Sage Control Ordnance, who manufacture single shot and revolver-style grenade launchers, will be introducing an over/under launcher. It makes perfect sense. Grenade launchers are more of less oversized-shotguns and double barrel shotguns have been around since the dawn of time. Solider Systems has the story.
I can see it now – “Hold on while I drop a deuce! *thump-thump* … *BOOM-BOOM*”
0 
0The Milkor MGL seems to a have a higher rate of fire and it being a huge revolver means that it’s probably alot more resistant to dust and dirt than your normal revolver.
But this grenade launcher design does seem to alot more compact, lower weight and easier if you need to load different rounds. Presuming it works like your typical pump action shotgun. It’s also would be more reliable, needing less maintenance and be more resistant to dirt/dust.
0 0Will the 37mm smoothbore be available to civvies? I hope so. The 37mm community will be most pleased if they can get these. It’s about time someone did this. Before basically the only options were single shot or six-shooter. (excluding the china lake, which it would be grand if someone did a 37mm take of it or better yet, improved the design) Fingers crossed, but my hopes aren’t up.
0 0Personally I’d like to see a modernized China Lake. I bet we could get that thing’s empty weight down under 8 pounds. Bonus: It lays flat when slung, unlike the MGL.
0 0Well if we are going down this path what they should do now should be a pump action shotgun style grenade launcher with two grenades or more in the tube.
0 0subase: A pump-action 40x46mm was created back during Vietnam. There was talk that Airtronic was going to recreate the design.
0 0Daniel, I was just reading Wikipedia, apparently the Airtronic contract was canceled last year. That explains why I did not see it at SHOT this year:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Lake_Grenade_Launcher
0 0Not as elegant as most double barrel shotguns, alas.
Given the parallel evolution that’s occured in the last few decades, I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point someone’s military decided to just merge the two.
0 0
Will the 37mm smoothbore be available to civvies? I hope so. The 37mm community will be most pleased if they can get these. It’s about time someone did this. Before basically the only options were single shot or six-shooter. (excluding the china lake, which it would be grand if someone did a 37mm take of it or better yet, improved the design) Fingers crossed, but my hopes aren’t up.
The Milkor MGL seems to a have a higher rate of fire and it being a huge revolver means that it’s probably alot more resistant to dust and dirt than your normal revolver.
But this grenade launcher design does seem to alot more compact, lower weight and easier if you need to load different rounds. Presuming it works like your typical pump action shotgun. It’s also would be more reliable, needing less maintenance and be more resistant to dirt/dust.
I can see it now – “Hold on while I drop a deuce! *thump-thump* … *BOOM-BOOM*”
Personally I’d like to see a modernized China Lake. I bet we could get that thing’s empty weight down under 8 pounds. Bonus: It lays flat when slung, unlike the MGL.
subase: A pump-action 40x46mm was created back during Vietnam. There was talk that Airtronic was going to recreate the design.
Daniel, I was just reading Wikipedia, apparently the Airtronic contract was canceled last year. That explains why I did not see it at SHOT this year:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Lake_Grenade_Launcher
Well if we are going down this path what they should do now should be a pump action shotgun style grenade launcher with two grenades or more in the tube.
Not as elegant as most double barrel shotguns, alas.
Given the parallel evolution that’s occured in the last few decades, I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point someone’s military decided to just merge the two.