Developed in the late 1960s and deployed in the 1970s, the combination of a Colt M16/M4 family automatic rifle and the M203 grenade launcher is one of the signature weapons of the United States Army from Vietnam into the modern era. While the M79 was by all reasonable standards a potent and reliable support weapon, grenadiers were effectively sidelined against targets that were too close or otherwise not a suitable target; pistols were considered inadequate, a separate rifle or carbine would be too bulky, and experimental drop-in sleeves to turn the M79 into a single shot shotgun took too long to insert or remove in the heat of the moment. With the launcher mounted on a rifle, the grenadier could lay in support fire while still being able to defend themselves or engage lone targets when needed. This particular example uses a commercial/export 9 million serial number range M16A1 as the host weapon. Post front and two-leaf peep rear sights, with an A1 flash hider on the "C MP CHROME BORE" marked barrel, the flip-up grenade sight on top of the ventilated handguard, low profile casing deflector and oval shaped forward assist. The lower receiver has the standard markings, with a right handed "SAFE"/"SEMI"/"AUTO" selector. Fitted with a checkered pistol grip, fixed buttstock and a nylon sling with a proper clamp-on swivel mounted beneath the front sight. Includes cleaning rod in butt compartment.

Originally developed as part of the Special Purpose Individual Weapon program, the M203 has been a mainstay of American infantry for decades. Designed for compatibility with the 40mm rounds used by the M79, the M203 is primarily aluminum in construction, with a ribbed plastic grip cover on the sliding barrel, a safety switch inside the triggerguard, and a spring steel triggerguard that hooks on the magazine well of the host rifle. The mechanism is single action, cocking automatically as the barrel is closed, with a spring hook extractor for the spent casing and a flip-up ladder sight on the handguard. Provenance: The Al Walker Collection