M203

[The Laughing Man]

Hey guys,

I apologise if this is in the wrong section. You'll quickly understand why I don't know where to put it.

So I'm thinking about getting an M203 launcher for my SR16 URX, but I know very little about them. I've never used one before, and the only one I've seen work in action was the type that you fill with bb's like a magazine, and it fired just three shots at a time. Meh.
But in the CA shop here in HK the other day, I saw a very pleased customer buying a box of shiny shiny grenades, each of which fired a million bb's at once or something. So, I want.

So, if you can give me as much information as possible, I would be very appreciative. E.g:

1. What are the pros and cons of M203 use on the battlefield. I assume they can be a little heavy. And are there enough opporunities to use them, since they're a single shot?

2. What are the reliable makes? What are the differences between the different types?

3. Will this fit on my URX without any modification? Does the M203 require many accessories?

4. How exactly does the thing work? Are the grenades gas? Is it an easy thing to reload? Can the trajectory of the burst be altered or widened?

5. In what scenario would this be appropriate to use? It sounds powerful, so at what range should I limit myself? Can it take out multiple targets?

6. What price am I looking at for a good one?

7. Will it make my 'weapon' seem larger and more attractive..........?

Thankyou very kindly.

[Operator_Jester]

Re: M203

i have an ics R.I.S Mounted m203 on my dboys m4 and think its awesome tho i havent had a kill with this one yet a friend at the 09 weekender got 2 or 3 kills with one shot using the new madbull grenades

Pros
does look good (if you like the R.I.S Mounted version)
adds weight
can get multiple kills (mainly in urban)

Cons
basically all the above as its operator preference apart from the multi kills

i did have a CA barrell mounted version which i did think was a built to a better quality

They take 40mm grenades which are Gased then loaded with bbs then loaded into the m203 launcher, they do have a safty of sorts which is just a backwards trigger which you flip towards the firing trigger

as for the grenades themselves i dont really know much about tho its apparently better if you don't fill them to the full bb capacity to get more range

oh and theres no real minimum enagagement as there not terribly powerful as i got a facefull of 8mm bbs at an urban game once and it just felt like i had ridden down a massive hill on a frosty morning

sorry if this is a bit over the place just typing from what im thinking about lol

[The Laughing Man]

Re: M203

No no, this is all great, thankyou.

So does anyone else recommend ICS, or any other make? And how much are these?

It may sound silly, but I've also noticed that some grenades are rounded, bullet shaped, and some are just shotgun shell shape. Are they interchangeable? Because I think I prefer the bullet shaped ones cosmetically.

And how do people carry the shells? It needs to look good lol.

[madwelshman]

Re: M203

The ICS kit as a whole is great, but I have 3 of the nades, the powerup range (or whatever they are called) and they all refuse to take gas anymore (need to ring Z1 today!) Madbull nades are the dogs danglies, I use them in my M72 and my 203, great fun, great range, and when the enemy see you weild one in thier direction, the look of fear in thier faces is worth the added weight and cost instantly!

I have a 203 bandolier for my Vn look, and molle pouches for my modern loadout, hope this helps?

[Evansy]

Re: M203

Hey guys,
1. What are the pros and cons of M203 use on the battlefield. I assume they can be a little heavy. And are there enough opportunities to use them, since they're a single shot?

They do add alot of weight to the front so it helps to fir them to a gun with the battery in the back. As for the opportunities to use them there lots but one thing I've noticed is if you only have one shell you're always waiting for a better opportunity so its best to get a couple of shells.

2. What are the reliable makes? What are the differences between the different types?

G&P, CA, ICS and Dboys are the most common makes. G&P make 3 types of mount (TM barrel, G&P barrel and ris) so you'll need to get the right type for your gun. CA make ris and barrel mounted ones but their barrel mounted ones use fitting kits which is another expense. I'm not sure what ICS make because I've only ever seen RIS mounted ICS launchers and Dboys come with three different mounts which bolt onto the launcher and a QD front mount making it pretty much universal.

3. Will this fit on my URX without any modification? Does the M203 require many accessories?

From what I remember the URX has a removable bottom section so you can fit a barrel mounted launcher or a RIS mounted one. IMO barrel mounted ones look better.
You dont need any accessories with an M203 but adding something like a ladder sight (Product Code: GP208) to the top rail will add to the look and a QD front mount is handy if you have it barrel mounted so you can remove it without tools.

