Milkor MGL Mk 1S
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Barrel
- 305 mm
- Weight, empty
- 5.30 kg
- Introduced
- 1983
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Milkor MGL Mk 1S is a South African six-shot, semi-automatic 40mm multiple grenade launcher built around a spring-driven revolving cylinder. The 'S' (short) variant uses a shorter cylinder chambered for standard-length 40x46mm low-velocity grenades, making it lighter and more compact than the long-cylinder Mk 1L while still letting one operator place six aimed grenades on target in a few seconds out to roughly 375 metres.
The MGL was developed in South Africa in the early 1980s by engineer Andries Piek, who reportedly worked out the spring-driven cylinder mechanism from a design sketched on a matchbox, giving a single soldier the firepower of a whole squad's rifle grenades.
The Mk 1S differs from the Mk 1L by using a shorter cylinder that accepts standard-length 40mm low-velocity rounds rather than the longer natures the 140mm cylinder allows. It shares the MGL family's aluminium frame, collapsible stock, double-action-only trigger and reflex-sight compatibility.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Milkor (Pty) Ltd
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Country
- South Africa
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1983
- Variant of
- Short cylinder
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 305 mm
- Overall length
- 778 mm
- Weight, empty
- 5.30 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 7.00 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Revolving
- Firing mechanism
- Double action only
- Trigger
- Double action
- Capacity
- 6
- Magazine
- Rotary
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 76 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 664 J
- Effective range
- 375 m
- Maximum range
- 800 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Spring driven revolving cylinder
Collapsible stock
Picatinny rail
Reflex sight compatible
Short cylinder
Double action only trigger
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 261 machine guns | 5.30 kg | 10.50 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 260 machine guns | 778 mm | 1156 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 257 machine guns | 305 mm | 605 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Magazine capacityAmong 222 machine guns | 6 | 50 | Among the smallest capacities |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the Milkor MGL Mk 1S
How much does the Milkor MGL Mk 1S weigh?
The Milkor MGL Mk 1S weighs 5.30 kg (11.68 lb) empty and 7.00 kg (15.43 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Milkor MGL Mk 1S?
The Milkor MGL Mk 1S is chambered in 40x46mm Grenade.
How many rounds does the Milkor MGL Mk 1S hold?
The Milkor MGL Mk 1S holds 6 rounds, fed from a rotary magazine.
How long is the Milkor MGL Mk 1S?
The Milkor MGL Mk 1S is 778 mm (30.6 in) long overall, with a 305 mm (12.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Milkor MGL Mk 1S?
The Milkor MGL Mk 1S is made by Milkor (Pty) Ltd (South Africa). It was designed by Andries Piek.
When was the Milkor MGL Mk 1S introduced?
The Milkor MGL Mk 1S was introduced in 1983.
How does the Milkor MGL Mk 1S operate?
The Milkor MGL Mk 1S uses a revolving action, and its firing mechanism is double action only.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- South African National Defence Force
- 1983
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/milkor-mgl-mk-1s' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "milkor-mgl-mk-1s", "name": "Milkor MGL Mk 1S", "manufacturer": { "id": "milkor", "name": "Milkor (Pty) Ltd", "countryCode": "ZA", "foundedYear": 1981, "website": "https://milkor.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-07-19 22:59:14", "updatedAt": "2026-07-19 22:59:14", "version": "ceaf645c6707c44829b53d34134020f4253a9ea4edcf42390cff067fe8d700d0" }, "category": { "id": "machine-gun", "name": "Machine Gun", "description": "Fully automatic firearms for sustained fire" }, "country_of_origin": "ZA", "year_introduced": 1983, "barrel_length_mm": 305, "weight_empty_g": 5300, "action_type": "revolving"}