M320
The M320 is a single-shot 40×46mm low-velocity grenade launcher that mounts under a service rifle or operates as a standalone weapon with a collapsible stock, adopted by the U.S. Army in 2009 to replace the M203.
The U.S. military's successor to the M203 — a side-loading, break-action 40×46mm grenade launcher that can attach to an M16/M4 rifle or be used independently with a collapsible stock.
Overview
The M320 Grenade Launcher Module is a single-shot, break-action launcher chambered for the 40×46mm low-velocity grenade family. It can be fitted under the barrel of an M16 series rifle (M320) or the M4 carbine (M320A1), or detached and used as a standalone weapon with an extending stock and its own sighting system. The weapon replaces the venerable M203 in U.S. Army and Marine Corps service, restoring the stand-alone capability lost when the M79 gave way to the under-barrel configuration, while adding a side-loading breech that accepts cartridges too long for the earlier design.
Development
The M320 is derived from Heckler & Koch's AG36 (Armee-Gewehr 36) and the later AG-C/EGLM family, which were developed to provide a modern, side-loading alternative to the M203. The U.S. Army selected the system in a competitive program and fielded it as the M320 beginning in 2009, making it the first new under-barrel grenade launcher adopted since the Vietnam era, according to Wikipedia. The Marine Corps subsequently adopted the M320A1 variant for the M4, with full operational capability declared in 2017.
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