Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Categories: Grenade launchers | Automatic cannons | American Cold War weapons | Modern American weapons
Mk 19 grenade launcher
The MK19 (also known as MK-19, M19, Mark 19, or Mk 19) is a belt-fed grenade machine gun capable of firing five grenades every second.
The MK19 fires 40 mm grenades at a cyclic rate of 300 to 400 rounds per minute, giving a practical rate of fire of 60 rpm (rapid) and 40 rpm (sustained). It has a maximum effective range of 1500 meters (absolute maximum range of 2200 m). It was originally fielded by the US Navy in Vietnam for river patrol boats, but was adopted and improved upon by the US Army. It is a man-portable crew-served weapon that can fire from a tripod mounted position or from a vehicle mount (this being the preferred method as the weapon alone weighs 33 kg). The ammunition comes in 32 or 48 round cans weighing 42 and 60 lb (20 and 30 kg).
It is made by General Dynamics.
The MK19 has been used by American forces in Somalia (1993) and in Iraq (1991) by special forces operating behind enemy lines. It is currently (2004-2005) in widespread use in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
It can be mounted on various vehicles such as the Humvee (HMMWV) and Stryker, as well as a large variety of naval mounts.
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