I didn't get to fire the XM320 grenade launcher, but I've handled it and read the draft -12 operators manual. It's got two things going for it: it opens to the left side to load instead of pumpung forward like an XM148 or M203. accordingly, 40mm rounds of any length can be used in it, including white phosphorous rounds, parachute flares, specialized antitank rounds and other goodies too long to fit in the relatively short space available when the M203 barrel is popped forward. It may be a little slower than an M203 [two guys with an M203 and a sling can get at least 16 rounds in the air before the first one hits; not a bad imitation of a baby mortar. But I bet more grenade launchers fet fielded with the M8, maybe one for everyone. Now THAT could change the way an infantryman does business, at least until the 20mm/25mm fuzing problems get worked out. And when a new GL caliber comes along, it just gets modularly mounted just like the XM320. Neat. And yes, it'll function as a stand alone double-action single-shot bigbore pistol that could be holstered. But since it replaces those melt-too-easy handguards, one immediate answer to the handguard problem is just to issue a GL as a foreend instead.
And the sights on the grenade launcher stay on the launcher instead of being mounted on the rifle. Switch it from one user's gun to another, and it remains sighted in.
