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M72 LAW: Difference between revisions

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[[File:M72 law.jpg|thumb|right|450px|M72 LAW with rocket - 66mm]]
[[File:M72lawopen.jpg|thumb|right|450px|M72A2 LAW - 66mm. This is a spent tube, identified by the "Empty" marking.]]
[[File:M72A2LAW.jpg|thumb|right|450px|M72A2 LAW - 66mm]]
[[File:M72A7 LAW.jpg|thumb|right|450px|M72A7 LAW with rocket - 66mm]]
[[File:M72A9.jpg|thumb|right|450px|L72A9 LASM (aka M72A9), marked as inert, with rocket - 66mm]]


The '''M72 LAW''' is a lightweight, disposable unguided anti-tank weapon developed for individual use and first deployed during the Vietnam War. LAW either stands for "light antitank weapon" or "light anti-armor weapon:" the latter seems to be preferred in modern sources, as the weapon is no longer in any way suitable for attacking a main battle tank. A spent tube is relatively easy to get hold of since in many jurisdictions it is treated in the same way as an expended bullet casing. It would be incredibly unlikely to see a live LAW in a live-action medium outside of stock footage, due to the risk to actors. It can be assumed any LAW in a live-action movie is a spent tube, typically rigged with some sort of pyrotechnic device to simulate firing. One point of note is that the LAW has a grenade-like pin safety at the top of the rear cover which allows removal of the front and rear covers and the carry strap: this pin is often missing from spent tubes and so its removal is often also missing in media depictions. The original 60s model had a second arming safety pin at the rear, but this was deleted from later production models due to reports that it was readily possible to yank the pull-ring out of the pin and render the launcher useless.
LAWs in private collections and movie armories also typically have either no front sight or a non-factory replacement; this is because the original front sight used radioluminescent paint containing promethium-147, and troops were instructed to snap off the front sight for disposal by a radiation safety officer before discarding a spent tube. The "discarding" part ended fairly quickly in the Vietnam War as the Vietcong proved very fond of packing spent LAW casings with explosives for use as booby traps.
LAWs starting with the M72A4 no longer have this issue, as they do not use the illuminated ladder front sight, instead having a 3-prong front sight and aperture rear sight derived from those designed for the cancelled FGR-17 Viper rocket launcher and very similar to the sights of the [[M136 AT4]]. The modernized variant, the M72A7, incorporates a small picatinny rail behind the front sight to allow night optics or lasers to be mounted. The British military refers to an improved anti-bunker variant with a penetrating time-delay fuze and alterations including a lightweight carbon fiber bore liner and improved axial trigger as the "L72A9 LASM" (Light Anti-Structure Munition) or M72A9.
The M72 was regarded as obsolete as an anti-tank weapon by the 1980s, with the FGR-17 Viper rocket launcher developed to replace it briefly entering production before cost overruns and reports of static damage and dangerously faulty fuzes that could cause the rocket to explode on launching saw the entire program cancelled in 1983. Congress ordered the US Army to consider off-the-shelf replacements, and they ultimately chose the [[M136 AT4]] over the M72E5 LAW that participated in the trials, while the Marines acquired a variant of the Israeli B-300 rocket launcher, the [[Mk 153 SMAW]]. However the LAW found a new lease of life in the urban combat and mountain warfare of Iraq and Afghanistan with the HE-DP M72A6 and M72A7 variants, with benefits including the ability to carry two LAWs for the weight of a single AT4.
==Specifications==
''(1963-present)''
'''Type:''' Rocket Launcher
'''Caliber:''' 66mm
'''Capacity:''' 1 encased rocket
'''System weight:''' M72A2 {{convert|kg|2.3}}, M72A3 {{convert|kg|2.5}}, M72A4 {{convert|kg|3.45}}
'''Rocket weight:''' {{convert|kg|1.8}}
'''Length:''' {{convert|in|39}} extended, {{convert|in|26}} collapsed
'''Fire Modes:''' Single shot, firing mechanism is cocked on opening
==M72 LAW==
'''The M72 LAW is used in the following films, television series, and video games used by the following actors:'''
