Original Item: Only One Available. This is an exceptional example of an M7A1 rifle grenade (22mm) adapter that was produced during the late World War II era to the Korean War era. The attachment appears to have never been issued and was kept in storage for a prolonged period, making it a remarkable offering. All details are still present and there is even cosmoline on the mechanical parts! It does not get any better than this.

The M7 grenade launcher, also known as rifle grenade launcher M7, was an attachment for the M1 Garand rifle that saw extensive use throughout World War II and the Korean War. The M7 was a tube-shaped device that was affixed to the bayonet mount on one end, with the other end holding the grenade in place. Blank cartridges were loaded into the rifle before firing, and the expanding gasses generated by the cartridges propelled the grenade forward with considerable force. Compared with the maximum range of 30 meters (33 yards) of a hand-thrown grenade, the M7 could fire grenades up to 200 meters (220 yards).

The M7 launcher was capable of firing Anti-armor (M9), Fragmentation (M17), and smoke grenades (M22).

One significant issue with the M7 launcher was that it left the gas cylinder lock closed when attached, venting the cylinder. This, in turn, required the operator to cock the weapon to extract the spent cartridge and load a fresh one from the en-bloc clip. To address this problem, the M7A1 was introduced with a spring-loaded piston that kept the gas cylinder closed when loaded until the grenade was fired, and then opened to allow normal semi-automatic function. Additionally, the spring-loaded launcher recoiled when fired, preventing any damage to the rifle.

The M1 Garand's design was modified to use a hardened gas cylinder lock, which was marked with an 'H' for "hardened," known as the "flat-edged lock" (ordnance part No. 7265959). This modification enabled prolonged use of the new launcher system.

This is truly a remarkable specimen, offered in a condition that is seldom encountered in today’s market. Comes more than ready for further research and display.