The XM148 was an experimental 40 mm grenade launcher developed by Colt Firearms as the CGL-4 (Colt Grenade Launcher). Colt manufactured the launcher for field testing during the Vietnam War era.

Cut-down M-79 captured by Marines in 1968 Underbarrel grenade launchers, such as the XM148 and the M203, both designed as attachments for the M16 rifle, were developed during the Vietnam War, allowing the grenadier to also function as a rifleman.

Dec 11, 2019 · Of the initial entrants, (Philco/Ford, AAI, and Colt), Colt’s CGL-4 was the most promising. It was moved quickly through development and 10,500 were ordered in January 1966 as the XM-148. Field reports quickly turned sour, though, and in May of 1967 the XM-148 was ordered out of combat use, to be replaced with the M79 grenade launcher.

Mar 1, 2010 · The XM148 was a revolutionary weapon that allowed infantry soldiers to engage the enemy beyond the range of hand grenades without the weight and complexity of light mortars.

The XM148 was the first grenade launcher designed to fit under the barrel of a rifle, making the M16 two weapons in one. The idea was to equip grenadiers—those squad or fire team members assigned to the M79—with something other than a pistol for protection.

Mar 20, 2023 · The XM148 had a cocking handle and an extended trigger that allowed the weapon to be fired without removing the users hand from the rifle’s pistol grip. In theory, this was an excellent idea, but in reality the extended trigger was extremely fragile and prone to …

Feb 19, 2019 · Right side view of the XM148’s trigger, cocking mechanism and pistol grip (Vic Tuff) Initial reports from the field were promising with troops praising the “tactical advantage of both the point fire and area fire system” concept. The XM148 was well received by the SEALs and the Australian SAS.

Nov 25, 2014 · Colt quickly created a revised prototype, the CGL-5, to address the problems relating to the XM148 Launcher.

Page details technical specifications, development, and operational history of the Colt XM148 UBGL Experimental Under-Barrel Grenade Launcher including pictures.

The Colt CGL-4 (which would later be type-classified as the XM148) was first displayed publically in May 1964, with an initial distribution of 1,764 weapons being delivered to all U.S. Army brigades deployed to Vietnam in mid-January, 1967.