M79 Grenade Launcher - In The Movies

[@ak9989]

My cousin left me one of these, non firing, after he passed away. He was in Vietnam 1970-71 US Army.

[@O_OTT_8]

nice bro, may your cus rest in peace

[@robertharper3754]

You could do an ATF Form 1, pay the tax stamp, and after approval reactivate it to working condition. They fall under the Destructive Devices portion of the NFA, the laws and rules for them aren't that bad. There are a LOT of people who have 40mm launchers, plenty of registered M79s and M203s out there, ammo selection isn't great, or cheap, but there are plenty of chalk rounds out there, flares, smoke, pyrotechnic, baton, buckshot, beehive rounds and others. No HE/HEDP unless you pay a tax stamp for each one AND have an explosive license, and find someone willing to sell one to you which is rare as hens teeth. There is a good community for 40mm launchers out there, as well as 37mm launchers and 37mm launchers that have been registered as a Destructive Device, I got my 37mm launcher registered as a DD after I got a bit bored with only being "allowed" to shoot flares, smoke, and pyro, so now I can shoot almost anything out of mine, as long as it doesn't break the DD laws/rules. I won't lie, I mainly did it so I could legally shoot a dildo as a baton round out of my launcher, I think my time with the Marines wore a little of their craziness off on me. If nothing else if you did the process you would definitely be able to put on one hell of a fireworks show, loading or getting pyrotechnic rounds is fairly easy. Just a thought for you, another one is getting the launcher mounted as a display piece with any pictures you have of him in Vietnam as a memorial piece for him. I've seen that done for bring back weapons and they always turn out nice. I'm working on doing one for my grandfather who served in the pacific during WW2 with his ribbon rack, rating badge and his helmet from the ship he was on. May all those who served and have passed rest in eternal peace

[@andrewdopple6946]

@@robertharper3754 he is probably full of shit, you're not allowed to take back Government issued weapons, the ability to buy your weapon was taken away in the korean war I believe.

[@RemoteCamper]

@@robertharper3754 "as long as it doesn't break the DD laws/rules. " And what rules would that be if you can literally shoot ANYTHING from your registered DD? I got a Spikes Tactical Thumper (a 37mm clone of the m-79. Its not a direct copy but it has the look and function). Its all steel and a thick heavy barrel. I have also thinking about registering it as a DD, just for freedom to shoot anything out of it without having to worry about it. I don't think a Dildo would have been considered anti-personnel. I think you could have been safe in shooting that. Look me up on youtube. I have vids under remotecamper I have some 37mm vids that include shorts using the 37mm m-79 clone shooting fireworks.

[@ffjsb]

@@robertharper3754 I didn't think you needed a tax stamp for grenade launchers as they were permissible if you only used smoke, chalk, or pyrotechnic rounds. At least that's my understanding.

[@weathermanwx9199]

Fun Fact: The M79 had seen some resurgence during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan when in use by SOCOM units dues to it having more than twice the effective range than the underbarrel grenade launchers. Doctrine Fact: The M79 was issued to one man in each of the two fire teams in a US Army rifle Squad and as a second to the squad leader in a USMC rifle squad during the Vietnam War. However, actual application differed due to difference in organizational structure of unit, man power limitations, and equipment shortages. Technical fact: 40x46mm LV grenades are not the same as 40x53mm HV grenades. The 40x53mm Grenade is used in automatic grenade launchers, typically crew served weapons that can be made to take high pressures than the light weight requirements of a infantry grenade launcher.

[@MyH3ntaiGirl]

Even more fact : Vietnam still use M79 in their millitary (alot of left over from the Yankees)

[@alu.304]

Less known fact, Mainline Units were issued them too. I carried one daily and had another dozen stashed throughout our static post and mobile patrols on my 04 AnBar Province deployment. Fresh out the bag with a 1964 manufacturing date. A couple stars, a couple flares, WP (closely monitored by the Head Shed), and a half dozen golden eyeballs was the standard carry for each. All of our 203's got sent North to the border. 4'ish lbs of F you Haj👍💪🏻🤣🤣

[@floydvaughn836]

Another reason Operators prefer it over M 203 is it's easier to load under stress, especially at night. It's easier than you think to slide the 203 closed, only to find your grenade lying at your feet instead of flying down range. The H&K launcher is better for the same reason.

[@hoppinggnomethe4154]

@@MyH3ntaiGirl Additional fact to that fact: They put optical sight on those M79 launchers.

