11 replies to this topic

[Someone]

Are stick hand grenades (a.k.a grenades similar to Model 24 grenade) still in use?
If no, then why not? After all, a stick grenade can be thrown farther than a spherical one.

Edited by Someone, 18 August 2009 - 15:32.

[Destiny]

My guess that it can't really roll properly like the pineapple 'nades we use nowadays...and if you toss it the stick might hit the window and bounce back in your face.

[TehKiller]

Miltiple reasons...one of them is being impractical due to its shape and size limiting the amount carried and the fact that stick grenades often went off target (due to either bouncing or enviromental reasons)

[Sgt. Nuker]

Stiehlhandgranate, or "potato masher" as it was called by the British, may be able to be thrown a longer distance (30-40 yards compared to 15 for the Mills bomb), but the Model 24 is much larger and a bit cumbersome to carry in numbers over 2 or 3. Combat mobility is important, and if the soldier is weighed down, his/her mobility is diminished.

[General]

I think time has come to throw away current versions aswell, anyone knows is there a cutting edge prototype grenade someone working on ?
I personally prefer stick version, if it should have a iron-stick, that would be better. But disadvantage should be its size, can't enter everywhere, but its also hard to throw with total accuraty even with spherical ones if you are not a professional basketball pllayer

Edited by Gabriel Angelos, 18 August 2009 - 16:55.

[Chyros]

In addition, I believe the stick grenades couldn't be cooked unlike other contemporary grenades, which causes major problems because something with a stick in it is not only easier to make out quickly, but also easier to grab and throw away or even back.

Edited by Chyros, 18 August 2009 - 23:14.

[TehKiller]

That was another issue with stick grenades...there is no safety pin so its hard to actually fuse the weapon

[tank50us]

There's no spoon either. the way modern grenades work is that one the pin is pulled, and the spoon pops, the fuse ignites, and the timer starts. 3-5 seconds after that, if you haven't gotten rid of the grenade, you're a red mist. The only advantage a modern Stick-grenade would have would be if it was an Anti-armor grenade (and they do exist). The added weight on the 'head' would make it ideally suited to place a shaped-charge where it's needed. But those grenades would most likely have a set of fins that pop out mid-flight that stabilize the grenade, increasing the chances of a direct hit.

The new Rifle Grenades might one day take over the role of the modern hand grenade as now they can detonate at predetermined distances. They can also bounce off walls, or even be used against a single target if the baddie is within the arming distance (at which point the grenade becomes a 40mm, 30mm, or 20mm slug, and ultimately, a UXO). And even Rifle Grenades can be used against light armor (typically an older generation IFV like the BMP1, or up-gunned versions of the M113). They even make shotgun style rounds for grenade launchers. My point is, that hand grenades, while still useful, are losing uses more and more since the invention of the independent grenade launcher.

[TehKiller]

Rifle nades made during the Cold War are capable of breaching light IFVs...nowadays rifle grenades (example would be those used by the FAMAS rifle) can beat modern light armored vehicles

[Amdrial]

Just a small question, what's an UXO? (...-Explosive-Ordnance)?


Edit: Just noticed this wasn't a post which would actually contribute something to the thread since I could just ask this in a PM, so just delete this if you want.

Edited by Amdrial, 21 August 2009 - 13:58.

[Chyros]

UXO stands for "unexploded ordnance", i.e. shells, bombs, grenades, land mines, rockets etc. that failed to detonate.

[tank50us]

yeah, UXOs (unexploded Ordinance) are a common problem on the modern battlefield as many armies fail to completely remove the ordinance [this goes for every nation involved in war within the last 50+ years]. Grenades, Land Mines [especially land minds], bombs, and arty shells are often left for decades without anyone looking for them, until some unsuspecting kid comes by, picks up the device, and sets it off. But it is possible for grenades to replace the land mine as well. You see, in Vietnam, the NVA/Vietcong often used grenades, string, and a coffee can, and with some work, made them into a deadly trip mine. Again, something that can't be done with a Stick Grenade.