EGLM Type 40mm Grenade Launcher For ASC MK16 MK17 Series Airsoft Rifle (Color: Black).
When you think of grenades, most people think of handheld explosive devices that are thrown at the enemy position and they explode on target after pulling the pin. There are many types of grenades, grenade launchers, and rocket-propelled grenades that demonstrate the effectiveness of these small explosions for the military as well as law enforcement.
Most people have not heard of Thermite grenades, nor do they know that these grenades do not explode but they melt. Not all grenades explode. In fact, the list below are the most common types of grenades and their uses within the military and law enforcement. Though there are many different types of grenades, the one similar feature is that when you pull the pin on a handheld grenade, you have about 4-5 seconds before it explodes or is ignited into chemical reactions or smoke.
Fragmentation Grenades
The type of grenade most people are familiar with is the fragmentation grenades. A wide variety of hand grenades are used today by the U.S. military. Hand grenades are loosely defined as any anti-personnel device that explodes on release.
The M67 Fragmentation Hand Grenade is the current fragmentation or “frag” grenade used by American and Canadian soldiers. Below is a list of many of the common types of grenades used by the military, police and special operations teams for a variety of missions.
Tear Gas is a Very Common Grenade
Another very common grenade seen by the public is the tear gas grenade. These chemical grenades are used mainly by police in riot control situations or to end situations where criminals are surrounded and bunkered within a facility.
The chemical 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile is the major component of tear gas – also known as CS gas. It mainly causes visual and breathing irritation causing the eyes to tear and the nasal passages to run uncontrollably.
Stun Grenades is Another Common Grenade
Stun grenades are mainly used by SWAT and Special Operations teams when entering a facility where the known armed enemy is located. There may be a hostage situation where a stun grenade is used to create a loud disorienting explosion with little to no fragmentation occurring. These can be used to create a diversion or upon entry into a dangerous hostage situation. Also known as Flash Bangs or Concussion Grenades.
Smoke Grenades
Smoke bombs are another common type of grenade most people have either seen personally or have noticed on television during war or riot footage. The use of smoke grenades is typically used for signaling to another unit your present location or the enemy location for targeting. Smoke grenades can also be used to conceal a group of military members from the enemy force nearby as they find better concealment or retreat.
Thermite Grenades
Because of their heat and volatility, thermite grenades are almost never used as an offensive or defensive weapon against people. The weapon is used almost exclusively for destroying enemy materials in a secure and controlled environment.
Thermite grenades (designated the M14) are one of the most destructive weapons used by the U.S. military. Thermite is a powerful incendiary device used to produce intense heat through a chemical reaction and destroys anything it touches.
Thermite is known as a 'pyrotechnic composition' that burns intensely when ignited. When detonated, thermite grenades produce molten iron from a violent reaction of the weapon’s thermite filler. Some thermite grenades have been known to burn at temperatures of nearly 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Thermite grenades are capable of burning through an engine block in seconds.
Therefore the extreme heat makes thermite grenades is great for destroying enemy weapons/gear caches, bunkers, and vehicles. These are the type of targets that are ideal for use of the thermite grenade. The chemical makeup of Thermite is aluminum powder (metal powder) and metal oxide (also known as rust).
Used Underwater
Thermite grenades use iron oxide as an oxidizing agent and they are able to function underwater and can be used by soldiers when their gear is submerged in lakes, rivers, and oceans.
The U.S. military provides detailed instructions and training to soldiers on the careful handling and use of thermite grenades to avoid injury or harm to themselves or unit.
Article Table of Contents Skip to section
- Fragmentation Grenades
- Stun Grenades
- Thermite Grenades
« | The M32 is a lightweight 40mm semi-automatic, 6-shot grenade launcher. It is intended to increase a small squad's firepower when compared to traditional single-shot grenade launchers like the M203. The M32 is designed to be simple, rugged and reliable all-round weapon. Armoury Description | » |
M32 | |
Faction | U.S. Army |
Type | Grenade Launcher |
Calibre | 40 mm |
Magazine capacity | 6 |
Variants | None |
Games |
The M32 is a 40 mm grenade launcher that is exclusively used by the U.S. Army in ArmA 2. It was added with the release of the Operation Arrowhead expansion pack.
Overview
The M32 is a revolver-type grenade launcher with a double-action operation. It is chambered to launch 40 mm grenade rounds.
It primarily loads from 6 round 40 mm grenade cylinders, but can also load regular single-grenade rounds used by rifle-mounted M203/Mk13 grenade launchers. It has a maximum fire rate of up to 120 rounds per minute, and has a built-in reflex sight that can be zeroed up to a maximum distance of 400 metres.
The M32 is a multiple-shot grenade launcher used by U.S. Army special forces as well as conventional troops. Unlike single-shot grenade launchers such as the Mk13 which need to be reloaded after every shot, the M32 can fire all six of its grenades in a rapid succession.
![M32 Grenade Launcher Types M32 Grenade Launcher Types](/uploads/1/2/4/9/124929780/931710521.jpg)
These grenades can range from basic high-explosive (HE) grenades to smoke shells, as well as flare rounds for signalling and illumination purposes.
The M32 is ideal for providing indirect supporting fire from afar, as it has an effective range of between 175 and up to 300 metres (with a maximum of 400 metres). The reflex sight itself uses an orange-tinted quadrant reticle, which makes it easy for the operator to estimate the distance of a target.
