Where is the grenade launcher?

[morgs]

ever noticed that the sub machine gun in HL2 has no grenade launcher, yet it can fire grenades? I also noticed that the grenades come from the center of the screen :S

 

[Planetary]

There's a barrel for the launcher right under the primary barrel, though the grenades come out so fast you can't see, only hear, the launching.

 

[Jintor]

This is one of the many mysteries of Half-Life 2.

 

[bbson john]

The grenade is larger than the barrel. So we predict that the grenade launcher is actually installed inside Gordon's mouth.

 

[Dalamari]

The grenade launcher is inside us all, right here, IN MY NECK

 

[ríomhaire]

I think that there is a grenade launcher, it's just unrealisticly and unproptionally small.

 

[heer0]

The same mystery as the secondary fire of the shotgun.
I think valve just wanted to preserve all the weapons from HL1 with their original capabilities.
I personaly prefer sacrificing a bit of realism for having the good old faithful grenade launcher under the barrel, and double-action shotgun fire when the things get rough.