4. How exactly does the thing work? Are the grenades gas? Is it an easy thing to reload? Can the trajectory of the burst be altered or widened?

Load grenade, pull trigger. Simples
They are gas grenades and they are very easy to reload. First you reset the shell if yours requires it, fill it with gas then fill it with bbs. It's very important to fill them with gas first in case it's not reset properly.
To alter the trajectory you just tilt the tube up or down, it's a very basic weapon :p From what I've been told the shorter barrelled ones get a slightly wider spread but I've never seen two fired side by side and I only have a long one atm so I cant test it for myself.

5. In what scenario would this be appropriate to use? It sounds powerful, so at what range should I limit myself? Can it take out multiple targets?

They're good for attack/defend as you can fire off a shot as you get upto a bunker to keep heads down or wait until the enemy are close when attacking and fire off a shot to take some out. They're also useful in an ambush.
As for the range it varies from shell to shell, what gas your using and how warm or cold it is. I tend to use mine at about 10m or less to make sure the bbs are going to hit. It is also possible to take out multiple enemies if they are close enough together.

6. What price am I looking at for a good one?

About £120-150 for a high end one or about £70-80 for a dboys one.

7. Will it make my 'weapon' seem larger and more attractive..........?

Thankyou very kindly.

Depends which weapon we're talking about.

It may sound silly, but I've also noticed that some grenades are rounded, bullet shaped, and some are just shotgun shell shape. Are they interchangeable? Because I think I prefer the bullet shaped ones cosmetically.

Some launchers dont like some makes of shell but there's no real performance difference with the rounded, bullet and shotgun style shells.

And how do people carry the shells? It needs to look good lol.

I've only got three shells so I carry my two spare ones in a bulle light ordnance molle pouch. You can also get some good looking pouches on ebay.
If you're feeling rather rich and buy about 25 shells to carry you can also get a grenade vest.

[The Laughing Man]

Re: M203

well thankyou very much evansy. you've answered all my questions there - apart from the size one lol. but i'm hardly concerned with that. i'm in hong kong and could make a racially questionable remark but i won't..

i think i'll pop over to the CA shop and take a look. i can't find ICS stuff here, and CA comes with warranty, so i'll give them a go. they also do very tasty looking shells.

in regards to using an ris mounted or barrel mounted one though.. could i trouble you for some links to pictures? i know what you mean, but i can't picture it. i originally got the urx so that i could mount plenty of junk on it, but if you think actually removing the bottom ris to mount it looks better, then prove it to me lol. i'm all about looking good.

and yea, i fancy a ladder sight - but for such a simple thing they don't look cheap. still.. it may be necessary if i only get one shot at a time. it's not like autoing an aeg and adjusting until you hit the target. one shot needs to be on target first time..

[Evansy]

Re: M203

Barrel mounted looks like this


where the lower rail or hand guard is removed.
RIS mounted looks like this

Barrel mounted is more realistic and IMO alot better looking but unless you get a QD front mount it's a bigger job to take it off if you decide you cant be arsed lugging around.
With ris it's easier to take off and will go on anything with a rail but I dont think it looks as good because it sits lower and theres nothing apart from the mount at the back holding it on.

While you're in HK have a look and see if you can find some Pro-Arms 40mm shells. They're made from that POM plastic and they're pretty good and cheap ($52 USD at a gamers club) I got a pack of 48 round ones and while one has a nackered fill valve the other two are spot on and for how cheap they are compared to metal ones I cant complain
I've used them at two games so far and they've held their gas well which can be a problem with some shells.

[simon]

Re: M203

Evancy, where did you get that M4 mag stand from?

[apmaman]

Re: M203

1. Fear factor. Noobs s*** themselves when they see a grenade launcher. Plus if you play cqb is means you win when it comes to corridors.

2. It's not hard to get an m203 wrong since its just a tube with a trigger. Heard good things about the bdoys but if you want to make sure CA do a good'un. If you want an EGLM go with the VFC. Looks cooler

3. If it has an RIS rail yeah. you can get m203's that mount to the barrel or onto a rail, so you could technically have 4 but it would be a little OTT.

