[82Rigger]

HE grenades fired from the M79 traveled at a muzzle velocity of 75 meters per second, and contained enough explosive within a steel casing that upon impact with the target would produce over 300 fragments at 1,524 meters per second within a lethal radius of up to 5 meters. Stabilised in flight by the spin imparted on it by the rifled barrel the grenade rotated at 3,700rpm, this in turn after 14-18 meters of flight armed the grenade.

For close range fighting the Army came up with two types of M79 rounds. The first was a flechette round which housed approx 45 small darts in a plastic casing, these rounds were issued on an experimental basis. Later this round was replaced by the M576 buckshot round. This round contained twenty-seven 00 buckshot which on firing was carried down the barrel in a 40mm plastic sabot, which slowed down in flight so the pellets could travel in their forward direction un-aided. The M79 could also fire smoke grenades, CS gas, and flares