Inert 66mm incendiary M74 triethylaluminum (TEA) rocket, for use in the M202 FLASH "flame thrower" rocket launcher. We had a training aid order to manufacture some M74 rockets, and we have some leftover that we thought we'd offer to the collector market. This is the most exact reproduction ever created of the M74 rocket. The materials, coatings, and markings are identical to the original M74 rockets. The only significant difference is the warhead wall thickness. The original is extruded aluminum, and ours is machined aluminum. The same M235 warhead filling plug is used, as is the warhead adapter/coupler. The same hard-coat anodizing finish is applied to the warhead and the coupler. This rocket utilizes an original military M54 rocket motor, with authentically recreated M54 stick propellant grains inside the motor (also inert). If you're looking at this auction, then you probably already know how extremely scarce original M74 rockets are. Very few have survived the inerting/demil process over the years, and the ones that have survived are usually in pretty rough shape. From a collector's standpoint, this rocket is identical to the original and in mint condition. The last original M74 TEA rocket that we sold was several years ago and was $1,000. Now's your chance to fill that hole in your collection with a beautiful representative specimen.

M202 FLASH Rocket Launcher

The M202 FLASH (Flame Assault Shoulder weapon) is an American rocket launcher 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 1960s. The M202 is based on the prototype XM191 napalm rocket launcher that saw extensive testing in the Vietnam War.

The M202A1 features four tubes that can load 66mm incendiary rockets. The M74 rockets are equipped with M235 warheads containing approximately 1.34 pounds (0.61 kg) of an incendiary agent. The substance, often mistaken for napalm, is in fact TPA (thickened pyrophoric agent).

TPA is triethylaluminum (TEA) thickened with polyisobutylene. TEA, an organometallic compound, is pyrophoric and burns spontaneously at temperatures of 1200 °C (2192 °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.

As the caliber is shared with the contemporary M72 LAW antitank rocket launcher, it would have been theoretically possible to fire HEAT anti-tank rockets in lieu of the incendiary payload; the XM191 prototype was capable of this. No such round was developed for the M202.

The weapon is meant to be fired from the right shoulder, and can be fired from either a standing, crouching, or prone position. It has a trigger mode to facilitate firing all four rockets at once, not just one at a time. After firing, it can be reloaded with a clip housing four rockets.

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 M202A1 was issued as needed, generally one per rifle platoon, although the headquarters of rifle companies were authorized nine M202A1s. As with most RPGs, no dedicated gunners were trained, the weapon instead being carried in addition to the rifleman's standard weapon. 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 part of the U.S. Army arsenal.

In recent conflicts, U.S. forces have used thermobaric munitions as well as pyrophoric weapons. The M202A1 has been among the weapons listed on the inventory of U.S. units in the War in Afghanistan. All pictures are for representation purposes only. The conditions will vary.

Pictures are of the actual item you will receive.

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