M203 grenade launcher

Launcher, Grenade, 40mm, M203
M203A2
Type	Grenade launcher
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1969–present[1]
Used by	See Users
Wars	Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Civil conflict in the Philippines Sino-Vietnamese War Cambodian–Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese conflicts, 1979–1991 Third Indochina War Soviet–Afghan War Falklands War[2] Gulf War War in Afghanistan Iraq War War in Iraq (2013–2017) Syrian Civil War 2023 Israel-Hamas war
Production history
Designer	AAI
Designed	1967–68
Manufacturer	Colt Defense Diemaco Airtronic USA RM Equipment U.S. Ordnance Knight's Armament Company Lewis Machine & Tool Company
Unit cost	US$1,082[3]
Produced	1969–present
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Mass	3 lb (1.36 kg) (unloaded)
Length	M203/M203A2: 15 in (380 mm); M203A1: 12 in (305mm);
Barrel length	M203/M203A2: 12 in (305 mm); M203A1: 9 in (230mm);
Cartridge	40×46mm SR
Action	Single shot
Rate of fire	5 to 7 round/min aimed shots 15 to 17 round/min area suppression
Muzzle velocity	250 ft/s (76 m/s)
Effective firing range	382 yds (350 m) fire-team sized area target; 164 yds (150 m) vehicle or weapon point target
Maximum firing range	437 yds (400 m)
Sights	Quadrant sight or ladder sight on rifle

Video of M203 grenade launcher with indirect fire sight (IFS) being fired (0:39)

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. While compatible with many weapons, the M203 was originally designed and produced by the United States military for the M16 rifle and its carbine variant, the M4. The launcher can also be mounted onto a C7, a Canadian version of the M16 rifle; this requires the prior removal of the bottom handguard.

Stand-alone variants of the M203 exist,^[4] as do versions designed specifically for many other rifles. The device attaches under the barrel, the launcher trigger being in the rear of the launcher, just forward of the rifle magazine. The rifle magazine functions as a hand grip when firing the M203. A separate, right-handed only, sighting system is added to rifles fitted with the M203, as the rifle's standard sights are not matched to the launcher. The version fitted to the Canadian C7 has a sight attached to the side of the launcher, either on the left or right depending on the user's needs.