thumb|300px|Box full of 40×53 mm high-velocity grenades
thumb|300px|A 40×46 mm low-velocity training round being fired from an [[M203 grenade launcher]]
This is a general collection of the world's many types of ammunition for grenade launchers in caliber.
Several countries have developed or adopted 40 mm-caliber grenade launchers.
NATO
NATO currently uses three standardized 40 mm grenade families: 40 mm low-velocity (LV), 40 mm medium-velocity (MV), and 40 mm high-velocity (HV). Low- and medium-velocity cartridges are used for different hand-held grenade launchers, while the high-velocity cartridge is used for automatic grenade launchers.
40×46 mm LV (40 mm low velocity)
thumb|A 40×46 mm low-velocity cartridge being loaded into an [[M203 grenade launcher attached to an M16A1]]
thumb|Fired 40 mm low-velocity M781 showing its orange signal chalk
40×46 mm LV (low velocity) high–low grenade launcher cartridge meant for hand-held grenade launchers, such as the M79, M203, Milkor MGL, Heckler & Koch AG36 and M320 Grenade Launcher Module.
The propellant has low pressure and gives the projectile an average velocity of depending on the ammunition type.<br>Basic high-explosive shell.<br>Basic high-explosive shell.<br>Basic high-explosive shell.<br>Basic high-explosive shell.<br>Octol filled fragmentation grenade with a time fuze.<br>Shaped charge with ability to damage soft targets and penetrate armor.
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|M433A1
HEDP
M433A1 uses the improved M550A1 fuze. The projectile consists of a copper-shaped charge in an explosive-filled steel cup covered with tungsten spherical fragments over-molded with a plastic aerodynamic body.
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! colspan="2" style="text-align: left;" |MP, multiple projectile
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|M576<br>MP-APERS, multiple projectile anti-personnel<br>Buckshot cartridge with twenty 24-grain bullets.
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! colspan="2" style="text-align: left;" |IL, illumination
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|M583A1<br>Illumination/signal flare, parachute star (white flare)<br>Flare grenade with parachute for illumination and signaling. (white flare)<br>Grenade containing five nose-ejected, free-falling pyrotechnic star pellets used for signaling.<br>Smoke grenade with parachute for signaling and marking.<br>Smoke grenade with parachute for signaling and marking.<br>Smoke grenade with parachute for signaling and marking.
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|M714<br>Ground marker (white smoke)<br>Smoke grenade for signaling and marking.
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|M715<br>Ground marker (green smoke)<br>Smoke grenade for signaling and marking.<br>Smoke grenade for signaling and marking.<br>Tear gas grenade.<br>The XM1060 is a 40 mm thermobaric grenade developed by Picatinny Arsenal.<br>Training ammunition consisting of a steel body filled with orange signal chalk capped with a plastic ogive cap. Going against Swedish military tradition, the 40 mm low-velocity cartridge currently lacks a specified indigenous designation in Swedish service. Although the SAGM sensor does not need a laser rangefinder or any pre-fire programming sequence, it does require some skill by the user to aim and fire the round correctly so that it can detect the wall or obstruction to detonate in the air. The SAGM was to undergo evaluation in July 2015 and, if successful, transition into an official Army Program of Record by the end of the year. Not only does the fuze burst over walls, but it can detonate when passing cover like trees, bursting just as it senses and passes the trunk. The sort of sensor SAGMs use to differentiate clutter from triggering obstacles is highly classified, but shows airburst reliability of 76 percent.
40×51 mm MV (40 mm medium velocity)
40×51 mm MV (medium velocity), is a NATO-standard high–low grenade launcher cartridge meant for hand-held grenade launchers. Its purpose is to serve as an intermediate cartridge between the 40×46 mm low-velocity and 40×53 mm high-velocity cartridges and is thus referred to as the 40 mm medium-velocity cartridge. Rheinmetall answered by developing a new family of 40 mm grenades named 40 mm medium velocity<br>High explosive shell filled with composition A5.
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|M384<br>HE, high explosive<br>High explosive shell filled with composition A5.<br>M430: Shaped charge with ability to damage soft targets and penetrate armor. It arms within 18 to 30 meters of the gun muzzle and has a point-initiating, base-detonating (PIBD) fuze.
Armor penetration: .
M430A1: Has a longer shaped charge than the M430 and penetrates more armor. Armor penetration: .<br>Canister shot containing several flechettes. Produces a wide dispersion pattern at .<br>Dual purpose shaped charge with programmable fuze for air burst functionality.<br>M385: Training round featuring a solid metal projectile.<br>The M918 is a training practice cartridge that has the same muzzle velocity of 790 feet per second (fps), signature, and sound as the HE round.
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|M922, M922A1<br>Dummy round Trainers use dummy rounds to check weapon function and to train crews.
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|MK281 Mod 0, MK281 Mod 1<br>P, practice<br>MK281 Mod 0: Training round featuring an impact marker.
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! style="width: 100px;" |NEM
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| style="text-align: center; vertical-align: center;" | It features a casing with a high–low system. The propellant has low pressure and gives the projectile an average velocity of depending on the ammunition type. a subsidiary of ROMARM.
Several types of the Romanian 40×47 mm exist:
- High explosive
Caseless ammunition
40 mm VOG-25 (Russia)
thumb|VOG-25
40 mm VOG-25 (Russian Cyrillic: ВОГ-25) (GRAU-Index: 7P17 (Russian Cyrillic: 7П17)) is a unique type of 40 mm grenade designed in the Soviet Union for hand-held grenade launchers, such as the Soviet GP-25 Kostyor and GP-30 Obuvka. Instead of a casing, the VOG-25 is caseless ammunition, featuring its propellant in an expansion chamber at the base of the projectile, functioning more like a mortar round than conventional cased ammunition. based on their own caseless ammunition weapon design prior to entering administration in 2012. Unlike common caseless ammunition and their weapon systems the Metal Storm design lacked a feeding magazine and instead used a superimposed load, stacking the projectiles in front of each other in the barrel with the propellant in between the projectiles.
See also
- 35 mm grenade
- 40×46mmSR Hellhound
- United States 40 mm grenades
Notes
References
External links
- Milkor Worldwide
- 40mm Low-Velocity Grenades
- Defense Review overview of Mk 47 Mod 0 'Striker' 40mm Grenade Machine Gun
- Defense Review overview of Corner Shot 40 personal grenade launcher
- Defense Review overview of Penn Arms PGL65-40 'Fourkiller Tactical Model' 40 mm Multiple Grenade Launcher
- Penn Arms data page for PGL65-40 6-Shot Grenade Launcher
- Defense Review overview of Metal Storm 40mm Weapon System
- Future Weapons: MEI Mercury 40MM Grenade