ʌntˈɪl stˈɑːkpaɪlz ʌv ˌæmjuːnˈɪʃən wɜːɹ ɛɡzˈɔːstᵻd ɪnðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti z, ˈɛm twˈɛnti ɹᵻkˈɔɪlləs ɹˈaɪfəlz wɜː jˈuːzd tə stˈɑːɹt kəntɹˈoʊld ˈævəlˌænʃᵻz baɪ ðə jˈuː.ˈɛs. nˈæʃənəl fˈɔːɹɪst sˈɜːvɪs ænd nˈæʃənəl pˈɑːɹk sˈɜːvɪs.
Until stockpiles of ammunition were exhausted in the 1990s, M20 recoilless rifles were used to start controlled avalanches by the U.S. National Forest Service and National Park Service.