With a large ammunition capacity and each cylinder only occupying two inventory slots (allowing for a total of six reloads), the M32's destructive potential far exceeds that of the M79 and the Mk13, as well as other underbarrel grenade launchers. Its only drawback is that the operator must give up use of another primary weapon (such as an assault rifle) in order to use the M32, which means they will require support from other members of the squad for close quarters combat.
Trivia
- The M32 in ArmA 2 is incorrectly portrayed as being a U.S. Army weapon. In real-life, only the U.S. Marine Corps actually operates the 'M32 MGL'.
- 'M32' is the USMC's designation for the 'MGL-140' designed by Milkor USA, which in turn is based on the original 'Mk 1L' grenade launcher designed by Milkor Ltd. of South Africa.
- Because it's able to load individual one-round grenades used by UGLs/standalone grenade launchers in addition its exclusive 6-round cylinders, the M32 technically has largest ammunition capacity out of all grenade launcher-type weapons in the entire series (aside from the MX 3GL in ArmA 3), with a total amount of 44 HE grenades that can be carried at once without a backpack.
Gallery
External links
See also
Weapons of comparable role and configuration
- Mk13(Alternate single-shot U.S. Army counterpart)
- M79(Factionless single-shot counterpart)
- MM-1(Outdated U.S. predecessor, ArmA: CWA only)
Weapons of ArmA 2 | |
---|---|
Handguns | CZ 75 9 mm • G17 9 mm • M1911 .45 • M9 9 mm • Makarov 9 mm • Revolver .45 |
Submachine guns | CZ Scorpion Evo 3 A1 9 mm • MP5 9 mm • PDW 9 mm • PP-19 Bizon 9 mm • Sa-61 Scorpion 7.65 mm |
Shotguns | M1014 • Saiga 12K • AA-12 |
Assault rifles | AK-107 5.45 mm (AK-107 GP-25) • AK-74 5.45 mm (AK-74 GP-25*, AKS-74*, AKS-74U*) • AKM 7.62 mm • AKS 7.62 mm* • CZ 805 BREN A1 5.56 mm (CZ 805 A1 G1, CZ 805 BREN A2, CZ 805 B1 G1) • FN FAL 7.62 mm • G36 series* (G36A*, G36C*, G36K*) • L85A2 5.56 mm (L85A2 UGL) • M16A2 5.56 mm* (M16A2 M203*) • M16A4 5.56 mm (M16A4 M203) • M4A1 5.56 mm (M4A1 M203, M4A3, M4A3 M203) • SCAR series (Mk16, Mk16 CQC, Mk16 EGLM, Mk17, Mk17 EGLM) • Sa-58 7.62 mm • XM8 series (XM8, XM8 M320, XM8 Compact) |
Designated marksmen rifles | DMR 7.62 mm • L86A2 LSW 5.56 mm • M14 7.62 mm • Mk12 SPR 5.56 mm • Mk17 Sniper 7.62 mm • VSS Vintorez 9 mm • XM8 Sharpshooter 5.56 mm |
Sniper rifles | AS50 12.7 mm • CZ 550 9.3 mm • CZ 750 S1 M1 .308 • KSVK 12.7 mm* • Lee-Enfield .303 • LRR .338 • M107 .50* • M110 7.62 mm • M24 7.62 mm* (M40A3) • SVD Dragunov 7.62 mm* |
Squad automatic weapons | L110A1 5.56 mm • M249 SAW 5.56 mm* • MG36 5.56 mm* • RPK-74 5.45 mm • XM8 Automatic Rifle 5.56 mm |
Machine guns | L7A2 GPMG 7.62 mm • Mk 48 Mod 0 7.62 mm* • M240 7.62 mm* • M60E4 7.62 mm • PKP 7.62 mm • PKM 7.62 mm • UK-59 7.62 mm |
Grenade launchers | M32 • M79 • Mk13 |
Launchers | Metis AT-13 • FGM-148 Javelin • FIM-92F Stinger • Igla 9K38 • M136 • M47 Dragon • MAAWS • NLAW • RPG-7V • RPG-18 • Strela-2 9K32 • SMAW |
Static | AGS-30 • 9K115 Metis-M • D-30 • DShKM • Igla AA Pod • KORD • L111A1 • L134A1 • M119A1 • M2 • M252 • Mk19 • 2B14 Podnos • RBS-70 • Searchlight • SPG-9 • Stinger • TOW • ZU-23 |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. * indicates partial DLC dependency. Operation Arrowhead | British Armed Forces | Private Military Company | Army of the Czech Republic |
U.S. Army - Armory (ArmA 2) | |
---|---|
Handguns | G17 9 mm • M1911 .45 • M9 9 mm |
Submachine guns | PDW 9 mm |
Shotguns | M1014 |
Assault rifles | SCAR series (Mk16, Mk16 CQC, Mk16 EGLM, Mk17, Mk17 EGLM) |
Designated marksman rifles | M14 7.62 mm • Mk17 Sniper 7.62 mm |
Sniper rifles | M107 .50 • M110 7.62 mm • M24 7.62 mm |
Squad automatic weapons | M249 SAW 5.56 mm |
Machineguns | Mk 48 Mod 0 7.62 mm • M240 7.62 mm |
Grenade launchers | M32 • Mk13 |
Launchers | FGM-148 Javelin • FIM-92F Stinger • M136 • MAAWS |
Static | M119A1 • M2 • M252 • Mk19 • Searchlight • Stinger • TOW |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. Operation Arrowhead |