The people at Brownells are watching this with a grin in their faces.

“However, unfortunately, Colt screwed up.” WHAAAAT? I’ve never heard THAT before! 😮

It just occured to me that I've never seen a History Of 40MM grenades and launchers before. Theyve been in use a long time but get overlooked.

0:29 - Anyone else notice that the sling swivel obstructs the grenade launcher barrel?

When you realize Ian HASN'T done the M203 yet. Can't wait for that video

The XM148 was most definitely a proof of concept that was pushed into the field too early. The M203 (although designed by AAI, not Colt) was essentially a much refined version of the concept that was a wild success...we are still using it over 40 years later!

"Unfortunately, Colt screwed up." Shocking.

That grenade launcher really looks like The type of design which looks great in a lab, and is absolutely horrendous to use in the real world. I can’t imagine anyone preferring this over carrying an M 79 separately!

Have to wonder why Colt didn't think "Hmm, we already have a pumping motion to open and close this during loading. Can we use that to charge it as well?" during development. Pump-actions had been a thing for...what, 80-odd years at this point?

Ah yes, a sextant welded to a telescope. Blows my mind that anyone thought this monstrosity would do well in combat.

The barrel shroud for that m16 is pretty slick ngl

Looking forward to the M203 video now. One of my favorite things in the military was launching 40mm grenades. The sound that comes out of the barrel, the little kick you feel, and then "boom goes the dynamite" on your target- so satisfying.

I can add to the story a bit. I was an AF Security Policeman from 1988-1994. At the time part of our training included Air Base Ground Defense school which we attended at Ft. Dix, NJ. The school had a number of XM-148s. Though we had already qualified on the M-203, we learned this weapon as well. Our instructors said we would never see them out of school. Fast forward 1-2 months and I am stationed at my first assignment at Incirlik AB, Turkey. Lo and behold, the armory had at least a few XM-148s and since I was listed as qualified with the weapon, the armory issued them to me and a few other airman who were fresh from school like me. Most of my fellow flight members had never seen one. I think we just got lucky getting to qualify on the 148, and it wasn't part of normal training. We were issued them only a few times. I think someone told the armory to knock it off and we were issued 203s after that. I never saw them again. In any case, our qualification was only good for a year and we weren't requalified on the 148. Side note: One of the reasons the ABGD instructor gave us for the failure of the 148 was that it would fire out of battery. If I remember correctly the cocking device and trigger would function if the barrel was open, there was no safety disconnect. So, if the barrel wasn't fully closed (but nearly closed), it was possible for the firing pin to set off the round. Dangerous to say the least.

It was in soviet movie "To survive" mounted on autentic M16A1

I hope you get your hands on a Russian GP-25 /GP-30 in the future. I'd love to know more about them in a language I can understand :)

Wow a blast from the past. I went into the USAF in '78 and they were still using those. Had to qualify on it for Security Police training. It was pretty accurate at the 100 yards we had to train at. As long as the winds were calm you can put it right through a standard window frame at that range. Don't remember when all were removed from the USAF inventory but when I got to my 1st assignment they were using the M-203 so never saw the M-148 again. Just my $0.02

I love the look of the XM-148. So very cool.

If you can also fire it just by thumbing that level, then damn, you could accidentally just bump into something have it go off if the safety wasn't engaged.

That sling swivel being forward bugs me… a lot

So "Point target system" in pentagonese means "DA bullets". Well thanks Ian.

Finally a breakdown of the XM148 that I can understand.. I'm a year late to this party but I'm glad to have seen this video.. Thank you Ian!

Always wanted to know more about the XM148 and could never find anything. This scratched a 15-year itch for me. Thank you!

Love this channel! Genuinely did not know these even existed. Can't wait for that M203 video!

I've always wondered about the reasons behind the 148's differences from the m203. Thanks for kinda clearing that up. I haven't really remembered to research it. Everytime I think of it I'm busy. I am sure the m203 video will finish clearing it up. I never thought when I found this channel that I would be tuning in for every video but Ian man, you have the charisma these other channels dont have, and it keeps me watching. Thanks for all the cool stuff you analyze, and thank you for making me learn in my freetime instead of burn braincells lmao...!!!

Great video as always Ian!

Thanks gun jesus! I'll stay tuned for the m203 video

Great video Ian. Never knew this existed.

From 1967 to 1987 my Dad set up and ran the Plastic's Department at AAI Corp. In Cockeysville, MD. He helped develop the AAI Grenade Launcher.