[@MyH3ntaiGirl]

@@hoppinggnomethe4154 yep

[@edwardvincentbriones5062]

That thumping sound it makes on every media it appeared, its not only limited to the M79, but also to other grenade launchers, such as the M203, M320, China Lake, probably even FN’s underbarrel grenade launchers for their weapons.

[@RolloTonéBrownTown]

I've seen some works miss this point. Good info

[@Tunkkis]

Seems to me like a side effect of the low velocity ammo.

[@Stribog1337]

Big barrel acoustics

[@mbr5742]

It is due to the way the grenade works. Since most western 40mm "low velocity" weapons use the same ammunition design they all sound alike en.wikipedia.org/wiki/40_mm_grenade#/media/File:40mm_High-Low_Launch_System_Drawing.jpg (The german "Granatpistole" also has the thump"=

[@gratefulguy4130]

@@mbr5742 that granatpistole looks slick

[@jamesstaggs4160]

"I ain't got time to bleed" has to be the best, most badass one liner to come out of the 80s action films and if it was spoken by anyone else than Jesse it would have sounded utterly ridiculous, but he delivers it perfectly.

[@RolloTonéBrownTown]

Makes sense because "if it bleeds, we can kill it!"

[@floydvaughn836]

@@RolloTonéBrownTown Get to da choppah!

[@RolloTonéBrownTown]

@@floydvaughn836 almost every line in that movie is a legendary quote

[@dylanperkins7939]

"What's da mattuhr? CIA gaht you pushing too many pencilzzzzzzz?

[@Waytigo]

"Oh yeah? Got time to duck?"

[@minxythemerciless]

Minor detail (asides from the fact I've actually used this weapon and like it). It uses a two-phase propellant system, so a lot of high-pressure gas is generated in a little pod on the cartridge case. This vents through holes in the pod to the main part of the cartridge where it serenely pushes the munition out of the barrel. This is why it's both reliable (high pressure really helps) and comfortable - the expanded high-pressure gas just gives a nice shove.

[@dylanperkins7939]

Thank you for your service sir. WHat a great idea this weapon was. Basically a small mortar that could be carried with a full compliment of ammunition by a single man! It's interesting to me that militaries invented essentially this exact weapon in the 1700s, but it took hundreds of small wars, and two massive global conflicts, to bring something like the hand-mortar back into use. Probably due to the old-style hand-mortar being a little unwieldy. The propellant system in these grenade launchers is an amazing creation.

[@Jay-ln1co]

On top of lower recoil, the high-low system also allowed the barrel to be made of lighter material (reducing weight), since it didn't have to contain so much pressure.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Absolutely. Thanks for adding this.

[@bikerbob2005]

Yup it was backwards from most firearms an they need the highest cup with out blowing the breach.

[@AndrewTranBaseball]

We, the Vietnamese, captured a lot of M79 left behind by the ARVN, we like it so much and after so much research, reverse-engineering, we were able to reproduce it as the M79-VN, still used to this day

[@MaxwellAerialPhotography]

One small correction, the US Army’s first underbarrel grenade launcher was the XM148, first deployed in the late 60’s. While great in concept, the XM148 was finky and unreliable, and it never fully replaced the M79. It wasn’t until the adoption and issue of the far superior M203 design in the early 70’s that the US military fully embraced the concept of underbarrel grenade launchers. Interestingly, since the US Army adopted the M320 grenade launcher, they’ve begun to move back towards stand alone launchers, issuing stock kits for the M320. The M79 itself has made something of a comeback as well, being popular with special operations teams due to its greater range and accuracy, having a longer barrel than the M203 or M320.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Good additional information forsure though not sure it's fair correction as like I said the M203 largely replaced the M79. XM148 was a failure and did not successfully replace it. Though worth a mention.

[@huntclanhunt9697]

M79 has a range and accuracy advantage over the M203, so the M203 isn't completely superior.

[@Axgoodofdunemaul]

The M-79 really was ubiquitous in the 1st Cav of my day (66-67). Sometimes it was called the "blooper." After the war I heard an apocryphal story about a VC sniper who had gotten an M-79 and some ammo for it. He was supposed to have sneaked around the perimeter of a US base at night firing an occasional shot. He was known as the "phantom blooper."

[@bigolmemoryhole6944]

Cpt Willard: Hey soldier, do you know who's in command here? Roach: Yeah.

[@ffjsb]

He's close. Real close...

[@sillyone52062]

I'm happy to see that you included the Roach (2:01). We also called the M-79 the Blooper Gun.

