EX 41 grenade launcher
Encyclopedia
The EX 41 grenade launcher, also called the Shoulder-Fired Weapon (SFW), was a prototype multi-shot grenade launcher that was never adopted by the United States military. Most of its development was at Naval Ordnance Station, Louisville
for the US Marine Corps in order to replace the single-shot M203. NOS Louisville had previously developed the Mk 19
and Mk 20
multi-shot grenade launchers. The Picatinny Arsenal
also aided in the EX 41's development as part of the Army's Bursting Munitions Technology program. In its final form, the EX 41 was intended to weigh as little as 6.8 kg and have a range of up to 3,000 m. The program never progressed beyond a single prototype and in November 1995, the design was sent to Knight's Armament Company
for further development.
Instead of the standard low-velocity 40 x 46 mm grenade
used by the M203
and M79
grenade launchers or the standard high-velocity 40 x 53 mm grenade used by the Mk 19, the EX 41 used a hybrid of the two developed by Indiana Ordnance. High-velocity ammunition such as the M430 HEDP and M918 practice grenades were fitted to the low-velocity cartridge cases, in order to have a longer effective range with a lower recoil. An optical sight of unknown manufacture was added to the top of the receiver to take advantage of the extended range of the ammunition.
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
for the US Marine Corps in order to replace the single-shot M203. NOS Louisville had previously developed the Mk 19
Mk 19 grenade launcher
The Mk 19 Grenade Launcher is a 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher or grenade machine gun that entered U.S. military service during the Cold War, first seeing action during the Vietnam War and remaining in service today.-Overview:...
and Mk 20
Mk 20 Mod 0 grenade launcher
The Mk 20 Mod 0 was a 40mm automatic grenade launcher manufactured by NOS Louisville and was used by the US Navy during the Vietnam War. It used the Blow-Forward operation that was previously used on semi-automatic pistols such as the Steyr Mannlicher M1894 and Schwarzlose Model 1908. The Mk 20 was...
multi-shot grenade launchers. The Picatinny Arsenal
Picatinny Arsenal
The Picatinny Arsenal is an American military research and manufacturing facility located on a lot in northern New Jersey near Lake Denmark. The Arsenal is the headquarters of the United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center...
also aided in the EX 41's development as part of the Army's Bursting Munitions Technology program. In its final form, the EX 41 was intended to weigh as little as 6.8 kg and have a range of up to 3,000 m. The program never progressed beyond a single prototype and in November 1995, the design was sent to Knight's Armament Company
Knight's Armament Company
Knight's Armament Company is an American firearms and firearms parts manufacturer.It is owned by C. Reed Knight and based in Titusville, Florida. KAC is best known for producing the Rail Interface System and the Rail Adapter System grips for military firearms...
for further development.
Instead of the standard low-velocity 40 x 46 mm grenade
40 mm grenade
The 40mm grenade is a military grenade caliber for grenade launchers in service with many armed forces. There are two main types in service: the 40×46mm, which is a low-velocity round used in hand-held grenade launchers; and the high-velocity 40×53mm, used in mounted and crew-served weapons. The...
used by the M203
M203 grenade launcher
The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was...
and M79
M79 grenade launcher
The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40x46mm grenade which used what the US Army called the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and first appeared during the Vietnam War...
grenade launchers or the standard high-velocity 40 x 53 mm grenade used by the Mk 19, the EX 41 used a hybrid of the two developed by Indiana Ordnance. High-velocity ammunition such as the M430 HEDP and M918 practice grenades were fitted to the low-velocity cartridge cases, in order to have a longer effective range with a lower recoil. An optical sight of unknown manufacture was added to the top of the receiver to take advantage of the extended range of the ammunition.