The M32 MGL is the grenade launcher of choice for the U.S. Military. Its rotating revolver-like cylinder provides reliable and high volume explosive-laden firepower with devastating accuracy. This firearm, a NFA regulated destructive device, has never been available for civilian sale before. But MILKOR is now offering five of these puppies to civilians with quick reflexes…
…and $19,500 + tax.
If it sells well they might offer more, but seeing as each one of these “fun” rounds requires an individual $200 tax stamp I doubt any non-FFL/SOT types will be biting.
I’ve always wondered, can you buy hand grenades if you pay a $200 tax, assuming there are no state laws prohibiting it?
You can. Of course, the main problem is finding a place where you can legally keep explosive devices like that.
I might not be able to buy the launcher but I asume they will have to sell ammo for them so maybe I will buy an m203 and just buy grenades from them. Thats honestly kind of reasonably possible
I think I know a former owner of AAC who wouldn’t mind having one. He has an affinity for grenade launchers, and the money to burn.
Is it legal to handload grenades without paying taxes?
NO !!!
Oh, man, I remember the M32.
Worst. Trigger pull. Ever.
Only HE grenades require a tax stamp each.
Gas, smoke, flares, beehives, shotshells, less lethal, and chalk grenades do not require stamps. Hard to find, but someone who can afford a $20k grenade launcher has the connections to get 40mm rounds.
Actually, I’m pretty sure the shot shells are distructive devices, given the bore diameter (over .5″) and lack of an exemption.
Flares and smoke though, are probably legal without a stamp, as exemptions likely exist for them–they’re signaling devices.
Seems to me that a magnesium flare burning at ~3600 degrees F would be plenty effective. Sure, there’s no blast. Unless you’re targeting, say, a vehicle’s fuel tank…
The weapon itself is a destructive device (40mm). So it can use shotshells all day long without registering each as a DD.
The HE are DDs, not because of the diameter of the round, but because of explosive content.
Ammunition is not regulated under the NFA. The firearms themselfs are (and certain quantities of explosive)
(1) any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas, (A) bomb, (B) grenade, (C) rocket having a propellant charge of more than 4 ounces, (D) missile having an explosive charge of more than 1/4 ounce, (E) mine or (F) similar device.
“Ammunition is not regulated under the NFA.” – Not true. If the round is explosive, it would be classified a Destructive Device by the NFA, hence the $200 stamp to purchase mentioned in the article. A gas round would also be considered a destructive device. Chalk rounds, flares, and practice rounds are not.
@Roallin — Actually, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (and really big fires) has, in fact, intentionally misclassified even flares and chalk rounds as explosive devices. About 4 years ago.
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2015/08/04/atf-rules-40mm-practice-chalk-rounds-are-explosives-destructive-devices/
They need to make a handgun version of this to drive the Brady Campaign nuts.
+1 hehe agree!
I’m still waiting on someone to make a 37mm clone of the China Lake grande launcher. Would it have any real purpose? No of course not but it would be fun to play with.
How does a collection of metal tubes manage to clock in at $20k?
No handmade parts. No rifling. No high-pressure tolerances… What am I missing here?
The coolest weapon I ever fired was the grenade launcher issued to Marines in the 70s. This M-32 thingy must be awesome, but is it really available to civilians? I know true gun-rights fanatics think everything should be, but this is an example of where I’d draw the line.
It’s available if you go through the process to purchase a destructive device(CLEO signoff, BATFE approval, around a six month wait, $200 tax stamp and then you have to have the $19,500 just to buy it).
Pretty much the same process you go through for SBS, SBR, full auto, AOW and suppressors.
I have yet one more reason to hate MikeB. My tax dollars went to an anti to shoot a weapon i’ll never be able to afford or likely shoot myself.
Mike, civilians should be able to own modern fighter aircraft (and associated weaponry) if they can afford it. I draw the line along things like biological and nuclear weapons.
We know that true gun-grabbing fanatics think nothing should be available. So, we in turn rightly don’t care where they would personally draw the line. Nor should we. It’s immaterial, irrelevant, inapplicable, inadmissible, and inconsequential.
Especially since you’re a felonious ex-pat who wouldn’t be able to own guns here. Not without hypocritically flouting the very same laws that you’ve wrongly proclaimed past support for, anyway.
I´d rather go to the range where someone has one of these and pay like 1000usd to shoot some rounds with the thing than having one at home.. ( because i do not have extra 20k for that kind of useless home defence weapon) 😛
They need a 37mm civilian legal version. I’m sure it would sell great.