Training video of US Soldiers & US Marines while participating in a live-fire range using the MK19 40mm Grenade Launcher (some footage includes the FGM-148 Javelin and BGM-71 TOW Missile). The purpose of the training is to improve accuracy, communication abilities and suppressive fire capabilities with the MK-19 grenade launchers.
The training exercise focused on enhancing a wide variety of skillsets for the participating such as the opportunity to build confidence and proficiency skills on some of the crew-served weapons they operate while providing security in a deployed environment.
The Mk 19 grenade launcher (pronounced Mark 19) is an American 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher. The first model (Mod 0) in 1966 was determined to be unreliable and unsafe, but a total of six Mod 1 launchers were successfully tested on U.S. Navy riverine patrol craft in the Mekong Delta in 1972. The Navy made further improvements to the weapon, resulting in the Mod 3 in 1976. The Mod 3 was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1983 and remains in service to the present day.
The Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher replaced the earlier Mk 18 hand-cranked multiple grenade launcher. The 40 mm ammunition used (40×53 mm) is not interchangeable with that used in the M203 (40×46 mm). The M203 ammunition develops a lower chamber pressure, and resultant lower muzzle velocity and range, compared to ammunition loaded for the Mk 19. The Mk 19 fires from an open bolt. The rounds are mechanically fed onto the bolt face with the pull of the charging handles. When the trigger is pressed, the bolt closes, and the firing pin is released. The recoil blows back the bolt, feeds a new round onto the bolt face, which pushes the expended casing off the bolt face.
Video Credits: U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps | United States Department of Defense
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** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **