Original Item: Only one available. This example is totally inert and incapable of firing having been deactivated in accordance with guidelines provided by the ATF. Additionally, the entire launcher was severed at both the rear and the front, and then adhesive was used to attach it back together. The rear extendable tubes were severed, half their length removed and then permanently secured in place.

NOT AVAILABLE FOR EXPORT. NOT AVAILABLE TO CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS.

In terms of recent military weapons that make impressive wall-hanger display pieces, rocket launchers definitely take the cake. These have been the mainstay of many action films, even when their use is not really warranted or correct.

This is a mid 1970s production U.S. M202A1 FLASH ("Flame Assault Shoulder") inert four tube 66mm incendiary rocket launcher, and it is lovely display condition. It does show wear from service and some damage from the demilitarization, but it still looks great, complete with original data labels on the right hand side. The main label reads as follows:

LAUNCHER, ROCKET:
66 MM, 4-TUBE, M202A1
PART NO.     E147-1-195
SERIAL NO.  B71-8905
NSN 1055-00-021-3909

LOCKLEY MFG. CO., INC.

CONTRACT NO. DAAA15-74-C-0274

US

There is another tag to the right of this indicating that it was modified on 3 NOV 77. Based on this it looks like it was made under a 1974 contract, and then modified after production in late 1977.

This example still has both the front and rear doors, the former of which also functions as a carry handle as well as a fore grip. The trigger / rear grip still folds out correctly, and can be locked in place in the open position. The rear sight is present and fully functional. Please note that due to the demilitarization process the rear cover no longer locks securely, and the front cover requires use of a screwdriver to unlock, as the tab on the trigger no longer reaches far enough forward to unlock it.

A great display piece for any collection!

The M202 FLASH ("Flame Assault Shoulder") is an American rocket launcher manufactured by Northrop Corporation, designed to replace the World War II–vintage flamethrowers (such as the M1 and the M2) that remained the military's standard incendiary devices well into the 1980s. The XM202 prototype launcher was tested in the Vietnam War, as part of the XM191 system.

The M202A1 features four tubes that can load 66 mm incendiary rockets. The M-74 rockets are equipped with M235 warheads, containing approximately 1.34 pounds (610 g) of an incendiary agent. The substance, often mistaken for napalm, is in fact TPA (thickened pyrophoric agent).

TPA is triethylaluminum (TEA) thickened with polyisobutylene, in the presence of n-hexane, preventing spontaneous combustion after the warhead rupture. TEA, an organometallic compound, is pyrophoric and burns spontaneously at temperatures of 1600 °C (2912 °F) when exposed to air. It burns "white hot" because of the aluminum, much hotter than gasoline or napalm. The light and heat emission is very intense and can produce skin burns from some (close) distance without direct contact with the flame, by thermal radiation alone. A crowd control agent round using CS gas, the XM96, was trialed, but never entered service.

The weapon is meant to be fired from the right shoulder, and can be fired from either a standing, crouching, or prone position. It is loaded with a clip which holds a set of four rockets together, which is inserted into the rear of the launcher and can be pushed past the launching position to enable the launcher to be carried while loaded more easily.

The M202A1 was rated as having a 50% chance of hit against the following targets at the noted ranges, assuming all four rockets were fired at the same time:

• Bunker aperture: 50 meters
• Window: 125 meters
• Weapons position or stationary vehicle: 200 meters
• Squad-sized troop formation: 500 meters

The United States Army issued M202s as needed, with each rifle company's headquarters being authorized a single launcher, generally issued as one per rifle platoon. While vastly more lightweight than the M2 flamethrower it replaced, the weapon was still bulky to use and the ammunition suffered from reliability problems. As a result, the weapon had mostly been relegated to storage by the mid-1980s, even though it nominally remains a part of the U.S. Army arsenal.

In USMC service, the M202 was issued to dedicated teams of 0351 Assaultman at the battalion level. The Weapons Platoon's assault section contained three squads, each with a launcher team.[4] With the introduction of the SMAW in the mid 1980s, the M202 was phased out and replaced by SMAW launchers.

The M202A1 has been among weapons listed on the inventory of U.S. units in the War in Afghanistan.