M79 Thumper - Saigon Report Ep. 05

Prior to the Vietnam War, grenades were either hand-thrown or could be launched from a rifle using a blank cartridge. Rifle launched grenades, though technically effective, had several drawbacks. The primary shortcoming was the fact that the user needed to carry blank cartridges in addition to standard cartridges and then make the switch in the rifle during the heat of combat. Firing a live round into a rifle mounted grenade could have disastrous results.

Anti-tank rockets, such as the WWII bazooka and the newer M72 Light Anti-Tank Weapon (LAW) represented a bit of overkill in the field against troops, not vehicles. In 1953, a breech-loaded, 40mm grenade launcher went into development. By 1961, the M79 grenade launcher was ready for full production for the US Army.

Unlike rifle mounted grenades, the M79 was a more versatile tool. In addition to firing fragmentation grenades up to 400 meters, the M79 could be used to fire smoke, signal flares and parachute flares for illumination. Also, other less-than-lethal ammunition, such as CS gas could be fired from the M79. For close work, a flechette (steel darts) round was developed as well as a buckshot round.

The steel flechettes, though designed like mini-arrows, did not fly like mini-arrows and often flipped midair, thus failing to penetrate the target. The buckshot cartridges contained 20-27 pieces of 00 buck (depending on model) and proved to be far more effective for close-in fighting than the flechettes. From the bore, the 00 buck pellets flew around 880 feet per second.

To aid the user, the M79 was equipped with a front sight blade and a leaf, also known as a “ladder” sight. Skilled users could put 40mm fragmentation grenades through building windows at one to two hundred yards. A typical grenadier would carry a dozen or more fragmentation grenades, smoke for day time signaling and flares for night signaling. The US Army has special grenadier vests designed to carry numerous types of 40mm ammunition.

From a technical standpoint, the M79 was made with a hardwood stock and forend. The tube and receiver are made of parkerized steel. Front and rear sling loops are included. The overall length was 28 and ½ inches, with an empty weight of 5.9 pounds.

The M79 grenade launcher was in full production and distribution to the US Army and US Marine Corps by the time American forces deployed for combat in the Vietnam theater. Until the M203 was put into production after 1969, the M79, affectionately known as “Thumper”, was the #1 grenade launcher for the US Military.
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