Munitions

Cartridge, 105 mm, Illuminating, M314

Also known as
  • M314
  • M314A1
  • M314A2
  • M314A2B1
  • M314A3
  • 105 mm M314A3 Visible Light Illumination Cartridge
  • Cartridge, 105 mm, Illuminating, M314A3
  • DODIC C541
  • DODAC 1315-C449

The M314 is a U.S. 105 mm howitzer illumination cartridge family that ejects a flare canister under parachute for battlefield lighting. Army ammunition manuals list earlier M314-series rounds for M101/M102-era howitzers, while Army portfolio material identifies the M314A3 visible-light round as a 105 mm M119-series illumination cartridge with a semi-fixed case, time fuze, expelling charge, illuminant canister, and parachute assembly.

Cartridge, 105 mm, Illuminating, M314, 105 mm howitzer-fired illuminating cartridge with parachute-retarded canister, Munitions
Image source: M314 105mm Illuminating Cartridge
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Type
105 mm howitzer-fired illuminating cartridge with parachute-retarded canister

Specifications

Caliber
105 mm
Cartridge type
Semi-fixed howitzer-fired visible-light illuminating round
Projectile action
Base-ejection cartridge that expels an illuminating canister and parachute assembly
Illumination output
PEO Ammunition lists 525,000 candlepower for at least 55 seconds; TM 43-0001-28 lists 450,000 candlepower average and a 60-second static burn for M314A3
Maximum range
PEO Ammunition lists 9.1 km from the M119 series; TM 43-0001-28 lists up to 11.5 km in M102/M108 howitzers
Complete round weight
About 46.4 lb for M314A3
Complete round length
About 32.17 in for M314A3
Cartridge case and primer
M14 cartridge case with M28 percussion primer
Propelling charge
M67 propelling charge in the M314A3 configuration
Fuze family
M501-series fuzes on earlier M314-series rounds; M565, M577, and M724 time fuzes are listed for M314A3
Compatible weapon examples
M119 series; M101/M101A1; M102/M108; older M52/M52A1 and M56 howitzers are listed in Army ammunition data
Catalog identifiers
DODIC C541 in PEO Ammunition portfolio material; TM 43-0001-28 lists M314-series DODAC 1315-C449 and notes some M314A3 rounds issued without fuze as C542
Designation Structure

Army references treat the M314 name as a visible-light 105 mm illuminating-cartridge series rather than a single one-off loading. The record therefore keeps M314A1, M314A2, M314A2B1, and M314A3 as search aliases for the same cartridge family.

DesignationDocumented contextCatalog treatment
M314 / M314A1 / M314A2Listed together in Army ammunition data for parachute-retarded 105 mm visible-light illuminating cartridges.Covered by this family record.
M314A2B1Appears in the same Army ammunition family listing.Search alias, not a separate catalog page.
M314A3Identified in Army portfolio material as a later 105 mm M119-series visible-light illumination cartridge under DODIC C541.Covered by this family record and emphasized in specifications.
Sources: TM 43-0001-28 Army Ammunition Data Sheets; PEO Ammunition Portfolio Book 2017.
Round Structure

The M314A3 is described as a semi-fixed 105 mm visible-light illumination round built around a cartridge case, primer, propelling charge, projectile, time fuze, black-powder expelling charge, illuminant canister, and parachute assembly. The design is meant to eject and suspend the light source rather than deliver a high-explosive effect.

ComponentDocumented detailSource-backed role
Case and primerM14 cartridge case with M28 percussion primerHolds and initiates the semi-fixed propelling system.
Propelling chargeM67 propelling chargeLaunches the projectile from compatible 105 mm howitzers.
Projectile bodyForged steel body with expelling chargeCarries the flare package and ejects it near the set time.
Illuminant canisterVisible-light canister and parachute assemblySuspends the burning light source for battlefield illumination.
Time fuzeM501-series fuzes on earlier rounds; M565, M577, and M724 listed for M314A3Sets the ejection event for the illuminating payload.
Sources: TM 43-0001-28 Army Ammunition Data Sheets; PEO Ammunition Portfolio Book 2017.
Firing Weapons

The M314 series is 105 mm howitzer ammunition rather than a standalone weapon. Source material documents both the later M314A3/M119 connection and older M314-family compatibility with earlier U.S. 105 mm howitzers.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
M119, 105 mm lightweight towed howitzer, ArtilleryM119105 mm lightweight towed howitzer

PEO Ammunition portfolio material identifies the M314A3 visible-light cartridge as a 105 mm M119-series howitzer round, and GlobalSecurity lists M314 illumination ammunition in the M119A1's standard 105 mm ammunition set.