How weird I was in a discussion about this and some people didn't believe this was real

Thank you , Ian .

I hope you will dive deep in to the topic of the 40 mm Grenade, high/low pressure. it's a stunning technic.

The front sling swivel on the rifle needs to be removed, as it partially occludes the grenade launcher's barrel, and may affect the flight of the grenade. I fired the XM-148 in USAF Security Police technical training in 1987,and the launcher's sight is awkward to use. To take the weapon apart is complicated by the multitude of small easily lost parts. Oh, and thanks for putting this video up Ian.

Hope they have an M79 too. I know, they're just a big single barrel shotgun, but they are just too cool.

I carried an M203 for two years of my army career. Loved it. I definitely would have hated this abomination.

Awaiting the next video !

Why does early development colt AR stuff look so cool

I can clarify one thing, according to the 1966 XM-148 Manual Training Circular 23-10 the rear sight is indeed calibrated in meters NOT yards. Really glad you did this one. It makes a big difference being able to actually see the shortcomings being demonstrated. Looking forward now to the M203 video you promised. Thanks.

i only knew about this weapon system because of the 2004 game Battlefield: Vietnam, always knew it was something completely unique but didn't know about its troubled history, thanks Ian!

Beautiful AK back there !

Every single AR underbarrel attachment has been done at this point....except the Masterkey!

There's pictures of the Australian SASR using these mounted on short barrelled, field modified full auto SLRs.

I had no idea ford did anything related to guns! Thx for the information. Great video keep up the great work

The SPEW weapons and ACR weapons are some of your best videos. You and Karl should go on the Joe Rogan Experience.

That front sling loop bothers me - that can't be as supposed, does it ?

My dad was in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive, he passed away from agent orange syndrome 7 years ago. He always told me he had one of the first five grenade launchers hook to an M16 sent to Vietnam. I wonder if he was talking about the M203?

Very cool, I love under barrel attachments. Especially under barrel shotguns

These were in the USAF inventory up to the early 90s... although not as user friendly as the M203 that replaced it ....still holds a special memory of my time employing it. Can only imagine the collector value... The advantage was the wide opening that allowed several other cartridges that the 203 was problematic with such as the White star parachute flare. It was not that hard to charge either...

between ian and steve at mre info i can be entertained all day

Yep my dad said it was real crappy due to all the damn snags. He said he modified them.

...in or around 1973, we got the new grenade launchers, the M204, for our M16 A1s in our unit in Gernany...HHC 4/35 Armor...I remember being part of the team that modified the rifles...

I didn't knew those, nice to know 'em now.

thank you

mate your my hero and idol mate keep up the good reviews

1:50 Gotta love the sling swivel overhanging the barrel!

Thanks!

Looking forward to the M203 video, it was the last weapon I qualified on before I retired.I was also an instructor on this weapon which was point the weapon in the general direction of the target fire a few rounds we are done, next😆 it was actually my second favorite weapon. The M60 was my favorite. Glad this thing was gone before I enlisted. If you look up M203 online there are pictures of people making it into a pistol.

The hand guard looks awesome.

I like how the sight looks

The Air Force used the XM-148 into the late '70s. By then the combat triggers were all worn out and the only reliable way to fire it was by depressing the sear with your thumb. The cocking levers were also worn out and sometimes when you depressed the sear, the cocking lever rotated around and delivered a hefty smack to your thumb. After range day there were always a bunch of guys running around with black thumbnails.

My unit in the Air Force had some of these for our smaller deployment team when I arrived there in 1994. I believe they were still in use until about 2000. My team had the '203 so I never got to handle the '148

Yes ! More demonstration with dummy rounds please !

great info

400 yard sight, 40mm grenade launcher with low velocity rounds. _Press X to doubt._

I was actually issued one of these in the mid 80's as an Air Force Security Policeman. Can't remember the full story but seems like there was some pressure concern about a lot of ammo being issued that was causing a failure of the 203 hand guard. They issued the 148 until they got it figured out. After that we would be issued 148 if we had additional postings and not enough 203's to go around.