=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" border="1" style="border: 1px solid #D0E7FF; background-color:#ffffff; text-align:left; font-size: 95%"
|-bgcolor=#D0E7FF
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="270"|'''Title'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="200"|'''Actor'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="200"|'''Character'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="350"|'''Note'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="80"|'''Date'''
|-
| ''[[The Enforcer]]'' || [[Clint Eastwood]] || Dirty Harry || || 1976
|-
| ''[[The Enforcer]]'' || [[DeVeren Bookwalter]] || Bobby Maxwell || || 1976
|-
| ''[[The Boys in Company C]]'' || [[Stan Shaw]] || Tyrone Washington || || 1978
|-
| ''[[Power Play]]'' || [[Gary Reineke]] || Captain Aramco || || 1978
|-
| ''[[G.I. Samurai]]'' ||  || jsdf member || || 1979
|-
| ''[[Dogs of War, The|The Dogs of War]]'' || || Zangaran Mercenaries || || 1981
|-
| ''[[Stripes (1981)]]'' || [[John Voldstad]] || Corporal Tyson || M72A2 || 1981
|-
| ''[[First Blood]]'' || || A National Guard soldier || || 1982
|-
| ''[[Escape 2000]]'' || [[Steve Railsback]] || Paul || || 1982
|-
| ''[[Lone Wolf McQuade]]'' || [[Robert Beltran]] || Kayo Ramos || || 1983
|-
| ''[[Deal of the Century]]'' || [[Chevy Chase]] || Eddie Muntz || || 1983
|-
| ''[[Jungle Warriors]]'' || [[Dominic Barto]] ||Thomas Tucci || Early production || 1984
|-
| ''[[Exterminator 2]]'' || || X's thugs || || 1984
|-
| ''[[Invasion U.S.A.]]'' || [[Chuck Norris]] || Matt Hunter || || 1985
|-
| ''[[Invasion U.S.A.]]'' || || U.S. Army troops || || 1985
|-
| ''[[Rambo: First Blood Part II]]'' || [[Sylvester Stallone]] || John Rambo || || 1985
|-
| ''[[Missing In Action 2: The Beginning]]'' || || NVA forces || || 1985
|-
| ''[[Code of Silence]]'' || [[Chuck Norris]] || Eddie Cusack || || 1985
|-
| ''[[Platoon]]'' || [[Charlie Sheen]] || Pvt. Chris Taylor || || 1986
|-
| ''[[Platoon]]'' || [[Tom Berenger]] || SSgt. Robert Barnes || || 1986
|-
| ''[[Maximum Overdrive]]'' || [[Pat Hingle]] || Bubba Hendershot || M190, a training M72 variant || 1986
|-
| ''[[Maximum Overdrive]]'' || [[Emilio Estevez]] || Bill Robinson || M190, a training M72 variant || 1986
|-
| ''[[In Country]]'' || || US troops || || 1987
|-
| ''[[Full Metal Jacket]]'' || || A U.S. Marine || || 1987
|-
| ''[[Beverly Hills Cop II]]'' || [[Judge Reinhold]] || Billy Rosewood || || 1987
|-
| ''[[Death Before Dishonor]]'' || [[Fred Dryer]] || Gunnery Sgt. Burns || || 1987
|-
| ''[[The Hidden]]'' || [[Clarence Felder]] || Lt. Masterson || || 1987
|-
| ''[[Assassination]]'' || [[Charles Bronson]] || Secret Service Agent Jay Killion || || 1987
|-
| ''[[Cherry 2000]]'' || || Lester's men || || 1987
|-
| ''[[Iron Eagle II]]'' || || Enemy soldiers || || 1988
|-
| ''[[Blob, The (1988)|The Blob]] || [[Kevin Dillon]] || Brian Flagg || || 1988
|-
| ''[[Blob, The (1988)|The Blob]] || [[Bill Moseley]] || Soldier || || 1988
|-
| ''[[Rushmore]]'' || || A cast member playing a VC || || 1988
|-
| ''[[Casualties of War]]'' || || U.S. Army soldiers and VC || || 1989
|-
| ''[[A Better Tomorrow III]]'' || || ARVN soldiers || || 1989
|-
| ''[[Iron Triangle, The|The Iron Triangle]]'' || || U.S. forces || || 1989
|-
| ''[[Bullet in the Head]]'' || || Corrupt ARVN officers || || 1990
|-
| ''[[Gremlins 2: The New Batch]]'' || || A Gremlin || || 1990
|-
| ''[[Class of 1999]]'' || [[Jason Oliver]] || Curt || || 1990
|-
| ''[[Short Time]]'' || [[Xander Berkeley]] || Carl Stark || || 1990
|-
| ''[[China O'Brien II]]'' || || Baskin's henchmen || || 1990
|-
| ''[[If Looks Could Kill]]'' || [[Tom Rack]] || Zigesfeld || || 1991
|-
| ''[[Toy Soldiers]]'' || [[Michael Champion]] || Jack Thorpe || || 1991
|-
| ''[[Toy Soldiers]]'' || || Colombian terrorists || || 1991
|-
| ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'' || || || Seen in the armory || 1991
|-
| ''[[Hard Boiled]]'' || || Johnny Wong's thugs || || 1992
|-
| ''[[Police Story 3: Supercop]]'' || || Chaibat's gang || || 1992
|-
| ''[[Falling Down]]'' || [[Michael Douglas]] || William 'D-Fens' Foster || || 1993
|-
| ''[[Loaded Weapon 1]]'' || || A robber || || 1993
|-
| ''[[In the Line of Duty: Ambush in Waco]]'' || || || Seen in the arsenal || 1993
|-
