In January, just before the 2017 SHOT Show, I got the opportunity to travel to Cody Wyoming to visit the Cody Firearms Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, to see some of their rare firearms and bring photos of them to our readers.

On Wednesday we looked at a Winchester mystery rifle, and today we’ll be looking at another mystery gun from approximately the same time, this time an underbarrel grenade launcher. The launcher is marked:

WINCHESTER-EXPERIMENTAL
SINGLE SHOT GRENADE LAUNCHER
CAL. 40MM     #1B 1966

Which helps alleviate the mystery somewhat. The launcher itself is a simple sliding barrel design, similar in concept to the later AAI M203 which has since become the ubiquitous US Army underbarrel grenade launcher. The launcher appears to be made out of aluminum with a brass-like anodizing, and beyond that, there’s not much we know. Based on the date, this launcher would had been made after the abortive XM148 underbarrel grenade launcher, but before the June 1967 solicitation for its replacement. Further, no mention of a Winchester single-shot grenade launcher is made in either The Black Rifle, or SPIW: The Deadliest Weapon That Never Was.

If you’re interested in seeing more of the Cody Firearms Museum, I highly recommend taking a trip out to Cody, Wyoming to see their awesome and extensive collection. They have over 7,000 firearms, about 4,000 of which are on display. In particular, if you have an interest in Winchester firearms and their history, Cody is the place to be. If just a visit isn’t enough for you, then check out the museum’s 79-page book, which highlights some of the finest pieces in their collection!