4. BB's go into barrels, depending on what grenade depends on how many. I'll take the Madbull king grenade as an example. 12 bb's go in each barrel. you then fill with your gas of choice. be it green gas or co2 (make sure your grenade is co2 ready before hand or you will blow up, not the enemy) once its gassed and loaded slide it into the breach, find some one and pull the trigger. A large cloud of gas will appear along with many many BB's. A nice bang shall also accompany this.
The range can be altered with pointing the grenade launcher upwards but depending on your propellent you might not need to. Madbull shells with co2 can get 30m easily.

5. CQB, use common sense but they are best for close range/mass team killage in one shot.

6. Look around, Z1 will rip you off (I'm being honest) depends on what make as well. Madbull grenades are the most expensive but they are worth it. (mod note Z1 offer a price match service)

7. Yes

[apmaman]

Re: M203

I did try to make the edit time but I was too late:

The good thing with m203's is you basically have a 40mm cannon. If you choose to not fill it with BB's you'll be left with just an explosive can of gas.

Not very useful? Haha no! thats what they want you to think.

Anything you can shove in the barrel it will fire out (with various degrees of success mind you) this is where co2 shells come into their own.

I've tested a few things out from little Nerf Pocket Howlers, socks and a large tube of styrofoam all have worked really well.
The nerfs I use as "anti tank" rockets which whistle in the air as they fly. Socks, I use against my brother in the house, while they look harmless they do pack a bit of punch, so watch out you dont break anything (and wear eye protection at all times)
The foam block was good, but the back of it was pretty much destroyed by the force of the air coming out.

My grenade of choice is the madbull PB4 grenade because:
It holds 6x more gas than any other shell
it can take high pressure co2 ( I have used one shell 4 times on "raw" 800psi without the o-rings going, I recommend you keep it down to below 500 if you are shooting bb's the higher pressure is for the nerf's)
They can shoot pretty much anything and are super fast to reload. Unlike all other grenades which have barrels and will require a speed loader to fill this has one large hole where you can easily stream bb's into and get around 100. Seal the hole with tape or those little S shaped bits of foam you get for packaging stuff up. They seem to secure the hole really well.




heres an eglm on an M4 (not my pic so I duno what rail it is but they can fit)

[The Laughing Man]

Re: M203

fill it with anything huh? can you fill it with DEATH!?... ahem. shame i can't find any packets of 'millions' candy over here. if i showered the enemy with those it'd be 'sweet' :p

and yea evansy, you're right. the barrel mounted one looks better, but the ris one is more convenient. plus, if i get the ris one, i can also very easily make a wooden pistol type grip for it, so that when i want to use it on it's own as some sort of sick one shot pistol, i can. what are those standalone m203 beasts called by the way?

anyway, CA also has metal and plastic versions, but since both weigh about the same, i may as well get the metal one, even though it is about 20quid more expensive, because it will be more robust.
they also do a deal on the shells. 6 for about 60quid. the m203 is 60ish too, and with the 20% off sale they've got, the launcher and 6 shells will cost just over 100 altogether. nice!

and those eglm launchers do look cool apmaman - but perhaps a bit weird for my taste. it looks good on the scar, but keeping the urx relatively simple will probably be best.

thanks for your help guys! i'll post some pictures of my new beauty tonight, as soon as i get it!

[The Laughing Man]

Re: M203

and here we are gentlemen.

i decided to buy the ris version, even though the front doesn't look brilliant, purely for convenience. it's full metal, and cost me the equivelent of about £45 new. which of course is an incredible price. i also got 6 shells, each 120 round versions, for about £55. they are an excellent weight and pack a nice punch - i tried.

ignore the shoddy set up here. i've since removed the silly torch and cut one of the ris covers to fit nicely beside the sling mount. i could have fit my giant green laser on there, but it's all just too damn heavy lol.

thoughts?

[Chandler]

Re: M203

my god that looks sexy.. and those shells are awsome! Really want an M203 M16 ooooo

you have a crane stock with the battery inside right?
Is that the Long or Short M203?

chandler

[The Laughing Man]

Re: M203

yea it is the crane stock battery type. it's an sr16 urx short version, which meant i had to get the m203 shorty also. nice huh?

[apmaman]

Re: M203

Looks good! hope you have fun scaring people with a massive volley of BB's.