[@drewdederer8965]

While we see a lot of M79s around power suits in anime, it's worth noting that one of the standard Weapons issued to Human (power suited) Troops in Award winning Sci-Fi book "The Forever War" is a (clip fed) Grenade launcher. Author Joe Haldeman did a tour in Vietnam (as a combat engineer).

[@kansaspatriot2051]

I carried the M203 in the Marine Corps but got to try out an M79 down in Central America in the late 80's. Thumper was much easier to use than the 203, but it was nice having the M16A2 to go with it.

[@brothercaptainwarhammer]

My Favorite of all the Breech Loading Type Weapons, aside from the Double Barrel Shotgun, Honest the Main reason why I Love the M79 is because of the Way you Reload it, thought slow and can mean life or death in some Situations, you gotta admit that the way they reload, in Cinema and in Real Life, are (to me at least) Badass, Cool looking Reloads, probably the First Weapon from the Cold War/Vietnam War Era, that became my Favorite when I was but a Little Boy, and its Various Ammunition (Fictional or not) Makes it quite the Versatile Weapon! Its also quite amazing that the M79 Grenade Launcher in BF Vietnam was Inspired by Apocalypse Now's M79 Tiger Striped, simply fuckin amazing! And knowing that its Still used today (albeit in Limited Numbers) puts a Big ol Happy Smile on my Face, and from that, it sits alongside Legends such as the M1911, and Browning .50 Cal, and More Similarly Legendary Guns of Eras Past! Amazing and Informative as Ever Johnny! Keep up the Ludicrously Amazing Work, my Friend! See you in the Next one!

[@alancranford3398]

All of my 40mm grenade launcher experience is with the M203. I ran some 40mm grenade ranges. The report was low enough that ear plugs were not mandatory on the firing range.

[@scottkrater2131]

I carried an M-203 in the 80's. It weights a little more than the M-16 but I felt it helped keep a steady aim by keeping your barrel from jumping as much from the recoil.

[@GhostRider-sc9vu]

So true. Was able to hit range targets from the standing position with ease as it also made the weapon steadier when fired, much less barrel wobble almost as steady as prone.

[@johncox6321]

I was issued an M203 while with the 101st at Ft. Campbell back in 77'-78'. It did improve my shooting averages by making the weapon more steady. I could drop a round through a window frame, into a position, and even had great success dropping a round down an open hatch of a personnel carrier or armored vehicle. I had lots of trouble trying to deal with the quadrant sight though..I finally got wise and ignored it and started using my eye, some High School math, and practice. Improved my rate of fire greatly.

[@carlosenriqueulloa]

I shot the 203. I found it very easy to hit accurately with. It would hit where you aimed, consistently.

[@ffjsb]

Ditto.

[@DeltaAssaultGaming]

Noob tube

[@infantryattacks]

We never called it the Thump Gun in my USMC grunt unit. Instead we always referred to it as the Bloop Gun. We were supposed to have a designated grenadier in each rifle squad per our TO&E, but this billet was rarely filled and usually the squad leaders carried the M79. Great weapon. Much easier to use than the M203 that replaced it.

[@GhostRider-sc9vu]

Never heard it called the Thump Gun just the "Thumper".

[@John-tj9to]

I thought it was "thumb gun" lol

[@caesarlucania4081]

“The siege of firebase gloria” is an amazing movie! If you haven’t seen it you need too!

[@carlorrman8769]

A mate of mine who was in Dcoy 6 RAR back in the 1980's always referred to M79 as the Wombat gun. Robert Mason's Chicken hawk has an amazing story of an M79 accidental discharge through the roof of a Huey slick. An amazing account.

[@trooperdgb9722]

Great book And a situation where the minimum arming distance was a GOOD thing!

[@georgesakellaropoulos8162]

@@trooperdgb9722 Yes I read it, too. I liked the part where he had his wife kick him in the shin when he got something wrong while practicing his switchology.

[@Gool349]

after the M1 Garands "Ping", a M79s "Thump" is the most satisfying sound any firearm ever made

[@TechDeals]

James Cameron commented in the T2 DVD commentary that he was unaware of the arming range issue of the M79, it wasn't until after the filming was done that someone told him it wouldn't arm at that range. On the flip side, that's a safety feature of the rounds, however I've also read that it's possible to modify the rounds to remove the spin stabilization safety feature. I don't personally know if that's true, you real a lot online. Side note, he also commented that the M134 minigun was slowed down for a more dramatic look, as it just looks like a flamethrower when running at full speed. James also commented that he was informed the destruction of the police cars was actually not dramatic enough given the volume of fire the M134 can produce. Then again, this was 1990 and the M134 didn't have a lot of public footage at that point, in 2022 when everyone has seen hundreds of videos of them shooting, well...