| ''[[Forrest Gump]]'' || [[Tom Hanks]] || Forrest Gump || Never used in action || 1994
|-
| ''[[Forrest Gump]]'' || || U.S. Army soldiers || Never used in action || 1994
|-
| ''[[True Lies]]'' || [[Art Malik]] || Salim Abu Aziz || || 1994
|-
| ''[[Street Fighter]]'' || [[Kylie Minogue]] || Cammy || || 1994
|-
|''[[Open Fire]]'' || [[Patrick Kilpatrick]] || Kruger || || 1994
|-
|''[[Open Fire]]'' || || A terrorist || || 1994
|-
| ''[[Soldier Boyz]]'' || [[Michael Dudikoff]] || Toliver || || 1995
|-
| ''[[Canadian Bacon]]'' || [[Kevin J. O'Connor]] || Roy Boy || || 1995
|-
| ''[[Canadian Bacon]]'' || [[Bill Nunn]] || Kabral || || 1995
|-
| ''[[Sudden Death]]'' || [[Jack Erdie]] || Scratch || || 1995
|-
| ''[[Carnosaur 3: Primal Species]]'' || || A terrorist || || 1996
|-
| ''[[Darkman III: Die Darkman Die]]'' || || Rooker's henchman || || 1996
|-
| ''[[The One That Got Away (1996)|The One That Got Away]]'' || [[Paul McGann]] || [[Chris Ryan]] ||  || 1996
|-
| ''[[Demolition High]]'' || [[Jeff Kober]] || Luther || || 1996
|-
| ''[[Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball]]'' || [[Michael Dudikoff]] || Jersey || || 1997
|-
| ''[[Ronin]]'' || [[Robert De Niro]] || Sam || A movie prop based on LAW || 1998
|-
| ''[[Half a Chance]]'' || || Criminals || || 1998
|-
| ''[[Point Blank (1998)]]'' || [[Robert Zachar]] || Armani || || 1998
|-
| ''[[Commander Hamilton]]'' || [[Zakia Tahri]] || Moona ||  || 1998
|-
| ''[[The Ultimate Weapon]]'' || || || Seen in weapon depot || 1998
|-
| ''[[Wild Zero]]'' || || || can be seen on the Yamazaki's base. || 1999
|-
| ''[[General's Daughter, The|The General's Daughter]]'' || || || Seen in the armory || 1999
|-
| ''[[Three Kings]]'' || [[Spike Jonze]] || Conrad Vig || || 1999
|-
| ''[[Bravo Two Zero]]'' || [[Rick Warden]] || Tony || || 1999
|-
| ''[[Joint Security Area]]'' || || ROKA soldiers || || 2000
|-
| ''[[Proof of Life]]'' || || ELT rebels || || 2000
|-
| ''[[Rules of Engagement]]'' || || U.S. Marines || || 2000
|-
| ''[[Black Hawk Down]]'' || || Lt. Tom DiTomasso || M72A3 || 2001
|-
| ''[[Wasabi]]'' || || || Seen in weapon suitcase || 2001
|-
| ''[[Going Back]]'' || [[Pablo Espinosa]] || Chico Spaceman || || 2001
|-
| ''[[Going Back]]'' || || U.S. Marines || || 2001
|-
| ''[[XXX]]'' || || || Seen among the weapon || 2002
|-
| ''[[Half Past Dead]]'' || [[Kurupt]] || Twitch || A movie prop based on LAW || 2002
|-
| ''[[All About the Benjamins]]'' || || Williamson || || 2002
|-
| ''[[S.W.A.T. (2003)|S.W.A.T.]]'' || || Gang members || || 2003
|-
| ''[[Tears of the Sun]]'' || [[Nick Chinlund]] || Michael "Slo" Slowenski || || 2003
|-
| ''[[Tears of the Sun]]'' || [[Cole Hauser]] || James "Red" Atkins || || 2003
|-
| ''[[Tears of the Sun]]'' || [[Johnny Messner]] || Kelly Lake || || 2003
|-
| ''[[Tears of the Sun]]'' || [[Chad Smith]] || Flea || || 2003
|-
| ''[[Ruby & Quentin]]'' || || Criminals || || 2003
|-
| ''[[Manchurian Candidate, The (2004)|The Manchurian Candidate]]'' || || Enemy soldier || || 2004
|-
|''[[San Antonio]]''||  || Thug || ||2004
|-
| ''[[Typhoon]]'' || || UDT/SEAL commandos || || 2005
|-
| ''[[Valley of the Wolves: Iraq]]'' || || Turkish Special Forces soldiers || || 2006
|-
| ''[[Zone Of The Dead]]'' || [[Vukota Brajovic]] || Armageddon || || 2008
|-
| ''[[Tropic Thunder]]'' || [[Jack Black]] || Jeff Portnoy || || 2008
|-
| ''[[Tropic Thunder]]'' || [[Jay Baruchel]] || Kevin Sandusky || || 2008
|-
| ''[[You Don't Mess with the Zohan]]'' || || The Israelis || || 2008
|-
| ''[[District 13: Ultimatum]]'' || [[Mahamadou Coulibaly]] || Doudou || || 2009
|-
| ''[[Black Dynamite]]'' || || The Secret Service || || 2009
|-
| ''[[Tournament, The (2009)|The Tournament]]'' || || Carl 'Longshot' Topuzov || || 2009
|-
| ''[[Ninja Assassin]]'' || || Europol agents || || 2009
|-
| ''[[New Kids Turbo]]'' || [[Tim Haars]] || Gerrie || || 2010
|-
| ''[[El Infierno]]'' ||  ||  || || 2010
|-
| ''[[Five Brothers (Comme les cinq doigts de la main)]]'' || || || Seen in illegal weapon store ||2010
|-
| ''[[Big Money Rustlas]]'' || [[Jumpsteady]] || Hack Benjamin || || 2010
|-
| ''[[X-Men: First Class]]'' || || A Division X agent || || 2011
|-
| ''[[The ABCs of Death]]'' ||  || Mental || || 2012
|-
| ''[[Act of Valor]]'' || || US Navy SEAL || || 2012
|-
| ''[[Battleground (2012)|Battleground]]'' || || || || 2012
|-
| ''[[Everly]]'' || ||Taiko's special squad ||  || 2014
