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Colt XM148 UBGL

1966 COLD WAR VIETNAM WAR

History

The M79 "Bloop Tube" was the primary weapon used by American Grenadiers during the Vietnam War (1955-1975). The weapon excels for its close fire support role, but because it is still a weapon by design, the operator is required to carry a secondary weapon for self-defense - usually a pistol that has a limited range and can deter personnel.

However, its greatest advantage is the ability to fire various types of warheads, including smoke, arrow and anti-personnel warheads, through a 40x46mm projectile through direct or indirect line-of-sight attacks.

During the conflict, the U.S. military became interested in developing better alternatives. Karl R. Lewis of Colt responded in 1964 with the "XM148" single-shot system designed to fit under the barrel of a standard service rifle.

Developed and prototyped in less than 50 days, the weapon weighs 3 pounds and measures 16.5 inches in overall length. The cartridge type remains the 40x46mm shell with a nominal muzzle velocity of 247 feet per second and a maximum range of 437 yards.

Quadrant sights are installed to ensure range accuracy.

The U.S. military authorities liked the type so much that they ordered 20,000 prototypes, which would be available to selected soldiers by the end of 1966. It was used by US and Australian special forces until 1967, but by the end of the year it was easy to spot inherent design flaws - the XM148 relied on several small parts, and its trigger arrangement made it prone to accidental discharges, which caused soldiers while traveling in the jungle.

These issues led to the retirement of the launcher - at the expense of rushed prototyping and development time.

The XM148 is officially replaced by the popular AAI M203 40mm Under-Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL), which is still in widespread use today (2016), although stocks of earlier weapons are still in training for decades Role.