At the AMTEC booth the floor representatives were eager to show off the AMTEC single shot 37/40mm launchers. These launchers feature a breech break open action, ghost ring rear sight, manual safety, and a very smooth double action trigger. They are also available in black, OD green, or tan.
Produced by Lewis Machine & Tool, the 37LMTS and 40LMTS are the lightest weight single shot tactical launchers produced. The launchers feature an expandable Gen2 Stock and an adjustable Integrated Front Grip (IFG) with light rail, for added mission adaptability, and an improvement on previous models. Both systems also feature an ambidextrous Lateral Sling Mount (LSM), allowing for a single or two point sling attachment. The Picatinny rail mounting systems accept a wide variety of enhanced optics/sighting systems. The 40LMTS will fire standard less-lethal ammunition up to 4.8 inches in cartridge length, and most low and medium velocity 40mm ammunition.
The AMTEC launchers are very well made and accurate. I’ve had the opportunity to use some in training and they are dependable.Each launcher is specific to either 37mm or 40mm rounds, and are not interchangeable. AMTEC provides a large variety of less lethal chemical agents, smoke, and impact munitions that their launchers can deploy.
AMTEC Single Shot 37/40mm Tactical Launcher Features:
- Caliber – 37m (Smotth Bore); 40mm (Rifled)
- Less Lethal Ammuntion – all standard 37/38mm or 40mm rounds up to 8″ long
- Action – Single or Double
- Barrel Length – 14″
- Overall Length – 29.25″ Extended; 26″ Collapsed; 18.25″ Collapsed and Folded (Nice!)
- Weight – 4.2 lbs. (Unloaded)
- Frame – Aluminum Alloy
- Stock – 6-position Collapsible
- Grip – Optional Picatinny Rail Mount
- Latch – Ambidexrous Barrel Release (Breech Open)
- Finish – Black, OD Green, Tan
- Warranty – (2) Years from Date of Purchase.
For those not familiar with AMTEC, the company includes the former ALS Technologies from Arkansas, one of the main providers of less lethal munitions to American law enforcement. The company is now headquartered in Perry, Florida where they have built a world-class training facility.
The benefits of using a single shot launcher include:
- Better clarity of the round being deployed
- Ease of operation
- Lighter weight and more compact.
The AMTEC single shot launcher is also beneficial by having a 6-point collapsible stock, that also has the ability to fold to either side of the launcher.
In addition, the AMTEC reps showed a prototype of the AMTEC 6-cylinder launcher that will directly compete with the Penn Arms SL6 (Distributed by Sage Ordnance).
MSRP – $799 for 37mm (smooth bore); $975 for 40mm (rifled bore).
The benefits of a 37mm or 40mm launcher are three-fold:
- Distance
- Volume
- Impact.
Distance
These launchers provide a much greater range than hand-held OC, baton, the very popular Taser, or even shotgun deployed less lethal rounds. In times of large civil unrest, it is often tactically unsound to march smaller numbers of officers into a large body of unruly people whose hostility level may not be known. Having the ability to reach out to 150 feet with less lethal munitions is an incredible advantage and safety feature to officers and innocent bystanders. Distance also provides commanders critical time to assess the scene and the effectiveness of the munitions without officers being involved in a melee.
Volume
The 37/40mm chemical agent rounds are much larger and far superior to hand-held units during situations of mass civil unrest. The 37/40mm canisters provide a far greater disbursement of chemical agents than hand deployed options, and as mentioned, can be deployed from much safer distances. In addition, smoke can be deployed as a carrier of the agents to increase the volume and radius of the area affected. With larger numbers of unruly people, larger munitions are required. The 37/40mm option needs to be available if police commanders expect to maintain order.
Impact
The 37/40mm launchers also have the capacity to launch specialty impact munitions (SIM’s). I’m not talking about the colored marking rounds used in force-on-force training. These are the 37/40mm bean bag rounds or harder tipped impact rounds. These rounds are used in the same manner as 12-gauge impact munitions, just with a far greater range. With proper training and experience, an operator can successfully strike individual offenders at ranges beyond 50 yards. The larger 37/40mm impact munitions do have a greater stand-off distance (usually a minimum range of around 21-25 feet), but the larger size and force obviously has a greater impact potential on the target.
Another way of looking at “Impact” is to understand the human psyche. Personal, close-range weapons like hand-held OC, baton, Taser, etc. have very short-range effectiveness. That fact is not lost on the angry mob. However, a 37/40mm launcher is a “weapon” that can reach out and “impact” offenders at greater distances, removing the presumed safety and anonymity of being in the distant crowd. With the 37/40mm launchers those offenders realize their actions can bring consequences despite distance.
With the recent tragic events in Ferguson, Missouri and New York City, New York I found it unfortunately appropriate to provide an article on a critical item during civil unrest – the chemical munitions launcher. American law enforcement has deployed these launchers since the 1960’s, but in recent decades they have fallen out of favor (often for P.C. concerns). The recent mass civil unrest has once again highlighted the importance of this law enforcement tool to maintain order..
AUTHOR’S DECLARATION: In 2010 my police department sent me to an ALS Less Lethal Instructor school at the ALS facilities near Mountain Home, Arkansas. Other than that training, and using some of the ALS products on duty, I have no affiliation with ALS or AMTEC.
At the time my police department used ALS 12-gauge bean bag rounds, and flash sound diversionary devices (FSDD). I found the training to be very professional and thorough, and especially appreciated the tour of the manufacturing facilities to understand how the munitions were made and tested. I was able to test most of the ALS munitions and found them to be highly accurate and effective. Since that training my department has switched to a different manufacturer’s 12-gauge bean bag round, but it was not due to poor performance of the ALS Pen Prevent round (Internal Politics). We still use ALS FSDD’s and are very satisfied with their performance.