US Grenade Launchers

M79, M203, and M320
Featuring full-colour artwork, this study reveals the technology and tactics behind the 'Thumper' or 'Wombat Gun', the iconic M79 grenade launcher and its under-barrel successors.

In an effort to provide the US infantryman with more firepower to cover the range gap between the hand grenade and the light mortar, the 40mm M79 grenade launcher – a shoulder-fired, single-shot weapon – entered service with US forces in 1961.

Reliable, easy to use, and lethally effective, the M79 soon became an iconic symbol of the Vietnam War and had a profound influence on small-unit tactics. As the Vietnam conflict continued, it was joined on the front line by experimental models such as the magazine-fed T148E1, as well as two launchers intended to be fitted under the barrel of the new M16 assault rifle: Colt’s XM148 and AAI Corporation’s M203. The M203 remains in limited service today, while the US Marine Corps now also fields the M32 multiple grenade launcher – like the M79, a standalone weapon.

Featuring full-colour artwork, this is the story of the rugged and formidable grenade launchers that equipped the United States and its allies in Vietnam and beyond, from the 1960s to date.

Contributor: Johnny Shumate (Illustrated by), Alan Gilliland (Illustrated by)

Illustrator: Johnny Shumate, Alan Gilliland

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK within 48 hours of receipt during working hours.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-5 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 21 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.