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Still one of the greatest movie action scenes around

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

One of the things about me - was that when playing Volley Ball - I could serve the ball right into the far corner. The people on the other team would think it was going out and let it go - but it didn't go out. Then I would do it again. Then I would do it again - and from then on - they didn't let any of them go. Of course - I couldn't jump - so I really stunk at Volley Ball ... Same thing with the M-79 when I used it in training. I could drop those rounds right where I wanted them. So - I really liked the thing - but ... that was the only time I ever used one. What was funny - was the M-79 range was on one side of a long, pond - with the targets on the other side. Ducks liked to swim in that pond and paid no attention to the 40mm grenades going right over their heads. When we went on that range were were told: *_"DON'T SHOOT AT THE DUCKS!!!!!"_* Ha! Ha! There are all kinds of nick names for the M-79. We called it a _Blooker_ because when you fired it, it went *_blook_* . You see that a lot in the military - one group at one place at one time, would have slang terms they used - but - other people at another place at another time would use different terms for the same thing. Oh ... and it's my understanding - that it was common for the M-79 gunners to walk around with the shot gun shell (or canister) round loaded. That way - if they suddenly got engaged from close range - they could shoot people with that canister round. You can do a good bit of damage with a 40mm canister round at close range. If they needed a different round - they'd unload the canister round and put one of those in. One problem with being an M-79 gunner -was that bandolier of M-79 grenades. If you got hit in one of those grenades you could have a problem. .

[@harrygmarshall5157]

I was grenadier of my fireteam in Vietnam , two tours with NMCB62 , Seabees in support of 3rd Marines along D M Z . I carried a M79 , and sewed pouches to carry twelve rounds on outside of flack vest , mixed buck shot fletchet and HE . Team members ask me to sit on tailgate of Duce and half in case a hit would set off chain reaction.

[@harrygmarshall5157]

It was after ammo dump blew up .

[@tman7209]

I had no idea R. Lee Ermey fought in fire base Gloria

[@GannicusMisteriosdeHonduras]

It's a good movie

[@mhos6940]

When I worked on Davis Mothan AFB we still had one in the armory. Got to fire half a dozen rounds through it. More fun than the 203, would have preferred the 203 to the "Thumper".

[@davidprice7162]

If movies have taught me anything, the M79 is used to fire napalm fire bombs than sub sonically explode and make people around it jump on mini trampolines.

[@gooraway1]

You can always rely on Arnie to make the best use of a weapon and follow it up with a classic line

[@KaldekBoch]

Alriiiight it's Johnny! And *props* for the mention of Firebase Gloria. One of my favourite Vietnam B-movies.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

An overlooked gooder

[@eamonnclabby7067]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq totally agree...the vietnamese have made their own war films too...

[@olddog6658]

We were a rag tag bunch in 1965 serving around Chu Laj with 1st Marine div. 1st tank Bn. Most tank platoon did a lot of scouting as we did NOT trust infantry or Viet scouts to really know bad ground. A platoon is 5 M-48a3's. Walked all over that area 1-1/2 years straight. We would all carry 5 M-79 rounds in our gasmask cover something like a canvas purse. And take turns packing the thumper. Mud Marines got artillery ! Later got LAWS---bad news good weapon, must return empties, they have magnito spark ignition and made potent IEDS booby traps. The Patrol: One Cpl or Sgt. Leader: 4 M-3 .45 cal smgs, 4 M-14 all F/A. an M-60, Radio dude and the thumper. Sometimes arty or naval gun fire FO's, he had one bodyguard the sailor was usually a lieutenant. Fuckin bad news to the belligerent locals.