|-
|''[[Project Gutenberg]]''||Justin Cheung||Brother Four|| ||2018
|-
|''[[Terminator: Dark Fate]]'' || [[Linda Hamilton]] || Sarah Connor || || 2019
|-
|''[[Black Widow (2021)|Black Widow]]''|||| ||seen in arsenal ||2021
|-
|}
=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" border="1" style="border: 1px solid #D0E7FF; background-color:#ffffff; text-align:left; font-size: 95%"
|-bgcolor=#D0E7FF
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="250"|'''Title'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="150"|'''Actor'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="200"|'''Character'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="350"|'''Note'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="80"|'''Air Date'''
|-
| ''[[Magnum P.I.]]'' || [[Tom Selleck]] || Thomas Magnum || || 1980-1988
|-
|''[[World War III]]''||||Soviet paratroopers||substituting for Soviet launchers||1982
|-
| ''[[V: The Original Miniseries]]'' || [[Michael Wright]] || Elias Taylor || || 1983
|-
| ''[[A-Team, The| The A-Team]]'' || || The bounty hunters || Ep. "Bounty" || 1983-1987
|-
| ''[[A-Team, The| The A-Team]]'' || || The A-team || Ep. "The Theory of Revolution" || 1983-1987
|-
| ''[[V: The Series]]'' || [[Michael Ironside]] || Ham Tyler || Ep. "The Conversion" || 1984-1985
|-
| ''[[V: The Series]]'' || || Visitors disguised as humans || Ep. "The Return" || 1984-1985
|-
| ''[[Dempsey and Makepeace]]'' || || The robbers of gold || "Burning" Part 2 (S03E02) || 1986
|-
| ''[[Airwolf]]'' || || || Ep. "HX 1", "Out of the Sky" || 1984-1986
|-
| ''[[Sledge Hammer!]]'' || [[David Rasche]] || Inspector Sledge Hammer || "Under the Gun" (S01E01) || 1986
|-
| ''[[Miami Vice - Season 3]]'' || || Cuban rebels || Ep. "Cuba Libre" || 1986-1987
|-
| ''[[Vietnam War Story]]'' || || U.S. Army soldiers || Ep. "The Fragging" || 1987-1989
|-
| ''[[Tour of Duty]]'' || [[Stan Foster]] || Sgt. Marvin Johnson || Pilot ep. || 1987-1990
|-
| ''[[Tour of Duty]]'' || [[Tony Becker]] || Sgt. Purcell || Ep. "War is a Contact Sport" || 1987-1990
|-
| ''[[Viper (TV Series)|Viper]]'' || || || Ep. "Winner Take All" and "Shutdown" || 1996-1999
|-
| ''[[Sentinel, The (TV series)|The Sentinel]]'' || || Bank robbers || Ep. "Love and Guns" || 1996-1999
|-
| ''[[Going Back]]'' || [[Pablo Espinosa]] || Spaceman || || 2001
|-
| ''[[Ultimate Force - Season 1]]'' || [[Elliot Cowan]] || Cpl. Jem Poynton || Ep. 1.6: "Something to Do with Justice" || 2002
|-
| ''[[Julie Lescaut]]'' ||  || Bank robbers ||  "Abus de pouvoir" (S06E02) || 1997
|-
| ''[[Julie Lescaut]]'' ||  || Bank robbers ||  "Amour blessé" (S11E02) || 2002
|-
|  ''[[Medicopter 117 - Jedes Leben zählt - Season 6]]'' || [[Gunnar Teuber]] || Beckle || tenth episode || 2003
|-
| ''[[Ultimate Force - Season 2]]'' || [[Ross Kemp]] || SSgt. Henry "Henno" Garvie || Ep. 2.5: "What in the Name of God" || 2003
|-
| ''[[Mail Call]]'' || || || Season 1 || 2002-2009
|-
| ''[[NCIS - Season 1]]'' || || || M72A2l; "Split Decision" (S1E21) || 2003-2004
|-
| ''[[All or Nothing (Pan ili propal)]]'' || [[Maksim Sukhanov]] || Stanislaw Wershillo || || 2004
|-
| ''[[JAG - Season 10]]'' || || A Marine || Ep. "Death at the Mosque" (S10E18) || 2004-2005
|-
| ''[[Lost]]'' || || || Ep. "Cabin Fever" || 2004-2010
|-
| ''[[Psych]]'' || [[James Roday]] || Shawn || Ep. "You Can't Handle This Episode" || 2006-Present
|-
| ''[[CSI: Miami - Season 5]]'' || || A thug || Ep. "No Mans Land" (S05E14) || 2006-2007
|-
| ''[[Sanctuary]]'' || [[Amanda Tapping]] || Dr. Helen Magnus || S3E1 "Kali Part 3" || 2008 – Present
|-
| ''[[24 - Season 7]]'' || || Dubaku's men || Ep.8 || 2009
|-
| ''[[Iris - Season 1]]'' || || ||  || 2009
|-
| ''[[Justified - Season 1]]'' || [[Walton Goggins]] || Boyd Crowder || Ep. "Fire in the Hole" (S1E01) || 2010
|-
| ''[[Falling Skies - Season 2]]'' || [[Sarah Carter]] || Maggie || Ep. "Worlds Apart" (S2E01) || 2012
|-
| ''[[Falling Skies - Season 2]]'' || [[Peter Shinkoda]] || Dai || Ep. "Shall We Gather at the River" (S2E02) || 2012
|-
|''[[Training Day (2017 TV Series)|Training Day]]''||||||||2017
|-
|''[[Fear the Walking Dead - Season 4]]'' ||[[Danay Garcia]]||Luciana Galvez || "No One's Gone" (S4E08)|| 2018
|-
|}
=== Video Games ===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" border="1" style="border: 1px solid #D0E7FF; background-color:#ffffff; text-align:left; font-size: 95%"
