Looking for advice: Carriage of M203 rounds

[brihard]

I've been pegged as an M203 gunner for my platoon for the upcoming roto. We'll be operating out of vehicles throughout, with the only dismounted work outside the wire to be when we're providing a cordon on the long halt. I'm wearing a modular load carriage vest. What I'm looking for is advice from people who've used the M203 operationally on how/where they carried their rounds. I expect to have either one or two bandoleers immediately on my person, but I'd prefer not to have yet more stuff slung over my shoulders.

So what has worked for others? Dump pouches? Modular pouches right on the vest? Modular pouches on a thigh panel? Whatever you guys have got would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[George Wallace]

I seem to remember we had a discussion on this before?  Didn't we? 

If I find it I'll merge the two.

 

[George Wallace]

Well.  I have come up with these topics:

Standalone M203

M203 operator

Question about the M203

M203 Question

CP Gear M203 Grenade Bandolier Belt



If you want info on grips:

Wanted- M203 vertical grip 

There was 9 pages of which some info may be pertinent.

 

[brihard]

Duh. I can't believe I didn't think to run a search. Sorry about that, George.

EDIT TO ADD:

Having browsed those threads, I didn't find anyone specifically go into what I asked about. I'm still soliciting advice if someone's got some wisdom to share.

 

[PhilB]

Hey man I am over here right now with the BG as an M203 grenadier. The way you carry your bombs really depends on three major factors. The first being the style and fit of the rig that you are wearing, two what kind of vehicle you are operating out of, and finally three personal preference. From your original post it sounds like you are going to be in a force protection platoon, if you are going in the battle group I would really not count on being mounted all the time, in fact the majority of our tour has been dismounted. That being said I originally deployed using a chest rig that rode fairly high up on my chest. A high riding (basically on your chest height as opposed to the pouches being lower around your gut, or your hips) chest rig.  For my bombs I had a stand alone semi rigid drop pouch made by SOE attached to a belt, the pouch wasnt connected around my legs as I hate shit attached to my legs. This worked all right but it had some issues. Firstly, in the back of the LAV the belt had a habit of riding up and digging into my side, I am not sure how it would work in an RG (If you are going FP you will most likely be in RG's) as I have never used it in one. I ended up getting rid of the chest rig as it is really not suited for long patrolling dismounted. I went to a webbing style set up. This set up, as it rides low is not conducive to using a dropped pouch so I went to the CP Gear bandoleer. The bandoleer works quite well with the webbing as it sits nicely above the mag pouches. I have used this extensivly and have had no issues. The bandoleer is also much more conducive to using in the back of a vehicle.

You also need to assess how many bombs you need to carry. If you are in a FP platoon and only dismounting to cordon right around your vehicles do you really need to be carrying a large number of bombs with you? If your SOP's are not to fight but to mount up and clear the x then keep yourself light as you probably wont even get the opportunity to fire your 203. If you are BG, particularly dismounted I guarantee you will use your launcher. We started off carrying significantly less bombs than we do now. Just some food for thought. Our internet is somewhat spotty in my FOB but if you have questions post of pm me and I will do my best to get back to you.

 

[KevinB]

BigRed was using the TT Belt.

There is a thread on LF as to the how and why's of this.

Granted he had a Mk18 and a M79 - but the theory is the same for carriage.

 

[R031button]

Hey I'm in a force protection (read: D&S) platoon right now and have found the CP gear bandoleer to work very well. But as was mentioned above, it depends on what else you're wearing, I rock a MAV around my gut, so the bombs strapped around me just above that works very well, it also works well getting in and out of an RG, where as I could see a dedicated drop pouch being a pain in the ass in that regard.

 

[brihard]

Awesome, thanks guys. Exactly what I needed.

Button, you've got a PM.

 

[fourninerzero]

Im in the same platoon as button, and im using a TT M203 belt, works great, i also use a mav and wear my belt wrapped around me just above the rig. if i need to grab it fast, i can just throw it over me pancho villa style.

 

[R031button]

Im in the same platoon as button, and im using a TT M203 belt, works great, i also use a mav and wear my belt wrapped around me just above the rig. if i need to grab it fast, i can just throw it over me pancho villa style.

ahhhh pancho villa carry... max LCF with only a little loss of practicality  :warstory:

 

[Jarnhamar]

Any of you force protection guys feel like selling your TT M203  belt?  Say to a fellow force protection brother taking over for ya in a couple days?

 

[Big Red]

ahhhh pancho villa carry... max LCF with only a little loss of practicality  :warstory:

Looking good is half the battle!

 

[PhilB]

The TT belts are good however some guys have had some issues with them in my platoon. The only thing holding the bombs in is the elastic, after time the elastic starts to wear and the bombs fall out. Granted both guys that are having this problem are using belts that were used for a roto when they got them, but they have both had to resort to carrying the belt upside down, with the bombs facing up. Just an fyi.

 

[R031button]

Looking good is half the battle!

Finally solving the riddle from GI Joe  8)

(refrence "Now you know!" "And knowing is the half the battle")

Yeah good point on the tt belt, I didn't like it when I tried it because it's a pain to draw bombs, or so i found. The only issue I've have with the CP belt is that it tends to slip if you don't tie it off.

 

[brihard]

Finally solving the riddle from GI Joe  8)

(refrence "Now you know!" "And knowing is the half the battle")

Yeah good point on the tt belt, I didn't like it when I tried it because it's a pain to draw bombs, or so i found. The only issue I've have with the CP belt is that it tends to slip if you don't tie it off.

Nothing a caribeener or fastex wouldn't solve.

 

[fourninerzero]

Any of you force protection guys feel like selling your TT M203  belt?  Say to a fellow force protection brother taking over for ya in a couple days?

Can do, we'll hook up when you show up here.

 

[elecgitarguy]

+1 for the stand alone belt

easier to pass over to the next person should your 203 man go down.

 

[brihard]

Funny enough I've literally just been revisiting this issue.

I ended up not getting the M203 launcher, that decision made, of course, just before we deployed and after I got to fire extra rounds through it. Whatever. So for three months now I've been operating as a TCCC dismount rifleman.

Now, due to changes in the force Protection organization I find myself with a new vehicle crew and have suddenly inherited an M203 from someone else. Now, between my armour, chest rig, and TCCC bag (I don't use the leg bag, rather I use the med-murse that PhilB had designed here), I'm already more festooned with stuff than a dancer at a cheap burlesque show. So I sought a way to consolidate stuff.

In a brilliantly perverse realization that I'm quite proud of, I realized that the M203 bandoleer that R031button left me, and the TCCC bag that Phil designed both have a 2" webbing strap. So with my shears, and a bit of ingenuity and gun tape I've created a truly horrendous monstrosity: A medical bag that, in lieu of a plain shoulder strap, has an M203 bandoleer than can hold up to a dozen 40mm rounds. The bombs sit right where I wanted them anyway, and the med bag counterbalances the weight of the bombs so the bandoleer doesn't shift. I probably won't carry the full dozen bombs on the shoulder strap, but it gives me very quick and easy access to six or eight of them in a pinch.

The concept of a medical bag that holds 40mm rounds is patently obscene and offends even me, but I've got a bit of a giddy feeling too. I'll try to get a photo of it later.