine example is totally non-functional and inert having been demilled according to specifications outlined by the BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives). The upper is still functional, while the barrel, the lower and 30 round magazine (with expected display rounds)have been made permanently inoperable.
The M16 rifle, officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16, is a United States military adaptation of the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle. The original M16 was a select-fire, 5.56×45mm rifle with a 20-round magazine.
In 1963, the M16 entered United States Military service and was deployed for jungle warfare operations during the Vietnam War. In 1969, the M16A1 replaced the M14 rifle to become the U.S. military’s standard service rifle. The M16A1 improvements include a bolt-assist, chromed plated bore and a new 30-round magazine. In 1983, the USMC adopted the M16A2 rifle and the U.S. Army adopted it in 1986. The M16A2 fires the improved 5.56×45mm NATO (M855/SS109) cartridge and has a new adjustable rear sight, case deflector, heavy barrel, improved handguard, pistol grip and buttstock, as well as a semi-auto and three-round burst only fire selector. Adopted in 1998, the M16A4 is the fourth
generation of the M16 series. It is equipped with a removable carrying handle and Picatinny rail for mounting optics and other ancillary devices.
The standard Colt M-16A1 w/M203 40MM Grenade Launcher is intended for permanent attachment to the M16A1, M16A2 and M16A3 rifles, and utilizes a 12-inch rifled barrel. The M203 is a single-shot 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilizes the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was originally designed for the U.S. M16 and its variant, the M4 Carbine.
The M203 was the only part of the army’s Special Purpose Individual Weapon (SPIW) project to go into production. The M203 has been in service since 1969 and was introduced to U.S. military forces during the early 1970s, replacing the older M79 grenade launcher and the conceptually similar Colt XM148 design. However, while the M79 was a stand-alone weapon (and usually the primary weapon of troops who carried it), the M203 was designed as an under-barrel device attached to an existing rifle. Because the size and weight of 40 mm ammunition limits the quantities that can be carried on patrol, and because a grenade is often not an appropriate weapon for a given engagement (i.e. when the target is at close range or near friendly troops), an under-barrel system has the advantage of allowing its user to also carry a rifle, and to easily switch between the two.