On our annual pilgrimage to the Iola, Wisconsin military show in 2010, I came across a younger collector displaying the weapons that he acquired. One of the items he had was an M-203 attached to an M-4 Carbine. Having carried the M-203 in the Marine Corps from time to time I am very familiar with the construction, and weight of this weapon. However, I also know that anything in 40mm is a federal no no, unless it is clearly in a “destroyed” condition. In fact I have seen examples in publication that have no tube or the tube is filled and welded closed. ButI knew I was holding one that was owned by a collector that was without a Federal Firearms License (FFL) and he was displaying it without fear of a negative interaction with the law. How can this be? Have the laws changed?
When I was in the insurance sales line of work, I was once told that innovators will always outrun regulators and this is just one of those examples. It is a common practice for museums to display for the public high quality reproductions. If fact most museums make a habit of displaying more reproductions than original artifacts. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying; there are several legitimate reasons for this practice. For Historic Military Impressions, I have always directed that we display original artifacts. However, you get to the point where you just can’t get certain things legally and I simply love my family and freedom too much to have things that will put my civil liberties in jeopardy.
For me reproductions have never cut the muster. They just are not right and have a habit of looking like a crap knockoff reproduction. In fact I have a practice of taking staff to a museum and having them go through the display to identify all the reproductions. I just simply have not come across reproductions that do it for what our expectations are. When I was holding the M-203, I did not know it yet that that had just changed. I was in shock when the owner of the M-203 told me it was an AirSoft toy. I had to have him prove it to me. It was really a toy. This was the second time I was shocked to find an AirSoft weapon and, I, like most readers, thought AirSoft was made of this cheep plastic like the AirSoft guns my eight-Year-old son wants when we go to 7-Mile Fair. The first time I was shocked was with an M-60 that a friend has; I did not know it was an AirSoft until I lifted the feed cover.
The above is a civilian Smith & Wesson M & P 15, Carbine with a Colt AirSoft M-203 (6mm) Grenade launcher. That is right it is made my Colt Firearms and is labeled and built to the exact weight. Externally only the 6mm gives it away. Internally the riffling is straight, but it has riffling and it takes a moment to notice the difference. The one I looked at in Iola I did not notice. It has a large flat faced push button for a firing pin. The grenade is just a bit smaller than a real 40mm grenade, so you can’t make a 40mm grenade fit in the tube or make it fire one. But you can get several different types of grenades that can shoot from 8 to 120 bb’s or paint balls. When I gave it to Matt to hold he was also impressed with the quality.
This does not mean that reproductions and toys can or should replace original artifacts but in some situations it can provide options that just a couple years ago did not exist.
Here is an option for Vietnam re-enactors wanting to carry a M-16 with M-203.
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Carl A. Bogar, Jr.