Grenade

A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. A hand grenade is the common title for grenades which are thrown. Grenade launchers, which impart a higher velocity and are more accurate, are available as either firearm attachments or standalone firearms.

Design

Most grenades explode, projecting fragments, i.e., pieces of the casing, serrated wire, or an incendiary material. Some, such as smoke grenades, merely burn, releasing smoke for masking, marking, or signaling. CS riot grenades function the same way. Grenades contain an explosive or chemical filler and have a small opening for a fuse. In modern hand grenades, the fuse is lit by an internal device rather than an external flame.

Characteristics:

• Small effective kill radius, roughly 5 meters
• Large effective casualty radius, roughly 15 meters
• Delay element that permits a safe detonation distance
• Most grenades have a hard shell which allows them to ricochet off hard surfaces, like walls, before detonating.

Hand grenades have:

• A body that contains the filler
• A filler, the chemical or explosive for fragmentation
• A fuse that ignites or detonates the grenade

Detonation mechanism

Percussion

A percussion grenade detonates upon impact with the target. Classic examples of percussion grenades are the British Gammon bomb and No 69 grenades which both used an "All-ways" impact fuse. Some percussion grenades...
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