Mk 19 grenade launcher vs SAR 21: Specs Compared

ASmall arms

SAR 21

Bullpup assault rifle

Credit

Mztourist · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

Mk 19 grenade launcherLength

1.09 m

Length source ↗

SAR 21SAR 21, SAR 21 40 GL/M203, SAR 21 P-Rail

0.805 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Mk 19 grenade launcherlarger figure on 0 of 1

None

SAR 21larger figure on 1 of 1

Barrel length+23%

Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.

Measured figures

Head to head

21 of 61 rows sourced on both sides

1.09m

805mmSAR 21, SAR 21 40 GL/M203, SAR 21 P-Rail

Length

All recorded figures & sources

1.09 m

Length

Single source

43.1 inches (1,090 mm)^[source]

0.64 m

SAR 21 Light Weight Carbine

Single source

0.68 m

SAR 21 MMS

Single source

0.805 m

SAR 21, SAR 21 40 GL/M203, SAR 21 P-Rail

Single source

805 mm (31.7 in) (SAR 21, SAR 21 40 GL/M203, SAR 21 P-Rail) 680 mm (26.8 in) (SAR 21 MMS) 640 mm (25.2 in) (SAR 21 Light Weight Carbine)^[source]

240mm

—

Width

All recorded figures & sources

0.2404 m

Width

Single source

9.46 inches (240.4 mm)^[source]

199mm

—

Height

All recorded figures & sources

0.199 m

Height

Single source

7.8 inches (199 mm)^[source]

35.2kgempty, without accessories

5.3kgGL/M203 SAR 21

MassScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

35.2 kg

empty, without accessories

Single source

77.6 pounds (35.2 kg) (empty, without accessories)^[source]

5.3 kg

GL/M203 SAR 21

Single source

3.6 kg

P-Rail

Single source

3 kg

SAR 21 Light Weight Carbine

Single source

3.5 kg

SAR 21 MMS

Single source

4 kg

SAR 21 SAR 21

Single source

• SAR 21: 4 kg (8.82 lb) • SAR 21 GL/M203: 5.3 kg (12 lb) • SAR 21 P-Rail: 3.6 kg (7.9 lb) • SAR 21 MMS: 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) • SAR 21 Light Weight Carbine 3 kg (6.6 lb)^[source]

2.2kmMaximum; Maximum firing range

0.8kmEffective; SS109

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

1.5 km

Effective; Effective firing range

Single source

2.212 km

Maximum; Maximum firing range

Single source

1,500 m (1,600 yd)^[source]

2,212 m (2,419 yd)^[source]

0.46 km

Effective; M193

Single source

0.8 km

Effective; SS109

Single source

460 m (M193) 800 m (SS109)^[source]

413mm

508mm

Barrel length+23%

All recorded figures & sources

0.413 m

Barrel length

Single source

16.25 inches (413 mm)^[source]

0.508 m

Barrel length

Single source

508 mm (20.0 in)^[source]

325–375rounds/mincyclic

450–650rounds/min

Rate of fire

All recorded figures & sources

325–375 rounds/min

cyclic

Single source

60 rounds/min

rapid

Single source

40 rounds/min

sustained

Single source

325-375rpm (cyclic) 40 rpm (sustained) 60 rpm (rapid)^[source]

450–650 rounds/min

Rate of fire

Single source

450–650 rounds/min^[source]

230–240m/saverage

970m/sM193

Muzzle velocityScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

230–240 m/s

average

Single source

750–790 feet per second (230–240 m/s) (average)^[source]

970 m/s

M193

Single source

945 m/s

SS109

Single source

970 m/s (3,182 ft/s) (M193) 945 m/s (3,100.4 ft/s) (SS109)^[source]