|-bgcolor=#D0E7FF
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="250"|'''Title'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="200"|'''Appears as'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="250"|'''Mods'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="250"|'''Notation'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="80"|''' Date'''
|-
| ''[[WWII G.I.]]'' || || || Platoon Leader expansion pack only || 1999
|-
| ''[[Grand Theft Auto III]]'' || Rocket Launcher || || || 2000
|-
| ''[[Operation Flashpoint]]'' || || || Incorrectly shown as reloadable || 2001
|-
| ''[[Global Operations]]'' || "LAW" || || || 2002
|-
| ''[[Conflict: Desert Storm]]'' || || || || 2002
|-
| ''[[Conflict: Desert Storm II]]'' || || || || 2003
|-
| ''[[Battlefield: Vietnam]]'' || || || || 2004
|-
| ''[[Shellshock Nam '67]]'' || || || || 2004
|-
| ''[[Counter-Strike: Condition Zero]]'' || || || || 2004
|-
| ''[[Conflict: Vietnam]]'' || || || || 2004
|-
| ''[[Project Reality]]'' || || || || 2005
|-
| ''[[Elite Warriors Vietnam]]'' || || || || 2005
|-
| ''[[Conflict: Global Terror]]'' || || || || 2005
|-
| ''[[Punisher, The (VG)|Punisher]]'' || || || || 2005
|-
| ''[[Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories]]'' || || || With a pistol grip; incorrectly shown as reloadable || 2006
|-
| ''[[Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots]]'' || "M72A3" || || || 2008
|-
| ''[[Combat Arms]]'' || "LAW" || || || 2008
|-
| ''[[Vietcong 2]]'' || "M-72 LAW" || || || 2009
|-
| ''[[Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker]]'' || "LAW" || || || 2010
|-
| ''[[Call of Duty: Black Ops]]'' || || || || 2010
|-
| ''[[Jagged Alliance: Back in Action]]'' || "LAW" || || Incorrectly shown as reloadable || 2011
|-
| ''[[Call of Juarez: The Cartel]]'' || || || Incorrectly shown as reloadable || 2011
|-
| ''[[Max Payne 3]]'' || "LAW" || || || 2012
|-
| ''[[Project Reality: Falklands]]'' || || || || 2012
|-
| ''[[Project Reality: Vietnam]]'' || || || || 2012
|-
| ''[[Ravaged]]'' || || || || 2012
|-
| ''[[Dead Island Riptide]]'' || || || || 2013
|-
| ''[[Squad]]'' || || || || 2015
|-
| ''[[Mafia III]]'' || || || || 2016
|-
| ''[[Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades]]'' ||M72A7 || || ||2016
|-
| ''[[Call to Arms]]'' || || || M72 LAW ||2018
|-
| ''[[Krunker]]'' || Rocket Launcher || || Incorrectly shown as reloadable, incorrectly holds 3 rockets ||2019
|-
|}
=== Anime ===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" border="1" style="border: 1px solid #D0E7FF; background-color:#ffffff; text-align:left; font-size: 95%"
|-bgcolor=#D0E7FF
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="250"|'''Title'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="200"|'''Character'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="350"|'''Note'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="80"|'''Date'''
|-
| ''[[Kochikame]]'' || || || 1996 - 2005
|-
| ''[[Geobreeders]]'' || Captain Yashima || || 1999
|-
| rowspan=3 | ''[[The Familiar of Zero]]'' || Louise || rowspan="3"|  || rowspan="3"| 2006 - 2012
|-
| Saito
|-
| Longueville
|-
| ''[[The Skull Man]]'' || Skull Man and Garo || || 2007
|-
| rowspan=2 | ''[[Patema Inverted]]'' || Jaku || rowspan="2"|  || rowspan="2"| 2013
|-
| Aiga security police
|-
|}
=== Animation ===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" border="1" style="border: 1px solid #D0E7FF; background-color:#ffffff; text-align:left; font-size: 95%"
|-bgcolor=#D0E7FF
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="250"|'''Title'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="200"|'''Voice Actor'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="200"|'''Character'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="350"|'''Note'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="80"|'''Date'''
|-
| ''[[Waltz with Bashir]]'' || ||IDF soldiers || M72A2 || 2008
|-
| rowspan="4" | ''[[Love, Death & Robots - Season 3]]'' || || ||seen in armory; "Kill Team Kill" (S3E05) || rowspan="4" | 2022
|-
| Steve Blum ||Private Macy||rowspan="3" |"Kill Team Kill" (S3E05)
|-
| [[Seth Green]] ||Private Folen
|-
| [[Gabriel Luna]] ||Sergeant Nielson
|-
|}
[[Category:Gun]]
[[Category:Missile Launcher]]