[@GannicusMisteriosdeHonduras]

It goes whoosh bing bang bum, good movies Johnny

[@andrewwillard5625]

The terminator for the video picture is absolutely perfect. And man your vids are so great for us gun nuts always love to learn more about our amazing weapons.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks man appreciate the kind feedback 🙏

[@guntotingnerd8830]

M79 also had what equated to a massive shotgun shell

[@waynedaly1718]

Australian Diggers call it the “Wombat Gun” reckoning it was the only weapon capable of defeating nature’s hairy little tanks

[@CGFIELDS]

Another great weapon that I got to train with while serving in the USAF-Security Forces 👍🏾

[@OldJoe212]

Johnny, I carried a 79 for several months. I carries 80 rounds @ 1/2 pound per round. We used empty claymore bags. We never used the rear sight. If we got a new one with a rear sight, it was broken off in the first firefight. Called Combat Loss. It snagged too easily on brush. It didn't take long to learn to hit your target out to 200-250 meters without sights. In more open areas, I carried HE. As soon as it got thick, I'd switch to the buckshot. It held about the same as a 12 ga. Thanks for these videos. Brings back a lot of memories. Some good, some not.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks so much for sharing this Joe. These stories are priceless and helpful to me to hopefully everyone reading them.

[@mathewkelly9968]

Such a great and iconic weapon .

[@brustar5152]

I could not even guess how many barrels for the M-79 were made on one of the production lines I oversaw in Canadian Arsenals Ltd., Longbranch, Ontario, Canada in the 60's. Thousands of them, along with barrels and other parts for the M-14's, bayonets, and glob ends for carrier arrester cables, just to name a few of the things Canada produced under contract for the U.S. during that war.

[@MM22966]

Thanks, Canada!

[@erikskole7669]

I'm glad that I got to qualify the m-79 when I was in the navy. The angry boop shotgun.

[@taddevitt1104]

I carried an M-79 in the Philippines in early 2002. I kept it on our gun truck next to my M-240, mostly it was for flares as the AFP soldiers didn't have NVGs.

[@chris_hisss]

This was my ideal go to in my imaginative youth years, and mainly due to these movies. Nice nostalgia trip, thanks.

[@coreywarde6030]

Also known as the wombat gun in Australian service as well as "Homer" ( sounding like Homer Simpson saying "Doh" )

[@John-tj9to]

Casualties of war gave fox a chance to do some serious acting after all the comedy he got typecast in, shame nobody remembers it so I'm glad you've included it with all the other iconic Vietnam war films of the 80s.

[@FreeBird-ws2ye]

Most important weapon in a squad organization. Mainly great for suppressing

[@darthgonk5648]

You’d wish games would add more features to these weapons like attachments

[@edi9892]

Many people underestimate what an impact such a grenade has on a human body. The father of my classmate was shot at close range by a regular flare gun and it nearly killed him and the projectile got stuck inside him and kept burning! This grenade launcher has a far heavier grenade and can shoot it AFAIK further. What that means is that you can fully lodge a grenade in the chest from 30m! That's what happened to some poor Mexican civilian. He survived and only in hospital they found out that he had a live grenade in his wound... much of the hospital staff ran off upon realising this, but some heroically saved his life. I've read this in the news years ago. PS: that flare gun incident was on Sylvester. A drunk guy walked up to the family and pulled the flare gun and shot him in the face as if it was a regular pistol. They didn't know him and there was no argument or anything else that might have explained it. He simply did it and walked away without saying a word. The son was seriously traumatised by it. Because real life never just rains, his mother died soon after due to cancer.

[@FP194]

It has also been called the bloop tube after the sound the rounds made when fired

[@fredboat]

Thanks, Enjoyed, Handy tool. Put my hands on one in 82 at Sill, Never got to fire it ,Bummer.

[@shadowwolf9503]

I did my basic training and AIT at Sill in '82.

[@Phoenix_OP]

SEAL Team 6 did use the M79 while they modified the gun by cutting the stock, cutting the barrel, and paint the AOR-1 camo on it.

[@Trav117x]

Those M16s from Bravo Two Zero are just 👌🏽

[@Gunbudder]

I have a friend who fought in Vietnam, and he was a grenadier. He called his M79 a "Blooper", but he told me that different groups used different nicknames for it (bloop tube, blooper, thumper, thump tube, etc). I have been with him during 4th of July a few times, and its the only time he shows any signs of combat trauma. the sound a mortar firework makes is very similar to the sound the M79 makes from what he tells me. There is also some national archive war footage of him killing a room full of VC. He didn't know it at the time, but a reporter was filming his group during combat at some point, and they filmed him firing into a window that VC were firing out of. you can see a person (or part of him) come back out the window after the grenade went off. if it wasn't on film, i wouldn't believe it happened that way. my friend was known for being extremely accurate with the M79

[@TheEpicnerf]

Love all of your videos man. The best late night entertainment. Educational and fun at the Same time. Keep it up bro!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks for the kind words! I'll try and keep you entertained

[@TheEpicnerf]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq don’t even have to try man I love all your vids :) hope all is good! :)

[@user-uy1rg8td1v]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq For close combat, there was also a buckshot round.

