User:Tronno/Milkor MGL

'''This is a complete rewrite of the old article at MGL-MK1.

The MGL is a grenade launcher manufactured in South Africa by Milkor Marketing.

It is a semi-automatic weapon, intended to significantly increase a small squad's firepower when compared to traditional single-shot grenade launchers like the M203. The MGL is designed to be simple, rugged and reliable. After its introduction in 1983, the MGL was gradually adopted by over 30 countries; it has since proven its effectiveness in harsh environments ranging from jungles to deserts.

In the last decade, several upgrades were made to the original design.

MGL
The original MGL was designed in 1982 and began production in 1983. It features a rotating revolver-style drum with six chambers, capable of accepting most 40 mm grenades. The drum is spring-loaded and rotates automatically while firing; however, it must be wound back up after every reload. During reloading, the rear of the drum must be unlatched and pivoted counter-clockwise to expose the chambers. The body of the drum cannot be removed like a magazine, so each new round must be loaded manually, one by one.

The weapon features a folding metal stock and adjustable IR-capable red dot sights that allow precision fire at ranges up to 375 m. The position of the front pistol grip is adjustable for comfort. The weapon also has a fire selector safety switch just above the rear trigger grip.

MGL Mk-1
The Mk-1 is a modified version of the original design. It began production in 1996.

Two "product improved" variants were introduced in 2004. The first is the Mk-1S, which replaces the aluminum construction of the Mk-1 with a stronger stainless steel body, and adds several Picatinny rails &mdash; four around the barrel, and one more on top of the main frame. The folding Mk-1S stock is also adjustable for length of pull.

The second variant is the Mk-1L &mdash; a further development of the MGL designed to increase the versatility of the weapon. Certain special-purpose grenades such as tear gas canisters and less-lethal impact rounds are too long to fit in the older models. The Mk-1L resolves this problem by extending the length of the ammunition drum. This increases the range of ordnance that the weapon can fire, and makes it more suitable for use in peacekeeping and riot control operations. The Mk-1L also incorporates all the improvements found in the Mk-1S.

MGL-140
The MGL-140 was introduced in 2005. It features a Crane-style Vltor Modstock, a "Sopmod Tan" finish, and a weighted two-stage trigger. It has a 140 mm long chamber designed to accept new "hyper-lethal" wide blast radius ammunition manufactured by Martin Electronics Inc. (MEI). The MGL-140/MEI combo is being touted as a significant improvement over traditional grenade launcher systems.

In late October 2005, the United States Marine Corps awarded Milkor USA a contract to produce 9000 MGL-140 launchers, featuring unspecified modifications made at the USMC's request. The order will be manufactured in the United States. The new versions, designated M32 Multiple Grenade Launcher, were deployed to Iraq in March 2006 with all Marine battalions for testing.