You should take a look at some cold war era Czech rifles

Ian - another great vid. There is a AKS-74U behind you. Can you review it? 🙏🏻 Thx

Great video. But dang it. Now I’ve got the itch to do a new build on a retro M16 with the launcher Even though it will only be a flair. And will cost a bunch. But I want it

I think it's easy to see why this didn't do well in Vietnam. Just imagine a mud test, with mud getting into the cocking mechanism (which is already 30lbs) and trigger assembly, not to mention inside the breach as you're trying to reload it. And the sights are just absolutely behemoth😂😂 awesome to see the old tech. nonetheless.👍

MACVSOG was one of the secret units that first tested these in combat, along with the 203. If my memory serves, these XM-148s sometimes broke and would not fire grenades any more. The 203 was much beloved immediately tho. You should do a video about the China Lake pump-action grenade launcher. Sound historical information about gear, as always

A great feature of each video could be a description of each weapon featured in the background of wherever you are.

We threw these damn things in the rice paddy’s and got an extra m79. Gave the damn m16s back and got as many m14s as we could beg borrow or steal. We had 4. 2 m79s, 4 shotguns, 2 Remington pumps 2 a5 brownings in our platoon. Wish we could have gotten more

Grenade launchers are just awesome :)

I keep looking at the sling swivel mount that intersects the grenade launchers barrel. That would worry me.

The M79 still remains the best individual grenade launcher in US service. Longer range, far more accurate and a rifle plus it is not as bad a load as the M60 team, or the radio guy or any of the mortar maggots carried. Just give me a nice mix of HE and Buckshot rounds and I'd have happily carried a 79 rather than the 203 I occasionally got stuck with.

You said the Army stopped using this in mid 60's ? I was in the Air Force Security Police at Phan Rang 69-70 and we used this then

Interesting historic video. When I was in Vietnam, we had been trained on the M-79, and they were still issued to troops quite regularly, this in 70-71. When I got home and joined the police force, we were again trained on the M-79 for police tactical use with shot-shells and tear gas.

Holy shit that looks so busy, the M203 will always have my heart

My god its beautiful

Very cool

I wanna see a video of him doing the Mark 19 40mm as well. When I was in the Marines we had them on our Amtrac's and goddamn they jammed so much so we just used the M2HB the whole time.

Holy crap! Soldiers actually took that kludgy thing out into the field in actual combat? It looks like an early prototype of a weapon that hasn’t left the test bed yet.

We had the xm-148 in the ANG up until 1990 I think.

Would be nice if you could show us and talk about the history of the PP - 19 "Bizon"

You should review the Peruvian FAD (Fusil Automatico Doble), it's quite an interesting weapon. Great video btw.

I saw xm and was intrigued

This thing was also issued to the Australian and New Zealand Special Air Service forces and were used on modified L2A1 ARS, L1A1 SLRs and even the Suppressed Sterling SMG

Me: *A Vietnam War fanboy* Ian, the purveyor of knowledge regarding obscure weaponry: *Uploads a video on a Vietnam Era weapon* Me: YES!

I carried this while in stationed in Thailand. Clunky as hell compared to the newer 203, but while they both have an M-16 variant attached my personal 40 Mike Mike is the M 79. Was my first love.

Here's another example of why input from soldiers helps design decent weaponry.

You said some day you'd get your hands on an AAI version. Out of curiosity would you say that your reputation has opened a lot of doors for you when it comes to accessing various firearms?

That sling swivel in front of the barrel is TERRIFYING

It appears that the rifle's front sling swivel is partially blocking the launcher's barrel.

That little metal tab to the front of launcher's handle, is that simply the exposed front portion of the spring that forces the handle to snap back into the locking position? It seems so, since it appears to snap "up" when opened and "down" when shut, but I was just wondering if that was in fact the case.

Perfect!

The precursor to the 203? I was a grenadier in my first battalion fire team and I got to carry the M16 w/203 combo...I felt BADASS like Arnold in Predator lol! It was so fun to shoot, you didn't really need to use the trajectory guide, you could just wing it after the first few ties

potentially controversial opinion: that handguard is more aesthetic than any M16/M4 handguard before A4/SOPMOD stuff

Convert to knee launcher if required. So we can carry on the back . Lightening the gun. Fit on gun if required or dug out launch. From seperated unit so u can shoot the enemy - different angles.

Always a joy to see you in Canada, we have a lot of worrying stuff going on in government about firearms laws right now. hopefully everyone wakes up and doesn't let everything get banned.

it seems to me like the front sling swivel on the rifle would cause a problem with the grenade launcher. In some of the B-roll it looks like it's sitting in front of the muzzle.

Man, there is a LOT going on there!