The MK19 (also known as MK-19, M19, Mark 19, or Mk 19) is a belt-fed grenade machine gun capable of firing five grenades per second. The Mk 19 fires 40mm grenades at a cyclic rate of 300 to 400 rounds per minute, giving a practical rate of fire of 60 rpm (rapid) and 40 rpm (sustained). The weapon operates on the blowback principle, which uses the chamber pressure from each fired round to load and re-cock the weapon. The Mk 19 is able to lob its grenade at a maximum distance of 2.2km, though its effective range is about 1.6km. The nearest safe distance to launch the grenade is 75 meters. In addition, the Mk 19's flash suppressor and its lack of smoke during firing makes it difficult for enemies to spot and counter it. For night operation, an AN/TVS-5 night vision sight can be fitted. The Mk 19 is a man-portable crew-served weapon that can fire from a tripod mounted position or from a vehicle mount (this being the preferred method as the weapon alone weighs 33 kg). The primary ammunition for Mk 19 is the high explosive dual-purpose M430 grenade. Upon impact, the grenade can kill anyone within the radius of five meters, and wound them within the radius of 15 meters. It can also punch through two inches of armour, which means it can take out most infantry fighting vehicles and armoured personnel carriers. It is especially deadly when used against enemy infantry formations. The ammunition comes in 32 or 48 round cans weighing 42 and 60 lb (20 and 30 kg). Due to its low recoil and comparatively light weight, it has been adapted for use on many different platforms, including small attack boats, fast attack vehicles such as the Humvee (HMMWV) and Stryker, military jeeps and as well as a large variety of naval mounts. (from Wikipedia)
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