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
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