[@sacrament6544]

Hey Johnny! I noticed in the part where you mentioned it’s limited use in close quarters, you didn’t mention that the M79 did have the option of firing a buckshot round in place of a high explosive grenade, or a beehive flechette round. The buckshot was introduced in 1966 as an improvement to the flechette round, likely because flechettes, while good at punching through light body armor, would likely be disrupted by the heavy foliage of Vietnam

[@matthewvorwald7169]

I had no idea that the thump sound that was used to load the M79 in Terminator 2 was actually the noise it makes when fired. That's awesome. Arnold and Harley Quinn handle that gun like a true badass.

[@torbjrnsteinsland8985]

Bro Ragnarok is a trip.

[@thekhoifish0146]

For those of you who play Roblox Phantom Forces: I used to snipe with this when I played the game. My record is somewhere past 500 studs

[@klegdixal3529]

Milcor in the Predator was not a M79. Milcor developer admitted that he was "inspired" by a scene from Dogs of War where some obscure revolver flare gun was used as a grenade launcher prop. that whole scene from Apocalypse Now is pure love, pity you used so little of it :)

[@paleoph6168]

I think Johnny showed the Predator clip to show what the Army initially wanted - that being a multiple shot grenade launcher - as an example, not necessarily portraying it as the M79 itself. Later in the video he even shows M203 grenade launchers when he mentions the said launcher.

[@klegdixal3529]

@@paleoph6168 dunno. When he shows M203 he calls it M203, when he shows China Lake pump action he calls it so. Not so with Milcor scene from Predator.

[@paleoph6168]

@@klegdixal3529 then again what the Army requested for didn't exist yet during the 60's so there was just the generic way to call the weapon a "multiple shot grenade launcher".

[@Themaxwithnoname]

The scene in Apocalypse Now was lifted straight out of Micheal Herr's book 'Dispatches.' He was one of the screen writers for that film. He also was the screenwriter for Full Metal Jacket.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Yah you get me :) Just showing a visual "example" which from Predator works perfectly because it's a Frankenstein gun made custom for the movie.

[@josephmontanaro2350]

4:40 they made specialty 40mm shotgun style rounds (giant buckshot filled 40mm shells) for close range self defense use, these are compatible with most 40x46MM NATO standard stand alone and UB launchers launchers, technically you could load these in an M32 or MM-1 what equates to a giant rotary shotgun but I don't know if this has ever been done IRL as amusing as it would be

[@treysmith8917]

i read a Book by John Stryker Meyer and in his book he talked about cutting the barrel and stock off and adding a carabiner to the grip so he could clip it to his belt and fire it from the hip and also retain it. I must add he was on one of the teams

[@cascadianrangers728]

There are 40mm rounds that have no safety arming fuse, such as beehive, flechette, and most of the illumination. 79 gunners who know what they are doing keep a couple beehive shells handy, turns the '79 into a giant shotgun with no minimum range. Same thing with a 203 under barrel launcher For anyone interested, the minimum range safety arming works via a spinning ogive, as the grenade spins, its rotation causes essentialy a bolt to thread down to it's base, so that if can only explode after a certain number of rotations, the rifling imparting a very predictable spin, so knowing the spin rate allows you to math it to a certain difference. This is a safety device, and should never be relied upon because it's more important to have the grenade explode all the time than have a safety that works all the time, so training is very thorough, the odds are good that if you aren't careful about your range it may very well come back to bite you

[@288theabe]

So many iconic one-liners in this video 🤣

[@plaguedoctorjamespainshe6009]

I always remember this gun from Resident Evil 2, proving even more how much of that game was inspired by Terminator 2 Also, i love the scene with it in birds of prey

[@RolloTonéBrownTown]

Been watching for a while but this video is the one i got subscribed to. I love this weapon, the distinct sound it makes and it's role in the infrantry squad. Thanks man

[@SmolBloof]

Knowing Johnny watched even a lil' bit of Black Lagoon is pretty sweet.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I was an anime nerd before a history nerd forsure :)

[@Imnotyourdoormat]

Thump Gun?...I thought it was called a 'Bloop Tube."

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

"Thump-Gun", "Bloop Tube", "Big Ed", "Elephant Gun," and "Blooper" among many great names.

[@Imnotyourdoormat]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq hahaha...kool. Heard em all except Big Ed where'd that come from?

