Munitions

M769 60 mm full range practice cartridge

Also known as
  • M769 FRPC
  • M769 full range practice cartridge
  • M769 60 mm FRPC
  • BA15 M769
  • 60 mm M769 full range practice cartridge
  • M769 full range practice round

The M769 is a U.S. 60 mm full range practice cartridge for the M224/M224A1 Lightweight Company Mortar System. Army sources describe it as a low-cost training round that mirrors the M720/M720A1 high-explosive cartridges in shape, size, and weight, while a DLA ASSIST listing ties the M775 point-detonating practice fuze to the M769 FRPC.

M769 60 mm full range practice cartridge, 60 mm full range practice cartridge, Munitions
Image source: M769 mortar range image 1
Profile / Specs

Specifications

Caliber
60 mm
Range
70 to 3,500 m
Rate of fire
30 rounds/minute maximum; 20 rounds/minute sustained
Weight
3.75 lb
Length
14.88 in
Fuze
M775 point-detonating practice fuze
DODIC
BA15
Reliability
98.7% at 90% confidence level
Effectiveness
Visual effect allows adjustment from 2,000 m
Construction
Hollow projectile body with vent tube and four vent holes, practice fuze, fin assembly, four propellant increments, ignition cartridge, and obturating ring
Compatibility
M224/M224A1 Lightweight Company Mortar System
Compatible Mortar Systems

The Army describes the M769 as a full range practice cartridge for the M224/M224A1 Lightweight Company Mortar System.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
M224, 60 mm lightweight company mortar, ArtilleryM22460 mm lightweight company mortar

The Army portfolio book identifies the M769 FRPC as a low-cost training cartridge for the M224/M224A1 Lightweight Company Mortar System.

Sources: M769 Full Range Practice Cartridge

Training-cartridge limit

The M224 mortar has documented conflict use in the catalog, but the M769 record stays relationship-only because the direct sources describe this exact cartridge as inert training ammunition rather than combat ammunition.

Sources: Mortar training rounds tested as rigorously as other rounds at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground

Training Cartridge Context

The M769 gives M224/M224A1 mortar crews a full-range training cartridge with the handling and ballistic envelope needed for realistic practice, without treating the cartridge as a combat munition.

ScopeDocumented detailReader context
Firing systemM224, 60 mm lightweight company mortar, ArtilleryM224/M224A1 Lightweight Company Mortar System.The Army portfolio book identifies this as the cartridge's intended mortar system.
Training roleLow-cost full range practice round matching the M720/M720A1 shape, size, and weight.The budget justification book frames the cartridge as a realistic substitute for high-explosive training expenditure.
Fuze connectionM775 point-detonating practice fuze.DLA ASSIST identifies the M775 practice fuze as used on the M769 60 mm FRPC.
Combat-use boundaryArmy reporting describes the M769 as an inert training round and says it is not used in combat.Compatible mortar conflict records are not copied onto this cartridge without direct conflict-use evidence for the M769 itself.

Sources: M769 Full Range Practice Cartridge; FY 2018 Ammunition Justification Book; Fuze, Point Detonating: Practice - M775; Mortar training rounds tested as rigorously as other rounds at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground.

Timeline

M769 60 mm full range practice cartridge Key Events

  1. Production and deployment begin

    The Army portfolio book lists M769 production and deployment as beginning in June 2004 for the 60 mm full range practice cartridge.

    Sources: M769 Full Range Practice Cartridge

  2. Yuma describes lot-acceptance testing

    The Army's Yuma Proving Ground article describes M769 test firing and lot-acceptance work for inert training cartridges used by Army and Marine Corps mortar crews.

    Sources: Mortar training rounds tested as rigorously as other rounds at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground

  3. DLA validates the M775 practice-fuze listing

    DLA ASSIST lists a validation notice for the M775 point-detonating practice fuze and identifies the fuze as used on the M769 60 mm FRPC and M880 81 mm SRPC.

    Sources: Fuze, Point Detonating: Practice - M775

Media

M769 60 mm full range practice cartridge Images

M769 60 mm full range practice cartridge, 60 mm full range practice cartridge, Munitions - view 1
Source: M769 mortar range image 2
Related Weapon Systems
M888 60 mm high explosive cartridge, 60 mm high-explosive mortar cartridge, MunitionsMunitionsM888 60 mm high explosive cartridge60 mm high-explosive mortar cartridgeThe M888 is a U.S. 60 mm high-explosive mortar cartridge for the M224/M224A1 Lightweight Company Mortar System. Army and environmental ordnance references identify it as DODIC B643 with an M935 point-detonating fuze, Composition B fill, 67- to 3,490-meter range, and fragmentation/blast effects against personnel and light materiel. Public conflict-specific evidence for this cartridge currently comes from Afghan National Army and Iraq Train and Equip Fund supply records, so the conflict rows document transfer and delivery context rather than confirmed battlefield firing.
M224, 60 mm lightweight company mortar, ArtilleryArtilleryM22460 mm lightweight company mortarThe M224 is a U.S. 60 mm lightweight company mortar built for infantry close-support fires from either a conventional bipod/baseplate setup or a lighter handheld mode. Its 70- to 3,490-meter conventional-mode range, high-angle fire, and mix of high-explosive, smoke, illumination, and training cartridges make it useful for small-unit suppression, screening, marking, and illumination; documented uses include Ukrainian front-line employment, U.S. coalition advise-and-assist fires during 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve, and U.S. Army field use in Afghanistan.
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.

Sources

M769 Full Range Practice CartridgePublisher: U.S. Army Capability Program Executive Office Ammunition & Energetics | Note: Supports the M769 FRPC's description, its use with the M224/M224A1 Lightweight Company Mortar System, the low-cost practice-round role, the detailed construction, and the published range, weight, length, reliability, and effectiveness figures. | Accessed: 2026-06-29FY 2018 Ammunition Justification BookPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports the M769 FRPC's range, the low-cost full-range practice role, the identical shape/size/weight relationship to M720/M720A1 HE cartridges, and the training-use context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Mortar training rounds tested as rigorously as other rounds at U.S. Army Yuma Proving GroundPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports background context for the M769 as a mortar training round, Yuma Proving Ground lot-acceptance testing, the inert training-round description, and the Army statement that the round is not used in combat. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Fuze, Point Detonating: Practice - M775Publisher: Defense Logistics Agency ASSIST QuickSearch | Note: Supports the M775 point-detonating practice fuze designation, the fuze's use on the M769 60 mm FRPC and M880 81 mm SRPC, and the 2024 validation notice shown in the public document details. | Accessed: 2026-06-29AP-42 BA15 M769 Emissions-Factor CalculationsPublisher: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Note: Supports the BA15 DODIC association for the M769 60 mm full range practice cartridge through the linked AP-42 calculation spreadsheet. | Accessed: 2026-06-29M769 mortar range image 1Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a public-domain Marine Corps photograph showing an M769 round being loaded into an M224 60 mm mortar during Resolute Dragon 25. | Accessed: 2026-06-23M769 mortar range image 2Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a second public-domain Marine Corps photograph showing an M769 round being loaded into an M224 60 mm mortar during Resolute Dragon 25. | Accessed: 2026-06-23