Latest revision as of 19:34, 31 December 2023

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
M72 LAW with rocket - 66mm
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
M72A2 LAW - 66mm. This is a spent tube, identified by the "Empty" marking.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
M72A2 LAW - 66mm
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
M72A7 LAW with rocket - 66mm
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
L72A9 LASM (aka M72A9), marked as inert, with rocket - 66mm

The M72 LAW is a lightweight, disposable unguided anti-tank weapon developed for individual use and first deployed during the Vietnam War. LAW either stands for "light antitank weapon" or "light anti-armor weapon:" the latter seems to be preferred in modern sources, as the weapon is no longer in any way suitable for attacking a main battle tank. A spent tube is relatively easy to get hold of since in many jurisdictions it is treated in the same way as an expended bullet casing. It would be incredibly unlikely to see a live LAW in a live-action medium outside of stock footage, due to the risk to actors. It can be assumed any LAW in a live-action movie is a spent tube, typically rigged with some sort of pyrotechnic device to simulate firing. One point of note is that the LAW has a grenade-like pin safety at the top of the rear cover which allows removal of the front and rear covers and the carry strap: this pin is often missing from spent tubes and so its removal is often also missing in media depictions. The original 60s model had a second arming safety pin at the rear, but this was deleted from later production models due to reports that it was readily possible to yank the pull-ring out of the pin and render the launcher useless.

LAWs in private collections and movie armories also typically have either no front sight or a non-factory replacement; this is because the original front sight used radioluminescent paint containing promethium-147, and troops were instructed to snap off the front sight for disposal by a radiation safety officer before discarding a spent tube. The "discarding" part ended fairly quickly in the Vietnam War as the Vietcong proved very fond of packing spent LAW casings with explosives for use as booby traps.

LAWs starting with the M72A4 no longer have this issue, as they do not use the illuminated ladder front sight, instead having a 3-prong front sight and aperture rear sight derived from those designed for the cancelled FGR-17 Viper rocket launcher and very similar to the sights of the M136 AT4. The modernized variant, the M72A7, incorporates a small picatinny rail behind the front sight to allow night optics or lasers to be mounted. The British military refers to an improved anti-bunker variant with a penetrating time-delay fuze and alterations including a lightweight carbon fiber bore liner and improved axial trigger as the "L72A9 LASM" (Light Anti-Structure Munition) or M72A9.

The M72 was regarded as obsolete as an anti-tank weapon by the 1980s, with the FGR-17 Viper rocket launcher developed to replace it briefly entering production before cost overruns and reports of static damage and dangerously faulty fuzes that could cause the rocket to explode on launching saw the entire program cancelled in 1983. Congress ordered the US Army to consider off-the-shelf replacements, and they ultimately chose the M136 AT4 over the M72E5 LAW that participated in the trials, while the Marines acquired a variant of the Israeli B-300 rocket launcher, the Mk 153 SMAW. However the LAW found a new lease of life in the urban combat and mountain warfare of Iraq and Afghanistan with the HE-DP M72A6 and M72A7 variants, with benefits including the ability to carry two LAWs for the weight of a single AT4.

Specifications

(1963-present)

Type: Rocket Launcher

Caliber: 66mm

Capacity: 1 encased rocket

System weight: M72A2 5.1 lbs (2.3 kg), M72A3 5.5 lbs (2.5 kg), M72A4 7.6 lbs (3.5 kg)

Rocket weight: 4 lbs (1.8 kg)

Length: 39 in (99.1 cm) extended, 26 in (66 cm) collapsed

Fire Modes: Single shot, firing mechanism is cocked on opening

M72 LAW

The M72 LAW is used in the following films, television series, and video games used by the following actors:

