Introduction

The General Dynamics’ Mk47 Advanced Lightweight Grenade Launcher (ALGL), also called Striker 40, is short recoil operated, locked breech weapon that fires from a closed bolt for improved first-shot hit probability. Like other grenade machine guns, it’s air-cooled and belt fed, using standard disintegrating belts supplied in 32 or 48 round boxes. The key feature of the Striker 40 system is its integrated computer assisted fire control system: the AN/PVG-1 Lightweight Video Sight (LVS) linked to a ballistic computer, image intensified night vision and laser rangefinder, enables the operator to identify and accurately engage targets. The fire control system can be used to fire 40mm programmable air-bursting ammunition as well as conventional high velocity 40mm ammunition. The Mk47 also features a Picatinny rail for mounting additional thermal night sighting equipment.

The standard Striker 40 ALGL is mounted on a tripod but the weapon has also been installed on 4x4 light reconnaissance vehicles and can be installed on light armored vehicles as main or secondary armament. When compared to the current 40mm Mk19 the new Striker 40 ALGL is not only much lighter and more compact but has a greater effective range, increased accuracy and a quicker response time.

The Mk47 had originally been designed specifically for the special operations community and it is replacing the Mk19 Mod 3 in US Special Operations Command inventory since late 2004. Currently the system is in combat use by some US Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan. As of 2012 the Mk47 is also fielded by the Israel Defense Forces, replacing the Mk19 in service.

Review

This review covers the largest and most complex weapon set from Live Resin in 1/35 scale so far: Mk47 Advanced Lightweight Grenade Launcher (ALGL) Striker 40 on Vinghog ICSW mount and S.A.G. (Save-A-Gunner) armor shield (window variant) with AN/PVG-1 Light Video Sight LVS Fire Control (LRE-35073).

The set is safely packed in a hard cardboard box. The box features CAD boxart images; the one on the front shows all the kit parts and lists accessory sets that can be used with Mk47 (LRE-35028, LRE-35080, LRE-35081, LRE-35082, LRE-35083, LRE-35084 and LRE-35091), while the one on the back shows different views of the Mk47 ALGL setup which can be built using the parts provided in this particular set. The box also states the model is compatible with 1/35 scale HMMWVs and MRAPs from all manufacturers. Since the weapon is installed on the vehicle using the single attachment point on the mount base, I’m pretty sure this statement is valid.

The box contains a zip-lock bag with resin parts and an instruction sheet. The kit is made of 28 resin parts; the smaller pieces are organized on 3 large casting blocks, while the larger pieces are cast separately. Armor shield window is cast in clear resin. The resin looks really good and majority of parts in my review sample are cast perfectly, however two larger pieces (weapon body and ammo box holder) feature a slight mold slip. The imperfections are not pronounced and are located on the side of the part which is not going to be visible once the model is completed, but I still used sandpaper and some patience to get the surfaces even. As with all Live Resin sets, the parts display impressively sharp details superbly rendered in 1/35 scale.

The Mk47 ALGL features the AN/PVG-1 LVS fire control system installed on the right side of the weapon. The system is controlled by the buttons and joystick located at the rear of the receiver, above the spade grips. Live Resin did a great job on reproducing the AN/PVG-1 LVS in scale; the whole assembly is made of 6 super-detailed resin parts which fit perfectly... the detachable flat screen heads-up display is attached to the LVS system and can be adjusted according to modeler's own preferences. The top of the LVS also features tiny, but incredibly well defined rail system, for mounting additional thermal night sighting equipment (i.e. AN/PAS-13 TWS which is available separately from Live Resin).
Mk47 ALGL is belt fed from the left, using standard disintegrating belts. The ammo belts are usually supplied in 32 or 48 round boxes, however this set features MK93 Multi-Purpose Ammo Can Holder and PA70 ammo box. PA70 is used for storing 60mm Mortar cartridges, but can also hold 40mm round belts. The ammo feed system is well depicted in this set and I found an excellent match to the real thing. All the intricate details of both the MK93 holder and ammo can are beautifully rendered. However, I wish Live Resin supplied the MK93 holder ammo locking mechanism as a separate piece in the set so the 40mm ammo belt doesn't have to be trimmed in order to fit well to the weapon and ammo can at the same time. I would even consider removing the top locking plate, adding the ammo belt in its full length and then making a new thin plate from scratch.
The Mk47 ALGL in this set is depicted on an Improved Crew Served Weapons (ICSW) mount and with Save-A-Gunner (SAG) armor shield. The ICSW mount is produced by Vinghog AS, Norway and it utilizes soft-mount technology to improve accuracy, increase first hit probability and reduce recoil forces. SAG armor shield is constructed by USGN Inc. using an experimental G-LAM lightweight nanofiber material which is over 100 times stronger than steel and offers protection from up to 12.7mm AP ammunition. The complex shape of SAG shield is represented really well in this 1/35 scale set and the shield features two distinct layers of G-LAM material and very sharp bolt details. This particular SAG shield variant also features a bullet-proof window which is cast in clear resin. The thickness of the clear resin part depicts bullet-proof glass really well. The window frame is extremely thin so I suggest caution when cleaning the window opening.

Building

The build may seem complex at first, but it really is not such a big deal. The most important thing is to take some time to identify all the parts, check the references as thoroughly as possible and... well, use the instructions provided with the kit. The instructions are well printed, concise, clear, and easy to follow.

I didn’t have any issues building the model whatsoever. The pieces are very intelligently engineered; most of them feature protrusions or indentations that help in aligning the parts correctly. The fit is really good and I didn’t have to use any putty throughout the build process.
I annotated the parts on the resin carrier blocks and I'm also showing photos of all major sub-assemblies noting the position of each part as well. The main weapon assembly is shown on photos 1-2, the fire control system on photos 3-4, and the weapon mount with the SAG shield on photos 5-6. The weapon system without the shield is shown on photos 7-10. On these photos you can also see the ammo feed system, which had to be trimmed to fit the weapon and ammo box. The rest of the photos show the completed Mk47 ALGL set (LRE-35073).
Some modelers would probably want to go the extra mile and add wiring to the weapon system. Here’s a link to an Armorama topic which displays the wiring diagram and could be helpful for the job:click here

Conclusion

We have been witnessing the “resin revolution” initiated by Live Resin offerings: the advanced 3D modeling and high-quality printing technique Live Resin employs to produce 1/35 scale goodies works incredibly well with actual resin products offering a level of details that was impossible to achieve in this scale so far. However, with this release Live Resin goes a step further…

Mk47 ALGL set described in this review is the most complex set from Live Resin so far. With 28 resin pieces it could seem intimidating for novice modelers, however the set is masterfully engineered and the pieces fit perfectly. The instruction sheet is very clear and easy to follow, and the model builds into an impressive 1/35 scale replica of Mk47 Advanced. With wonderfully rendered ICSW soft-mount and SAG shield, this set is a must for anyone building US Special Ops vehicles.

References

GDATP
VingHog
US Global Nanospace
AUSA.org
Defense Industry Daily
Global Security
World Guns