Sources: PEO Ammunition Portfolio Book 2017, M119A1 105mm Lightweight Towed Howitzer

M101 105 mm Howitzer, 105 mm towed field howitzer, ArtilleryM101 105 mm Howitzer105 mm towed field howitzer

TM 43-0001-28 lists M314-family illuminating cartridges with M2A2/M101/M101A1 105 mm howitzers among compatible firing weapons.

Sources: TM 43-0001-28 Army Ammunition Data Sheets

105 mm field guns, 105 mm towed field gun / howitzer class, Artillery105 mm field guns105 mm howitzer ammunition family

Army ammunition data sheets place the M314 series within 105 mm howitzer ammunition and list additional compatible 105 mm howitzers, including M52/M52A1, M56, M102, and M108 weapons not all represented as separate catalog pages.

Sources: TM 43-0001-28 Army Ammunition Data Sheets

Why the cartridge is relationship-only

The public sources reviewed here document the cartridge family, its design, and compatible howitzers. They do not directly document M314 rounds being fired or supplied in a named conflict, so this entry keeps conflicts empty and uses the munition's sourced weapon relationships instead.

Sources: TM 43-0001-28 Army Ammunition Data Sheets, PEO Ammunition Portfolio Book 2017

Firing-Weapon Compatibility Notes

Compatibility is documented across several generations of U.S. 105 mm howitzers. The later M314A3 is tied to the M119 series in acquisition material, while the Army ammunition manual preserves older M314-family howitzer compatibility tables.

Documented weaponHow it appears in sourcesCatalog context
M119, 105 mm lightweight towed howitzer, ArtilleryM119PEO Ammunition lists the M314A3 as a 105 mm M119-series howitzer illumination cartridge; GlobalSecurity lists M314 illumination ammunition for the M119A1.Modern lightweight towed howitzer connection.
M101 105 mm Howitzer, 105 mm towed field howitzer, ArtilleryM101 105 mm HowitzerTM 43-0001-28 lists M2A2/M101/M101A1 among weapons for the M314-family illuminating cartridges.Legacy U.S. 105 mm towed howitzer connection.
105 mm field guns, 105 mm towed field gun / howitzer class, Artillery105 mm field gunsThe same manual also lists M52/M52A1, M56, M102, and M108 howitzers in the M314-series compatibility table.Family-level link for compatible 105 mm artillery not represented by one specific record.

These relationships do not by themselves establish conflict use for this cartridge. A conflict row would need a direct source naming M314 or M314A3 use, supply, or firing in that exact conflict.

Timeline

Cartridge, 105 mm, Illuminating, M314 Key Events

  1. M314A3 standard-classified

    Army ammunition data sheets cite the M314A3 standard classification under AMCTC 7467, giving the designation a documented Cold War-era configuration baseline.

  2. Army ammunition manual lists M314 family data

    TM 43-0001-28 lists M314-series 105 mm illuminating cartridges with fuze, range, burn, candlepower, cartridge-case, primer, and compatible-howitzer data.

  3. M314A3 appears in Army portfolio material

    The PEO Ammunition portfolio identifies the M314A3 visible-light cartridge under the 105 mm M119-series artillery ammunition portfolio and DODIC C541.

  4. ASSIST validates MIL-DTL-20354E

    ASSIST records MIL-DTL-20354E, the detail specification covering loading, assembling, and packing for M314A3 visible-light and M1064 infrared 105 mm illuminating cartridges, as validated on this date.

