Description
LAW-Marked Target-Practice Cartridge with Yellow marking powder
Item Overview
This target-practice cartridge carries partial stenciling associated with LAW, the Light Antitank Weapon. Its surviving lettering offers a useful reference for collectors of military training ammunition. It represents the practice equipment developed to help soldiers learn portable infantry weapons.
Identification and Features
The reported stencil provides the main identifying evidence. TP means target practice, while the partial SUB wording suggests subcaliber ammunition. LAW is the reported weapon-system marking. The visible wording is retained below as transcribed.
- Reported main stencil: “38 MM TP SUB…”
- Reported weapon-system lettering: “LAW…”
- Target-practice designation preserved in the markings
Function
Subcaliber training uses smaller practice ammunition in equipment designed to represent a larger service weapon. This approach supports repeated exercises at a lower cost. Within the documented LAW training program, practice ammunition helped soldiers build familiarity with the launcher and develop marksmanship skills before using service rounds.
Documented End-Item Application
For related weapon-family context, U.S. Army references identify the M190 subcaliber launcher and its 35 mm M73 practice rocket. The M190 provided a reusable training system based on the 66 mm M72 LAW. This documented pairing shows how dedicated practice equipment supported instruction with the disposable service weapon.
Product History
LAW practice ammunition was an established part of Cold War training by the 1970s. The Army's TRADOC Bulletin No. 5, Training with LAW, dated June 30, 1976, described the value of subcaliber exercises. It reported that an M73 training rocket cost less than one-tenth as much as a service round at that time.
Parent-Equipment History
U.S. Army program records trace M72 LAW development to a 1959 contract and qualification in 1962. The system combined a 66 mm rocket with a lightweight, disposable launcher intended for one-person use. Its compact design gave infantry a portable antiarmor weapon. Issuing these weapons widely also created a need for practical training equipment for large numbers of soldiers.
Weapon-System Background
The M72 concept drew on World War II experience with the American bazooka and German Panzerfaust. It brought rocket propulsion and a compact launcher together in a weapon carried by an individual soldier. During the Cold War, LAW filled the light role in a U.S. infantry antitank family that also included the larger Dragon and TOW guided-missile systems.
History of Use
The M72 first saw combat during the Vietnam War. Its wider adoption led to licensed production at Raufoss, Norway, beginning in 1966. Army records from 1976 also document M190 and M73 equipment in soldier and unit evaluations. This training history shows how practice systems supported the growing use of portable antitank weapons.
Condition
This cartridge is offered as an inert ordnance collectible for historical display and reference. Partial stencil lettering remains its main identifying feature. Please check the pictures for the general condition of the item.
Ideal For
This piece suits collections that explain how military personnel trained with portable infantry weapons. Its surviving markings also provide material for comparative study alongside documented practice ammunition, technical manuals, and period equipment.
- LAW training-equipment collections
- Target-practice ammunition reference displays
- Subcaliber training history exhibits
- Military museums and educational collections
- Comparative research into ammunition markings
Approx length 7", Approx width 2", Approx height 2", Approx weight lbs.
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