—

5.6mmCaliber

Calibre

All recorded figures & sources

5.56 mm

Caliber

Single source

5.56 mm (0.22 in)^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

Mk 19 grenade launcher and SAR 21 configuration
Specification	Mk 19 grenade launcher	SAR 21
Type	Automatic grenade launcher^[source]	Bullpup assault rifle^[source]
Place of origin	United States^[source]	Singapore^[source]
In service	1968–present^[source]	1999–present^[source]
Used by	See Users^[source]	See Users^[source]
Wars	Cold War Vietnam War Sino-Vietnamese War Cambodian–Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese conflicts (1979-1991) Third Indochina War Soviet–Afghan War Persian Gulf War Global War on Terrorism War in Afghanistan Iraq War 2006 Lebanon War Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present) Mexican drug war 2013 Lahad Datu standoff Syrian Civil War Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Russo-Ukrainian War Gaza war^[source]	—
Designer	Naval Ordnance Station Louisville , George M. Chinn^[source]	Tuck Wah Chee and Felix Tsai of Chartered Industries of Singapore / ST Kinetics^[source]
Designed	1966^[source]	1996^[source]
Manufacturer	Saco Defense Industries (now a division of General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems ), Combined Service Forces, MKEK^[source]	• CIS: 1999–2000 • ST Kinetics : 2000–present^[source]
Unit cost	$20,000^[source]	—
Produced	1968–present^[source]	1999–present^[source]
Variants	Mk 19 Mod 0, Mk 19 Mod 1, Mk 19 Mod 2, Mk 19 Mod 3, Mk 19 Mod 4^[source]	See variants^[source]
Cartridge	40×53 mm^[source]	5.56×45mm NATO^[source]
Action	API blowback^[source]	Gas-operated , rotating bolt^[source]
Feed system	32- or 48-grenade belt^[source]	30-round detachable plastic box magazine Export models: STANAG magazines^[source]
Sights	Iron^[source]	1.5x or 3x optical sight; back-up iron sights^[source]
Alternative designation	Mk 19^[source]	—
Barrels	—	Single barrel 1:12" and 1:7" twist options^[source]
Reported operators	Reported operator · Afghanistan Reported operator · Argentina Reported operator · Australia Reported operator · Brazil Reported operator · Chile Reported operator · Egypt Reported operator · Georgia Reported operator · Iran Reported operator · Iraq Reported operator · Israel Reported operator · Japan Reported operator · Kosovo Reported operator · Lebanon Reported operator · Malaysia Reported operator · Mexico Reported operator · Moldova Reported operator · Morocco Reported operator · Pakistan Reported operator · Poland Reported operator · Portugal Reported operator · Saudi Arabia Reported operator · Spain Reported operator · Sweden Reported operator · Taiwan Reported operator · Thailand Reported operator · Turkey Reported operator · Ukraine Reported operator · United States Reported operator · Vietnam	Reported operator · Morocco Reported operator · Thailand Reported operator · Botswana Reported operator · Brunei Reported operator · Indonesia Reported operator · Peru Reported operator · Singapore Reported operator · Sri Lanka

FORCETALLY

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Mk 19 grenade launcher

SAR 21

Type

Automatic grenade launcher^[source]

Bullpup assault rifle^[source]

Place of origin

United States^[source]

Singapore^[source]

In service

1968–present^[source]

1999–present^[source]

Used by

See Users^[source]

Wars

Cold War Vietnam War Sino-Vietnamese War Cambodian–Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese conflicts (1979-1991) Third Indochina War Soviet–Afghan War Persian Gulf War Global War on Terrorism War in Afghanistan Iraq War 2006 Lebanon War Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present) Mexican drug war 2013 Lahad Datu standoff Syrian Civil War Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Russo-Ukrainian War Gaza war^[source]

—

Designer

Naval Ordnance Station Louisville , George M. Chinn^[source]

Tuck Wah Chee and Felix Tsai of Chartered Industries of Singapore / ST Kinetics^[source]

Designed

1966^[source]

1996^[source]

Manufacturer

Saco Defense Industries (now a division of General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems ), Combined Service Forces, MKEK^[source]

• CIS: 1999–2000 • ST Kinetics : 2000–present^[source]

Unit cost

$20,000^[source]

—

Produced

1968–present^[source]

1999–present^[source]

Variants

Mk 19 Mod 0, Mk 19 Mod 1, Mk 19 Mod 2, Mk 19 Mod 3, Mk 19 Mod 4^[source]

See variants^[source]

Cartridge

40×53 mm^[source]

5.56×45mm NATO^[source]

Action

API blowback^[source]

Gas-operated , rotating bolt^[source]

Feed system

32- or 48-grenade belt^[source]

30-round detachable plastic box magazine Export models: STANAG magazines^[source]

Sights

Iron^[source]

1.5x or 3x optical sight; back-up iron sights^[source]

Alternative designation

Mk 19^[source]

—

Barrels

—

Single barrel 1:12" and 1:7" twist options^[source]

Reported operators

Reported operator · Afghanistan
Reported operator · Argentina
Reported operator · Australia
Reported operator · Brazil
Reported operator · Chile
Reported operator · Egypt
Reported operator · Georgia
Reported operator · Iran
Reported operator · Iraq
Reported operator · Israel
Reported operator · Japan
Reported operator · Kosovo
Reported operator · Lebanon
Reported operator · Malaysia
Reported operator · Mexico
Reported operator · Moldova
Reported operator · Morocco
Reported operator · Pakistan
Reported operator · Poland
Reported operator · Portugal
Reported operator · Saudi Arabia
Reported operator · Spain
Reported operator · Sweden
Reported operator · Taiwan
Reported operator · Thailand
Reported operator · Turkey
Reported operator · Ukraine
Reported operator · United States
Reported operator · Vietnam

Reported operator · Morocco
Reported operator · Thailand
Reported operator · Botswana
Reported operator · Brunei
Reported operator · Indonesia
Reported operator · Peru
Reported operator · Singapore
Reported operator · Sri Lanka