MatthewVanitas
Member
Item: M1A2 rifle grenades from Bloom Automatic, $10ea ( www.bloomautomatic.com )
Platform: SP1 (Colt AR-15) 20” upper, 3-prong, on CMMG lower
Ammo: Lake City Blanks (training blanks, not grenade launching, but purchased from Bloom for purposes of launching their product, 25c each)
http://www.bloomautomatic.com/index_files/image5391.jpg
I purchased this item for the simple fact that I am a total geek. I spent considerable effort avoiding the M203 when on active duty, and had read the famous article in the Marine Gazette where CWO5 Binotz had argued the case for returning to rifle grenades. Thus I was intrigued.
Being a former cannon-cocker, and since an NFA 60mm mortar is out of my price range (much less an M198), I decided to go with a set of Bloom grenades. These were cheaper than any of the Israeli inert grenades, and far cheaper than buying a 37mm M203. This is the rock-bottom discount high-trajectory option.
Took them out to the range, and first tried shooting in a “direct fire” mode, basically using the rifle sights to aim at the berm. Grenades bobbled out to an underwhelming 40m and skidded into the deck.
I was a bit disappointed, but decided that it might be cooler with a little more loft. So I whipped out my handy-dandy M203 quadrant sight (warned you that I was a total geek, didn’t I?) and installed it. I set the quadrant for 400m (about 45 degrees) and sighted the pin on the 50yd berm, taking a knee so as to clear the range overhead.
That’s the ticket! Grenade cruised sweetly, sailing easily over the 50yd berm and reaching about 72yds. With a little fooling, I was using the quadrant to get some near-misses on targets at the 50m berm, with plenty of energy to spare. Each grenade survived a half-dozen launchings, and the only damage was a slight ding in the fins when a launcher landed sans-tennis ball (ball having come loose in flight). For max shell longevity, you may want to white-glue the ball in to prevent its coming loose, but still allow it to be replaced if the rubber tears.
Conclusion: not a bad little toy for $10ea, cheaper than buying Israeli, or buying the same thing off eBay. Also sturdier-looking than the jury-rigged tennisball launchers sold on other sites. I’d imagine this would be somewhat more fun with proper .223 grenade-launching blanks, and way more fun out of a 7.62
I have sternly told myself that I am not buying an FR-8 for the sole purpose of launching tennis-balls.
Unsolicited review, I have no relationship with the commercial sale of this product.
-MV
Platform: SP1 (Colt AR-15) 20” upper, 3-prong, on CMMG lower
Ammo: Lake City Blanks (training blanks, not grenade launching, but purchased from Bloom for purposes of launching their product, 25c each)
http://www.bloomautomatic.com/index_files/image5391.jpg
I purchased this item for the simple fact that I am a total geek. I spent considerable effort avoiding the M203 when on active duty, and had read the famous article in the Marine Gazette where CWO5 Binotz had argued the case for returning to rifle grenades. Thus I was intrigued.
Being a former cannon-cocker, and since an NFA 60mm mortar is out of my price range (much less an M198), I decided to go with a set of Bloom grenades. These were cheaper than any of the Israeli inert grenades, and far cheaper than buying a 37mm M203. This is the rock-bottom discount high-trajectory option.
Took them out to the range, and first tried shooting in a “direct fire” mode, basically using the rifle sights to aim at the berm. Grenades bobbled out to an underwhelming 40m and skidded into the deck.
I was a bit disappointed, but decided that it might be cooler with a little more loft. So I whipped out my handy-dandy M203 quadrant sight (warned you that I was a total geek, didn’t I?) and installed it. I set the quadrant for 400m (about 45 degrees) and sighted the pin on the 50yd berm, taking a knee so as to clear the range overhead.
That’s the ticket! Grenade cruised sweetly, sailing easily over the 50yd berm and reaching about 72yds. With a little fooling, I was using the quadrant to get some near-misses on targets at the 50m berm, with plenty of energy to spare. Each grenade survived a half-dozen launchings, and the only damage was a slight ding in the fins when a launcher landed sans-tennis ball (ball having come loose in flight). For max shell longevity, you may want to white-glue the ball in to prevent its coming loose, but still allow it to be replaced if the rubber tears.
Conclusion: not a bad little toy for $10ea, cheaper than buying Israeli, or buying the same thing off eBay. Also sturdier-looking than the jury-rigged tennisball launchers sold on other sites. I’d imagine this would be somewhat more fun with proper .223 grenade-launching blanks, and way more fun out of a 7.62
I have sternly told myself that I am not buying an FR-8 for the sole purpose of launching tennis-balls.
Unsolicited review, I have no relationship with the commercial sale of this product.
-MV
