MECAR M1 Garand T119 US & Italian grenade launchers & No.94 Practice Rifle Grenades

[FlightRN]

Good Day,
I was lucky years ago to find a MECAR T119 grenade launcher and recently found another of the Italian military versions. The MECAR launcher was trialed by the US military to interface with the T28 Anti-Tank rifle grenades or the Energa rifle grenades. However, the T119 was not adopted by the US in-lieu-of the M7A2 and A3. While the T119 isn't super rare, it is relatively seldom seen in collecting corners.

MECAR made many different versions of the basic launcher to include a clamp-on version for the No4 Mk2 Enfield (that did not include the flip up sight).

I've seen another Italian version that MECAR made (probably under contract for the Italians directly) with a white boarder around the PER FUCILE CAL .30M1. My version appears to have been one where the original markings were milled out and re-stamped.

Billiy Ricca has a very good commentary section on the MECAR launchers for those who wish to know a bit more about this M1 Garand grenade launcher variation.
Bill Ricca's Recoiling Launchers History

I pulled out a few of my ENERGA inert practice grenades. Also manufactured by MECAR of Belgium, the ENERGA was used as a front-line grenade by England, Belgium, Switzerland, South Africa and other nations through the 70’s/80's and remained in reserve stores through the 90's. It was a shaped-charge anti-armor grenade designed to be fired from just about any 7.62x51mm rifle. Some required adapters, but most European armies standardized their flash suppressors to 22mm in diameter so that rifle grenades could be used universally between NATO forces. In this case, I used one of my M1 Garand T119 launchers.

The British trialed them from 1950 to 1954 and were introduced into the MoD service officially (i.e., via War Office Lists of Changes) in December 1955. My 75MM Anti-Tank Practice Rifle Grenade, No. 94 (ENERGA) is an early version with a steel head, black with white markings and a yellow band dated 12-55. The steel head is marked:

GREN RIFLE ATK
94 PRAC MK2
(MECAR) 12-55

The other rounds are the rarer Grenade, Practice Marker L1A1 variant which had a rubber body with a colored chalk powder marker head. Various colors have been noted. I've been told they are rarer because replacement clear plastic nose cones are very difficult to find when they break.
Additionally pictured are a drill and sectioned example for static (non-firing) use.
Best Regards,
Michael

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Bob Seijas]

Mine has a smaller Per Fucile nomenclature in a box. Back in the 1980s these began showing up at gun shows brand new, together with a clamp-on type for the Mauser. Pouches were new as well, but original. I always wondered at the sight calibrated in yards -- nobody used yards except us, did they? It led me to think they were made for US NATO forces.

[FlightRN]

Good Day All,
I was able to purchase additional Italian M1 Garand grenade launcher variations . They are made similarly to a MECAR version but I'm wondering if this was made by the Italians themselves. The markings are:
TROMBONCINO "ENERGA" PER FUCILE
s.a. GARAND cal. 7,62 NATO-TIPO 2-

Regards,
Michael

[browningautorifle]

Very nice though. You never see those.

[Beerhunter]

Just a couple of points on the original post.

Reference to a launcher for the No.4 Mk.2. We certainly did have a launcher for the No.4 but it fitted all marks and did have a flip up sight. (picture below)

We also had them for the SLR. (That's what the little pouch on the side of the '58 Pattern basic pouch is for - NOT one's KFS.)

The 94 Mk.2 practice grenade appears to have a later tail assembly. As I remember it the Mk.2s always had black tail assemblies and the later (chalk nosecone) blue.

[Bob Seijas]

So what's the speculation on the range marking in yards?

[FlightRN]

The 94 Mk.2 practice grenade appears to have a later tail assembly. As I remember it the Mk.2s always had black tail assemblies and the later (chalk nosecone) blue.

Good Day Beerhunter,
Thank you for the correction regarding the Enfield version of the launcher. I have an example of it and erroneously stated it did not have a flip up sight. I have NO idea what I was thinking
I purchased an all blue No94 practice round in years ago however, it had no markings on it. It appeared to have been used a great deal and might have been repainted at some point (thus being all blue?). I later found a black dummy head (pictured) with no tail assembly. The nomenclature was still visible, and I put the two together.
Regards,
Michael

[FlightRN]

Good Day All,
It took a while and a great deal of luck but I was able to purchase an Italian M1 Garand grenade launcher with the white box around the PER FUCILE CAL .30M1 nomenclature that Bob Seijas mentioned before. Thank You very much for informing us of this variant.
My guess is the boxed variant came after the milled example I found a number of years ago (pictured below). As to Yards vs Meters ladder markings, since MECAR also produced the T-119 for the US military and they were subsequently not purchased en-masse, perhaps the excess ladders made for the US were purchased the Italian military at a discount. Its complete supposition on my part. whichever the ultimate reason, the range ladders appear to be designed specifically for the ENERGA Anti-Tank round.
Best Regards,
Michael

[FlightRN]

Good Day,
I've found additional information on the Italian launchers. Here the two are.


Regards,
Michael

[cpc]

An early manual and sales brochure for the Energa grenade