| The less powerful 40×46 mm is used in hand-held weapons such as the M79, M203, the XM320, and the multi-shot M32 MGL.
The High Explosive rounds traveled at a muzzle velocity of 75 meters per second, and contained enough explosive within a steel casing that upon impact with the target would produce
over 300 fragments at 1,524 meters per second within a lethal radius of up to 5 meters (?). Stabilised in flight by the spin imparted on it by the rifled barrel the grenade rotated
at 3,700rpm, this in turn after 15 meters(?) of flight armed the grenade.
For close range fighting the US Army came up with two types of anti-personnel rounds. The first was a flechette round which housed approx 45 small darts in a plastic casing,
these rounds were issued on an experimental basis. Later this round was replaced by the M576 buckshot round. This round contained buckshot which on firing was carried
down the barrel in a 40mm plastic sabot, which slowed down in flight so the pellets could travel in their forward direction un-aided.
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VARIANTS OF THE SERIES
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GENERAL RECOGNITION POINTS
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- Short stubby rounds with half-globe top.
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WEBSITES
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DOCUMENTS
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CONTACTS |
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