MK19 40mm Grenade Machine Gun
MK19 40mm Grenade Machine Gun, MOD 3.
MK19 40mm Grenade Machine Gun replaces the M2 heavy machine guns in selected units and can be utilized as the primary suppressive weapon for combat support and combat service support units.
Ammunition for the MK19 consists of high velocity 40mm Grenade Cartridges in specialized forms to cover a spectrum of military missions, covered on the linked Olive-Drab.com page. One of the most used rounds is the Cartridge, 40mm High-Explosive Dual-Purpose (HEDP) M430A1 which can kill in a 32-foot (5-meter) circle and wound in a 100-foot (30-meter) circle (48 feet). The M430A1 grenade can penetrate two inches of armor.
Because of its weight, the MK19 40mm Grenade Machine Gun is crew transportable only over short distances with limited amounts of ammunition. It is more often mounted on a vehicle where it can provide defense or support infantry from a mobile platform with a large supply of cartridges.
MK19 40mm Grenade Machine Gun Vehicle Mount.
The MK19 was originally developed to provide the U.S. Navy with an effective Riverine patrol weapon in Vietnam. The Army was first equipped with this weapon in 1989. The MK19 can be mounted on the HMMWV, M113 APC, 5-ton trucks, and selected M88A1 recovery vehicles. It is manufactured by General Dynamics, Saco Defense Industries in Saco, ME.
The technical manual for the MK19 Mod 3 Grenade Machine Gun is TM 9-1010-230-10. FM 3-22.27 covers mechanical training, weapon capabilities, and gunnery principles, methods, techniques, and standards that apply to the weapon.
Specifications of the MK19
| Length | 43.1 inches (109.47 centimeters) |
| Gun weight | 72.5 pounds (32.92 kilograms) |
| Cradle weight (MK64 Mod 5) | 21.0 pounds (9.53 kilograms) |
| Tripod weight | 44.0 pounds (19.98 kilograms) |
| Total weight | 137.5 pounds (62.43 kilograms) |
| Muzzle velocity | 790 feet (240.69 meters) per second |
| Bore diameter | 40mm |
| Maximum range | 2200 meters |
| Maximum effective range | 1600 meters |
| Cyclic rate of fire | 325-375 rounds per minute |
| Rapid rate of fire | 60 rounds per minute |
| Sustained rate of fire | 40 rounds per minute |
Recommended Book about the Mk19 40mm Grenade Machine Gun
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