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I have no idea to be honest lol but it's funny

[@Imnotyourdoormat]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq funny is Gump or a guy like him layin the hospital eatin ice cream tellin his buddies he got "blooped."

[@oldtruthteller2512]

Go get the Roach!

[@Nodwick123]

We had the M203 on some of our rifles in Iraq in 2005, we where issued whit some kind of hard foam/rubber material "non lethal" ammunition to them, after the first use the name had to be changed to "less lethal"

[@rundownthriftstore]

Such a good video 10/10

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks Shawn! :)

[@napiersh1]

My dad told me about when a convict who joined the war tried to kill his CO by shooting him in the back with an M79. The grenade didn't go far enough to arm and just hit him in the back. The convict got away with it after he shrugged and said his weapon malfunctioned.

[@silverhawkscape2677]

And if it did arm, what was he even expecting afterwards.

[@silverhawkscape2677]

This is why you never point a gun at anyone.

[@morpheusbutasasquirtle4431]

@@silverhawkscape2677 probably expected it to kill him lets be honest

[@silverhawkscape2677]

@@morpheusbutasasquirtle4431 I meant after he did kill him.

[@flailingelbows7073]

You’re telling me he took a 40mm grenade to the back, and didn’t die from impact / traumatic injury. Mmmmmmmmhmmmmmmmmmmmm

[@Svensk7119]

Didn't know R. Lee's first name was Ronald! Thank you, Johnny! I haven't seen clips from Casualties of War in years! Didn't know the grenade-on-grenade from that actually happened.

[@Garage-uj7pv]

Awesome combo as always johnny of the quick history and the film use along with myths and misunderstandings. Love your work man 👍

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks man appreciate the kind words!

[@NYHCx845]

My unit had M79s in Iraq (08-09). We kept them at VCPs and with the turret gunners.... the VCPs typically had HEDP and star clusters, the turret gunners had star clusters and pop flares. Our escalation of force was flares to signal vehicles to stop, if that didn't work HEDP or rifle fire to try and disable the vehicles engine and if that didn't work then whatever machine guns we had were used to destroy the vehicle

[@alexanderealley9992]

My team had one in 06-07. I carried it with me in the turret as well.

[@malcolmbolton1473]

Know or have met a few guys who've served in the Royal Australian army over the years,'Charlie Guts Ache' I've heard the heard the M79 referred to arching back to Australia's Vietnam war involvement no doubt?,awesome weapon,keep up the great videos Johnny,cheers

[@warpartyattheoutpost4987]

In the '90s I had the 203 on my 16 but there were still some 79s around.

[@SeanHiruki]

Also wonderful to see my favorite anime Black Lagoon get more love. It’s excellent for firearm lovers

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Absolutel must have anime for this one

[@jamesturner9651]

Remember the first time I ever really learned about this was on the game Syphon Filter for Playstation back in 2000

[@mbr5742]

Quite a few police launchers while externally/mechanically identical use a 37mm caliber. Ie the police version of the H&K 79 (the MZP 1 - Mehrzweck-Pistole 1 - multi purpose pistol 1) is available in both 37 and 40mm. My german state uses the 40mm version but at least one uses the 37mm

[@lilgeico7113]

Your editing has improved so much

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks! It's definitely been a learning process

[@michaelb6729]

Recently, the Mandalorians use this with a pistol grip and blaster rounds ! 🙂

[@WizzRacing]

It fired CS rounds, Smoke Rounds, Illumination Parachute Chute flares. I got cases of them. As they come in cardboard sleeves.

[@aldreenbautista2375]

I love this weapon! It is in one of my favorite games, left for dead (1 and 2). Pretty good in clearing zombies at long range but can hurt the team if it explodes near 😂

[@macvena]

FYI, grenades do not make huge, super loud, or fiery explosions. They are noisy, but not too bad. They burst, spraying shrapnel, and the explosions creates a concussion as air is displaced. Grenades are extremely deadly, but visually unremarkable when they detonate. The typical grenade can kill or maim anyone in a 25 meter radius.

[@alexanderealley9992]

Strangely enough, my team had one in Iraq in 06. It was passed on as serialized gear from the prior team. I’m pictured with it in my picture along with an ak.

[@daredemontriple6]

Thought it would get mentioned, but scenes like the one in Apocalypse now with Roach are not even all that far-fetched. The thumper was incredibly accurate and reliable, which allowed troops to become very good at firing the weapon on feel. Similar to the way that you can throw a ball in the air with just the right power and angle to land more or less where you want it to, purely on intuition and muscle memory and such. This is why it got the name of being the Platoon-leader's artillery. Guys would get good enough to use it as in-direct fire, like a small short-range mortar. To the point that, like in apocalypse now, they wouldn't need to see their target to hit it, they'd just need to know where it was.