Media

Cartridge, 105 mm, Illuminating, M314 Images

Cartridge, 105 mm, Illuminating, M314, 105 mm howitzer-fired illuminating cartridge with parachute-retarded canister, Munitions - view 1
Source: M314 105mm Illuminating Cartridge
Related Weapon Systems
Cartridge, 105 mm, Smoke, WP, M60, 105 mm white-phosphorus smoke artillery cartridge, MunitionsMunitionsCartridge, 105 mm, Smoke, WP, M60105 mm white-phosphorus smoke artillery cartridgeThe Cartridge, 105 mm, Smoke, WP, M60 is a U.S. semi-fixed 105 mm white-phosphorus smoke cartridge family for 105 mm howitzers. Army ammunition data sheets describe the M60 series as a screening round with a cast-WP projectile filler, a seven-increment M67 propelling charge, and model differences centered on burster construction and fuze compatibility. Army rigging and ordnance-identification references also list the family by DODIC C454 and C477.
M721 60 mm visible light illumination cartridge, 60 mm visible-light illuminating mortar cartridge, MunitionsMunitionsM721 60 mm visible light illumination cartridge60 mm visible-light illuminating mortar cartridgeThe M721 is a U.S. 60 mm visible-light illuminating mortar cartridge for the M224/M224A1 lightweight company mortar system. Army ammunition materials describe a parachute-and-candle payload, an M776 mechanical time fuze, and roughly 300,000 candlepower for observation, fire adjustment, and signaling, while transfer and budget records place the round in Afghan and Iraqi partner-force ammunition channels.
Cartridge, 105 mm, High-Explosive, M1, 105 mm semi-fixed high-explosive artillery cartridge for 105 mm howitzers, MunitionsMunitionsCartridge, 105 mm, High-Explosive, M1105 mm semi-fixed high-explosive artillery cartridge for 105 mm howitzersThe Cartridge, 105 mm, High-Explosive, M1 is a semi-fixed 105 mm HE artillery cartridge built around an M14-family case, percussion primer, M67 propelling charge, and forged-steel HE projectile. MSM Group and JPEO ammunition data describe the round's personnel-and-materiel fragmentation role, fuze compatibility, and roughly 11-11.5 km range class, while current catalog sources tie the M1 designation to M101-family and M119-series 105 mm howitzers.
120 mm illumination ammunition, 120 mm illuminating ammunition, MunitionsMunitions120 mm illumination ammunition120 mm illuminating ammunition120 mm illumination ammunition is a heavy mortar munition class that ejects a parachute-retarded candle to light target areas for night observation, signaling, and fire adjustment. Nammo publishes a representative 120 mm illuminating round with time-fuze deployment at 500-700 meters, while U.S. Army sources identify visible-light M930 and infrared M983 cartridges for the M120A1 and M121 mortar systems. In the 2001 War in Afghanistan, U.S. Marines with Task Force Southwest fired 120 mm mortar illumination rounds from Bost Airfield to support Afghan government forces during combat operations in Helmand Province.

Sources

M314 105mm Illuminating CartridgePublisher: FAS | Note: Supports background, image provenance, and the basic identifying label for the M314 105 mm illuminating cartridge page. | Accessed: 2026-06-29TM 43-0001-28 Army Ammunition Data SheetsPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports M314-series designations, fuze families, cartridge-case and primer details, burn/candlepower figures, M314A3 classification context, DODAC listings, and compatible 105 mm howitzers. | Accessed: 2026-06-29PEO Ammunition Portfolio Book 2017Publisher: U.S. Army PEO Ammunition | Note: Supports the M314A3 visible-light 105 mm M119-series cartridge description, DODIC C541, 9.1 km range, 525,000-candlepower/55-second performance line, and major round components. | Accessed: 2026-06-29ASSIST MIL-DTL-20354E RecordPublisher: Defense Logistics Agency | Note: Supports the active detail specification record for loading, assembling, and packing M314A3 visible-light and M1064 infrared 105 mm illuminating cartridges. | Accessed: 2026-06-29105mm Artillery CartridgesPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports the M314 cartridge listing among 105 mm artillery cartridges. | Accessed: 2026-06-29M119A1 105mm Lightweight Towed HowitzerPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports the M119A1 compatibility context and the 105 mm ammunition set that includes M314 illuminating cartridges. | Accessed: 2026-06-29