Rifleman's Assault Weapon
The rifleman's assault weapon (RAW) was a close-support rocket-propelled grenade developed around 1977 and put into limited service by the United States Marine Corps in the 1990s. It was developed in response to a military requirement for a multi-purpose close support weapon. The RAW's rocket-propelled spherical munition was fired from an M16 rifle and was capable of blowing holes through masonry walls and disabling light armored vehicles.
Also recorded as RAW (Rifleman's Assault Weapon)
Rifleman's Assault Weapon
- Name
- Rifleman's assault weapon
- Field
- grenade launcher
- Region
- United States
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wikidata · Q7333273 · wikipedia · Rifleman's Assault Weapon
In this article
Overview
Overview
The RAW's 1 kg high explosive squash head (HESH) warhead could penetrate 20 cm of reinforced concrete (creating a 36 cm hole) and hit moving targets at a range of 300 m. The RAW was considered to be ideal for the conditions of urban warfare. Reconsideration by the U.S. military as to what kind of close support weapon they were seeking resulted in only limited procurement of the RAW, despite the weapon performing to specification and displaying a remarkably flat trajectory to a range of 300 m.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Rifleman's assault weapon • Origin — United States • Type — Close support rocket • Is Ranged — yes • Service — 1990s • Used By — United States Marine Corps • Manufacturer — Brunswick Corporation • Production Date — 1977–1996 • Weight — 4.7 kg • Length — 305 mm • Caliber — 140 mm warhead • Velocity — 173 m/s at 200 m • Range — 300 m • Max Range — ~1500 m
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- United States
Primary material
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authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q7333273: Rifleman's Assault Weapon
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Rifleman's Assault Weapon”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
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The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Rifleman's Assault Weapon, revision 1214597409 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Jane's Infantry Weapons 1995–96, p. 219.
- 2.Jane's Infantry Weapons 1984–85, p. 661.
- 3.Forecast International Comments on RAW.
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1- grenade launcherTerminology
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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