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
The Enforcer Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry 1976
The Enforcer DeVeren Bookwalter Bobby Maxwell 1976
The Boys in Company C Stan Shaw Tyrone Washington 1978
Power Play Gary Reineke Captain Aramco 1978
G.I. Samurai jsdf member 1979
The Dogs of War Zangaran Mercenaries 1981
Stripes (1981) John Voldstad Corporal Tyson M72A2 1981
First Blood A National Guard soldier 1982
Escape 2000 Steve Railsback Paul 1982
Lone Wolf McQuade Robert Beltran Kayo Ramos 1983
Deal of the Century Chevy Chase Eddie Muntz 1983
Jungle Warriors Dominic Barto Thomas Tucci Early production 1984
Exterminator 2 X's thugs 1984
Invasion U.S.A. Chuck Norris Matt Hunter 1985
Invasion U.S.A. U.S. Army troops 1985
Rambo: First Blood Part II Sylvester Stallone John Rambo 1985
Missing In Action 2: The Beginning NVA forces 1985
Code of Silence Chuck Norris Eddie Cusack 1985
Platoon Charlie Sheen Pvt. Chris Taylor 1986
Platoon Tom Berenger SSgt. Robert Barnes 1986
Maximum Overdrive Pat Hingle Bubba Hendershot M190, a training M72 variant 1986
Maximum Overdrive Emilio Estevez Bill Robinson M190, a training M72 variant 1986
In Country US troops 1987
Full Metal Jacket A U.S. Marine 1987
Beverly Hills Cop II Judge Reinhold Billy Rosewood 1987
Death Before Dishonor Fred Dryer Gunnery Sgt. Burns 1987
The Hidden Clarence Felder Lt. Masterson 1987
Assassination Charles Bronson Secret Service Agent Jay Killion 1987
Cherry 2000 Lester's men 1987
Iron Eagle II Enemy soldiers 1988
The Blob Kevin Dillon Brian Flagg 1988
The Blob Bill Moseley Soldier 1988
Rushmore A cast member playing a VC 1988
Casualties of War U.S. Army soldiers and VC 1989
A Better Tomorrow III ARVN soldiers 1989
The Iron Triangle U.S. forces 1989
Bullet in the Head Corrupt ARVN officers 1990
Gremlins 2: The New Batch A Gremlin 1990
Class of 1999 Jason Oliver Curt 1990
Short Time Xander Berkeley Carl Stark 1990
China O'Brien II Baskin's henchmen 1990
If Looks Could Kill Tom Rack Zigesfeld 1991
Toy Soldiers Michael Champion Jack Thorpe 1991
Toy Soldiers Colombian terrorists 1991
Terminator 2: Judgment Day Seen in the armory 1991
Hard Boiled Johnny Wong's thugs 1992
Police Story 3: Supercop Chaibat's gang 1992
Falling Down Michael Douglas William 'D-Fens' Foster 1993
Loaded Weapon 1 A robber 1993
In the Line of Duty: Ambush in Waco Seen in the arsenal 1993
Forrest Gump Tom Hanks Forrest Gump Never used in action 1994
Forrest Gump U.S. Army soldiers Never used in action 1994
True Lies Art Malik Salim Abu Aziz 1994
Street Fighter Kylie Minogue Cammy 1994
Open Fire Patrick Kilpatrick Kruger 1994
Open Fire A terrorist 1994
Soldier Boyz Michael Dudikoff Toliver 1995
Canadian Bacon Kevin J. O'Connor Roy Boy 1995
Canadian Bacon Bill Nunn Kabral 1995
Sudden Death Jack Erdie Scratch 1995
Carnosaur 3: Primal Species A terrorist 1996
Darkman III: Die Darkman Die Rooker's henchman 1996
The One That Got Away Paul McGann Chris Ryan 1996
Demolition High Jeff Kober Luther 1996
Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball Michael Dudikoff Jersey 1997
Ronin Robert De Niro Sam A movie prop based on LAW 1998
Half a Chance Criminals 1998
Point Blank (1998) Robert Zachar Armani 1998
Commander Hamilton Zakia Tahri Moona 1998
The Ultimate Weapon Seen in weapon depot 1998
Wild Zero can be seen on the Yamazaki's base. 1999
The General's Daughter Seen in the armory 1999
Three Kings Spike Jonze Conrad Vig 1999
Bravo Two Zero Rick Warden Tony 1999
Joint Security Area ROKA soldiers 2000
Proof of Life ELT rebels 2000
Rules of Engagement U.S. Marines 2000
Black Hawk Down Lt. Tom DiTomasso M72A3 2001
Wasabi Seen in weapon suitcase 2001
Going Back Pablo Espinosa Chico Spaceman 2001
Going Back U.S. Marines 2001
XXX Seen among the weapon 2002
Half Past Dead Kurupt Twitch A movie prop based on LAW 2002
All About the Benjamins Williamson 2002
S.W.A.T. Gang members 2003
Tears of the Sun Nick Chinlund Michael "Slo" Slowenski 2003
Tears of the Sun Cole Hauser James "Red" Atkins 2003
Tears of the Sun Johnny Messner Kelly Lake 2003
Tears of the Sun Chad Smith Flea 2003
Ruby & Quentin Criminals 2003
The Manchurian Candidate Enemy soldier 2004
San Antonio Thug 2004
Typhoon UDT/SEAL commandos 2005
Valley of the Wolves: Iraq Turkish Special Forces soldiers 2006
Zone Of The Dead Vukota Brajovic Armageddon 2008
Tropic Thunder Jack Black Jeff Portnoy 2008
Tropic Thunder Jay Baruchel Kevin Sandusky 2008
You Don't Mess with the Zohan The Israelis 2008
District 13: Ultimatum Mahamadou Coulibaly Doudou 2009
Black Dynamite The Secret Service 2009
The Tournament Carl 'Longshot' Topuzov 2009
Ninja Assassin Europol agents 2009
New Kids Turbo Tim Haars Gerrie 2010
El Infierno 2010
Five Brothers (Comme les cinq doigts de la main) Seen in illegal weapon store 2010
Big Money Rustlas Jumpsteady Hack Benjamin 2010
X-Men: First Class A Division X agent 2011
The ABCs of Death Mental 2012
Act of Valor US Navy SEAL 2012
Battleground 2012
Everly Taiko's special squad 2014
Project Gutenberg Justin Cheung Brother Four 2018
Terminator: Dark Fate Linda Hamilton Sarah Connor 2019
Black Widow seen in arsenal 2021