[@sipherkone7489]

Arming distance saved my life when a soldier running to my helicopter fell and discharged his M79 into its side. Didn't go off.

[@mbr5742]

Cold War german army used the H&K 69 "Granatpistole" or "GraPi" for short. Basically a slimmed down M79. At least in the units I know (A light Infantry/motorised infantry "Jäger" Battalion using Unimog 1300 2to trucks and LPC and a mechanised infantry "Panzergrenadier" unit using the Marder 1 IFV) the gun was carried in addition to the G3 rifle. One per squad. If one wonders why the german soldier lugged that heavy an extra - back then the german army fough ONLY in germany and close to their bases/vehicles. Heavy backpacks/long times away from supply like the US might see where not part of the planning/would not happen in a WorldWar 3 situation. And "the last big one" was the only war we trained for. Train where you will die as a Staff Sergeant quite correctly put it (In german naturally and a bit more blunt - Trainieren wo wir krepieren)

[@rtpfixit]

An unreasonably effective weapon, I used to run wild in quake/ctf with a grenade launcher, the tink tink of a bouncing grenade is a deterrent by itself

[@Stonewielder]

Always loved seeing this weapon in the movies

[@jamesyeh364]

I always wondered why they never made a double-barreled version. As stated, it was already very light, and it'd give the grenadier some flexibility, like always having a flechette round in one tube just in case.

[@georgesakellaropoulos8162]

They also made buckshot rounds for it that were more effective than the flechette rounds.

[@JayjayElon]

By far badass scene featuring this weapon in anime is at the hand of Revy during that boat chase scene in Black Lagoons

[@HiveofVillainy]

Weren't they called "bloopers" as well?

[@djolley61]

One alternative round was the white phosphorus or "willy pete". It figures into the Tom Clancy novel, Without Remorse. You definitely don't want to be around when that goes off.

[@_Boz]

Awesome weapon! Humped the 'Blooper' in the Arizona Territory for 13 months 68-69. G/2/5

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

The grenades are spin stabilised and include a centrifugal arming system. The grenade has to spin at least 7 times to arm, ensuring that the user is outside the lethal range before it explodes. Unfortunately, in SE Asia, it was common for the grenade to hit something solid within its arming distance. As a result, the 40mm grenades are a common piece of unexploded ordnance found to thus day. It’s impossible to tell whether it needs just one more turn to complete the arming sequence. It doesn’t help that the fired grenade looks like a golden egg…

[@kaneko.ayano.20X]

This thing is a beast in the game Left4Dead2, useful for taking out hordes of common infected.

[@benlzicar7628]

There was actually buckshot round the M576, but because of the low relative pellet count (only 20) and velocity of the rounds, it was at least statistically inferior to a 00 round from any shotgun at the time. I suppose it was a better option than the non-detonating frag round at close range, but it's a real shame they couldn't load that round with at least 2-3 as much led to give it some real power.

[@trooperdgb9722]

Problem wasn't the pellet count..but the velocity. A normal shotgun shoots buckshot at 1100 fps or more, but of course with much higher pressures... slow that down to M79 velocities and its WAY inferior.... As you say..better than nothing...but not by a whole lot!

[@georgesakellaropoulos8162]

@@trooperdgb9722 The low velocity is probably the reason for the low pellet count. Load it to full capacity and the weight of the pellets will slow it down to the point where it's like throwing a handful of gravel.

[@ChaosKoda]

This is the earliest I've ever commented on a video!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Good man!

[@marioacevedo5077]

Great video. When I first joined the army we still had M79s. You could put a grenade through a window at 250 meters. The M203 was more versatile but the ergonomics weren't as good for accurate shooting. GIs in WWII got lots of practice with rifle grenades and were pretty good using frags for air burst and the HEAT for taking out tanks.

[@birdsgonnafly6313]

Yesterday I've searched M79 Thumper and they said it's really an accurate weapon and still used today

[@brianwarren2042]

We used these in the Navy as late as 2004 and even had limited quantities of the XM series rounds which had not just .38 caliber pellet ammunition and flechettes but also included an aluminum slug with tungsten penetrator, smoke, flares, and wooden staves for crowd control. They were also FAR more accurate than the 203.