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US RIFLE GRENADE LAUNCHERS


rayg
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I had posted this in the field and personal gear section and it was recommended that maybe I should post it here also. So having said that, here are a group photos of my US launchers on rifles. The top one is a super rare mint unaltered 1917 launcher. I just took it out of the wrap to show it on the rifle. Almost all of the 1917 Enfield launchers made were either shipped to other nations along with the Enfield rifles as aid and those launchers remaining in the US, were converted to be able to be used on both the 1903 rifles and 1917 rifles and were re-stamped accordingly. I was curious of just what was involved in converting the 17 launcher to be able to be used in the 03. So I tried to put my 17 launcher on an 03 and it wouldn't go over the muzzle far enough down to enable the gate to fit past the back of sight base. Apparently the alteration just involved deepening/extending the depth of the inside shoulder a bit to allow the muzzle to go in farther for the gate to close. Its extremely rare to find a 1917 launcher still in un-altered state. The launcher is stamped US Rifle, 30 M1917. And was de-accessioned via an auction out of the Hershey Museum in Pennsylvania in 2012 and it is in mint, unused, condition and still has cosmoline on it and is in heavy paper wrap. Only a few 1917 pattern launchers missed that conversion. So they are extremely rare.

Also shown is a WWII period four prong projector, Ray

 

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Very Nice Ray

I don't think I have ever examined an unmodified one. I have a modified M1 Garand launcher(to fit M1 carbine) I need to post and see what you and the others think of it.

Merry Christmas

Doc

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Here is a Mk87 mod 1 for the M14 to shoot lines to a ship. The black rubber projectile has slots to put cyalume night sticks so it will glow at dark.

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Ray,

Since you have a garand you need to add at least one launcher. Here is a little display I built for some of my grenade stuff. It does not compare to what Latewatch has previously posted but it is a start. I started late and sold some of my 1903 stuff as I was only interested in the garand. Wish I still had the short door/flap. Sorry about the pics the camera battery was failing and the flash was weak. The display is on a high book case. Listed l/r back, M11, M11A1-4, M9A1, M1 4 prng solid fin, M1 open, M1A2 3 Prg 1954, M2A1, M22A1 AS, M22A2 Yellow Smoke. Front L/R M1/M1903 long door park, M7, M7A1, M7A1 -3, M7A2 early, M7A2 late, M7A3, T-119, M8, M79. The rest are just some other additional accessories M1A2 1954, M1A2 69, etc. Grenade launching assortments in XMas tree fashion, and the different launcher sight types, T59-E3 and M15, BPS, Boehm, SLCo, PRL, <N>. Other stuff is stored away but I'm looking for a screw tip M7.

 

Regards,

CC

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Drug out my live 1955 SIGNAL, GROUND, GREEN STAR PARACHUTE, M19A1, (GP)

 

flare....... going to light this sucker off some day.

 

M19A1.JPG

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rayg.. I note there are no KM manufacturers marking on your M2 (M1917 rifle) launcher. That makes it rarer still. Do you know who made it? My modified M2 launcher is also without the KM logo as is one of my M1s..

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Charlie Flick

This has been a fun thread. I thought you guys might like to see this image of an ARVN rifle grenadier taken in 1964.

 

Regards,

Charlie

 

ARVN Grenadier ed2.jpg

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Charlie, great picture. Usually don't see grenades being launched that late from Garands.

 

Browning- That M1 Launching Sight wouldn't be an extra would it?

 

Just a couple of other Garand parts to keep the thread moving- Early M1 garand gas lock screws with grenade launching valves (non closing) used prior to the poppet valve. A hand stamped and a roll stamped valve - S for stainless steel retainer. A hardened chamfered gas cylinder lock, circa 1945, and a M marked flat edge lock that followed. Bill Ricca has a very good description and explanation when these parts were developed and used on his web site. The other items are distance retainer springs that snap on the launchers between rings... having a brain cramp right now and cannot remember what the real nomenclature is...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Nice collection.. CC. Between you and latewatch there's not much Grenade launching stuff you guys don't have.

 

tommatt3, I don't know who made the launcher. I think I did read who did once but as I didn't have a 17 launcher at the time, it wasn't important to me so the info just didn't get filed away in my small mind.

 

P.W.Browning how does that work? Never seen one before.

 

Great photo Charlie.

Ray

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Ray,

I believe Bill Ricca has determined (don't quote me on that until I find it again) that the unmarked launchers were made by Knapp Monarch (KM). I think I remember reading that in an article he did on MLS marked launchers.

 

Regards,

CC

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  • 10 months later...

Very nice rifle grenades. I really like the M17 and it looks like it could be complete. Many are missing the internals. Not that it means a flip but I think the m17 safety would look better if it was down instead of up as originally intended. See paint scratches where it is normally located. Thanks for sharing.

 

regards,

CC

Always looking for early rifle grenade stuff..

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