Television

Title Actor Character Note Air Date
Magnum P.I. Tom Selleck Thomas Magnum 1980-1988
World War III Soviet paratroopers substituting for Soviet launchers 1982
V: The Original Miniseries Michael Wright Elias Taylor 1983
The A-Team The bounty hunters Ep. "Bounty" 1983-1987
The A-Team The A-team Ep. "The Theory of Revolution" 1983-1987
V: The Series Michael Ironside Ham Tyler Ep. "The Conversion" 1984-1985
V: The Series Visitors disguised as humans Ep. "The Return" 1984-1985
Dempsey and Makepeace The robbers of gold "Burning" Part 2 (S03E02) 1986
Airwolf Ep. "HX 1", "Out of the Sky" 1984-1986
Sledge Hammer! David Rasche Inspector Sledge Hammer "Under the Gun" (S01E01) 1986
Miami Vice - Season 3 Cuban rebels Ep. "Cuba Libre" 1986-1987
Vietnam War Story U.S. Army soldiers Ep. "The Fragging" 1987-1989
Tour of Duty Stan Foster Sgt. Marvin Johnson Pilot ep. 1987-1990
Tour of Duty Tony Becker Sgt. Purcell Ep. "War is a Contact Sport" 1987-1990
Viper Ep. "Winner Take All" and "Shutdown" 1996-1999
The Sentinel Bank robbers Ep. "Love and Guns" 1996-1999
Going Back Pablo Espinosa Spaceman 2001
Ultimate Force - Season 1 Elliot Cowan Cpl. Jem Poynton Ep. 1.6: "Something to Do with Justice" 2002
Julie Lescaut Bank robbers "Abus de pouvoir" (S06E02) 1997
Julie Lescaut Bank robbers "Amour blessé" (S11E02) 2002
Medicopter 117 - Jedes Leben zählt - Season 6 Gunnar Teuber Beckle tenth episode 2003
Ultimate Force - Season 2 Ross Kemp SSgt. Henry "Henno" Garvie Ep. 2.5: "What in the Name of God" 2003
Mail Call Season 1 2002-2009
NCIS - Season 1 M72A2l; "Split Decision" (S1E21) 2003-2004
All or Nothing (Pan ili propal) Maksim Sukhanov Stanislaw Wershillo 2004
JAG - Season 10 A Marine Ep. "Death at the Mosque" (S10E18) 2004-2005
Lost Ep. "Cabin Fever" 2004-2010
Psych James Roday Shawn Ep. "You Can't Handle This Episode" 2006-Present
CSI: Miami - Season 5 A thug Ep. "No Mans Land" (S05E14) 2006-2007
Sanctuary Amanda Tapping Dr. Helen Magnus S3E1 "Kali Part 3" 2008 – Present
24 - Season 7 Dubaku's men Ep.8 2009
Iris - Season 1 2009
Justified - Season 1 Walton Goggins Boyd Crowder Ep. "Fire in the Hole" (S1E01) 2010
Falling Skies - Season 2 Sarah Carter Maggie Ep. "Worlds Apart" (S2E01) 2012
Falling Skies - Season 2 Peter Shinkoda Dai Ep. "Shall We Gather at the River" (S2E02) 2012
Training Day 2017
Fear the Walking Dead - Season 4 Danay Garcia Luciana Galvez "No One's Gone" (S4E08) 2018

Video Games

Title Appears as Mods Notation Date
WWII G.I. Platoon Leader expansion pack only 1999
Grand Theft Auto III Rocket Launcher 2000
Operation Flashpoint Incorrectly shown as reloadable 2001
Global Operations "LAW" 2002
Conflict: Desert Storm 2002
Conflict: Desert Storm II 2003
Battlefield: Vietnam 2004
Shellshock Nam '67 2004
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero 2004
Conflict: Vietnam 2004
Project Reality 2005
Elite Warriors Vietnam 2005
Conflict: Global Terror 2005
Punisher 2005
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories With a pistol grip; incorrectly shown as reloadable 2006
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots "M72A3" 2008
Combat Arms "LAW" 2008
Vietcong 2 "M-72 LAW" 2009
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker "LAW" 2010
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2010
Jagged Alliance: Back in Action "LAW" Incorrectly shown as reloadable 2011
Call of Juarez: The Cartel Incorrectly shown as reloadable 2011
Max Payne 3 "LAW" 2012
Project Reality: Falklands 2012
Project Reality: Vietnam 2012
Ravaged 2012
Dead Island Riptide 2013
Squad 2015
Mafia III 2016
Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades M72A7 2016
Call to Arms M72 LAW 2018
Krunker Rocket Launcher Incorrectly shown as reloadable, incorrectly holds 3 rockets 2019

Anime

Title Character Note Date
Kochikame 1996 - 2005
Geobreeders Captain Yashima 1999
The Familiar of Zero Louise 2006 - 2012
Saito
Longueville
The Skull Man Skull Man and Garo 2007
Patema Inverted Jaku 2013
Aiga security police

Animation

Title Voice Actor Character Note Date
Waltz with Bashir IDF soldiers M72A2 2008
Love, Death & Robots - Season 3 seen in armory; "Kill Team Kill" (S3E05) 2022
Steve Blum Private Macy "Kill Team Kill" (S3E05)
Seth Green Private Folen
Gabriel Luna Sergeant Nielson
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