Have you ever wondered how a grenade works? You must have seen it a lot from movies. The thing
about grenade is, it takes time to pull the pin, aim, and release it, and it isn't always accurate.
You may have also seen grenade-launching tubes attached on an M-16 or a single-shot shotgun-style
grenade launcher used in Vietnam. But have you ever seen a Mk-19, the American grenade launcher?
Well, this one tool has absolutely revolutionized the way you think about grenades.
Hello everyone. Welcome back again with us at another episode of Military TV.
Today, we are going to discuss the American Mk 19 grenade launcher, a veteran in different
important battles throughout history. For more information, don’t go anywhere and stay tuned.
A notable centerpiece of various American operations,
the Mk 19 grenade launcher which was introduced in the late 1960s
during the Vietnam War is skilled at supporting the troops in offensive and defensive roles.
It dispatches a heavy volume of precise and relentless firepower against enemy personnel
and lightly armoured vehicles. Mounted on a tripod or on the platform of multiple vehicles,
it is the main suppressive weapon for combat support and other service support units. Mk 19
also being used to protect motor movements, supply trains in bivouac, and assembly areas.
The Mk 19 Grenade Machine Gun is capable of defending against hovering rotary-wing aircraft,
destroying weakly armoured vehicles, firing on suspected enemy locations, and providing
high-volume fire into an engagement area as well as indirect fire from disguised positions.
With high-explosive, dual-purpose ammunition, the system improves
US forces' capacity to defeat opposing armoured, mechanized, and infantry forces.
Mk-19 is not the first grenade launcher used in service with the United States
even though it is still in widespread use presently among the United States military
and also in several member countries of NATO. The production of the Mk 19 is managed by the
Saco Defence Industries which is now a division of General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems.
Originally, the Mk 19 grenade launcher made to replace the earlier Mk 18,
the hand-cranked multiple grenade launcher. The design of Mk 18 was relatively light-weight,
though firing with a hand-powered crank rather than a butterfly-style trigger reduced the
accuracy of the weapon. The Mk 18 was often used in fixed positions during Vietnam,
like bases, or on vehicle mounts. Now, let’s take a look at its capabilities.
Utilizing the chamber pressure from each fired round to load and re-cock the weapon,
Mk 19 operates on the so-called ‘blowback principle’. Though it can launch the grenades
up to 2,212 meters in distance, its effective range to a point target is around 1,500 meters.
The closest safe distance to dispatch the grenade is 310 meters in training
and about four times lesser in combat, with only 75 meters.
The Mk 19 has a flash suppressor, even though it is active only to preserve the eyesight of its
operator and not to conceal the position of the weapon. For the operations conducted at night,
a picatinny rail quadrant sight can be hooked for thermal and night vision optics.
Mk-19 is much still appreciated greatly for its capability to fire high numbers of 40-millimter
grenades precisely out to a distance of approximately 1,500 meters or nearly 5,000
feet. The 40mm round is also fairly powerful. According to the US Army, the 40mm grenade
used with the Mk 19 grenade launcher system can punch through three inches of steel and is best
deployed against dismounted soldiers and lightly armoured vehicles, however it could theoretically
be used against some armoured personnel carriers. Because the round can pierce two inches of armor,
it can damage or destroy lightly armored vehicles, although its primary usage is
against troops in the open. Within five meters of impact, the grenades can kill the enemy and wound
people within 15 meters. While maneuver elements flank the bad guys, the Mk-19 is excellent at
suppressing enemy fire. As long as visibility is excellent, it is straightforward to use.
When it comes to adjusting fire, having an assistant-gunner or spotter to aid soldiers
and marines is beneficial. The Mk-19's minimal recoil is one of its most impressive features.
The shots are barely felt by the users.
However, when shooting is poor, this makes it easier to waste grenades.
In addition, Mk-19 also has the open bolt which prevent the weapon from getting too hot.
Besides its specialty, Mk-19 also has some limitations. While the Mk 19 has moderate recoil,
it does have several drawbacks, one of which is its weight. The Mk 19 is approximately
seventy-seven pounds, or roughly thirty-five kilos, without ammo or any accessories. Hence it
is not very practical for individual soldiers or marines. Ammunition canisters are similarly bulky.
Because the Mk 19's weight is practically prohibitive for use by dismounted soldiers,
the Mk 19 is most typically mounted atop vehicles. The Mk-19 may work with the Common Remotely
Operated Weapon Station (CROWS). This is a vehicle mount that allows users to stay in their
vehicle while controlling the Mk-19 via a remote- control system. That is the Mk-19's modern aspect;
one of its disadvantages is that it is nearly 50 years old. The modified Mk-47 automatic grenade
launcher is preferred by some. Because the Mk-47 is less than 40 pounds, it is more portable.
When coupled with another vehicle that possesses an M2.50-caliber machine gun, the Mk-19 is at its
most effective. The M2 causes the enemy to duck for cover, allowing the Mk-19 to launch grenades
above the cover, destroying it. The vehicles can then swarm hostile troops in broad daylight.
Owning a mobile Mk-19 and an M2 is also advantageous in the occasion when a convoy
gets ambushed and has to divert from original direction or totally retreat.
An upgrade package to include some new features to the Mk 19 has been planned by the U.S. Army,
these new initiatives constituted enhancing muzzle velocity through a lower resistant
barrel, and also improving the cyclic rate from upgraded profile for the vertical
cam to lessen the force required to charge the weapon, as well as increasing the reliability
with round-positioning block to prevent the chance of misfires along with an
updated mechanical slight using sophisticated ammunition ballistic data to built accuracy.
That’s all for today. Thanks for watching and watch out for more interesting videos!