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The use of grenade launchers by the U.S. military began during the Vietnam War, and the first grenade launcher it used was the M79 grenade launcher. The grenade launcher played an effective role in the jungle warfare in Vietnam, but it was large in size and could only be used independently, so it was in possession. In order to solve this problem, the US military has developed a smaller and non-occupied gun-mounted grenade launcher, and the trial model is called the XM148 grenade launcher. After the successful design of the XM148 grenade launcher, it was sent to the battlefield in Vietnam for combat testing, which was affirmed by the US Army. As a result, the U.S. Army improved on the basis of the XM148 grenade launcher to design and produce the M203 grenade launcher, and then successively launched M203A1, M203A2 and other variants. While developing grenade launchers, the U.S. military is gradually enriching the various grenades and accessories it uses, with a wide variety.
There are 7 types of 40mm grenades M79 and M203 grenades and 41 models of grenades used in 7 types. The seven types of grenades are high-explosive grenades, flare grenades, signal grenades, training grenades, tear gas grenades, self-defense grenades, and smoke grenades. In regular combat, the most used are mainly high-explosive grenades.
Comparison of various grenades, from left to right, are high-explosive grenades, air-explosive high-explosive grenades, tear gas grenades, and training grenades On the basis of the above seven kinds of grenades, a variety of different models have been formed, such as high-explosive grenades, anti-personnel high-explosive grenades, multi-purpose high-explosive grenades, etc.; In addition, there are different models divided according to the time of detonation of the warhead after launch. The shells of all types of high-explosive grenades are all green, and the warheads are yellow. The design of the shell is the same, but the design of the warhead varies depending on the application, some have a flat head, while others have a round head.
On the left is a schematic diagram of an air-explosive high-explosive grenade, which uses a round-headed warhead with a short exposed warhead; In addition to penetrating 50mm thick armor plates, it can also destroy concrete blocks and sandbags for shelter, which also uses round-headed warheads, but the warheads are exposed for a long time; The right is a schematic diagram of an anti-personnel high-explosive grenade, which adopts a flat-headed warhead, and the warhead is exposed for a long time The parachute is provided in the warhead of the illumination grenade, and the parachute is opened after launching, and the illuminating agent burns during the landing process, and can emit light within 7 seconds. Due to the parachute inside the warhead, the most important feature of the illumination grenade is that the warhead is long, the warhead is white, and it has a round-headed plastic cap on top. The color of the plastic cap varies according to the color of the light, for example, the plastic cap of the illumination grenade warhead with a green star parachute is blue-green, and the word "G" (GREEN) is engraved on it; The plastic cap of the flare-up grenade warhead, which houses the White Star parachute, is white and has the word "W" (WHITE) engraved on it.
The color of the plastic cap of the warhead varies according to the different luminous colors, for example, the plastic cap of the flareted warhead with a green star parachute is blue-green, and the word "G" (GREEN) is marked on it; The plastic cap of the flare warhead with the White Star Parachute is white, and it is marked with the word "W" (WHITE) The design of the signal grenade is basically the same as that of the flare grenade, except that the plastic cap has an additional 5 protrusions in addition to the design similar to the flare grenade. The training grenade is intended for use by soldiers during shooting training, and it is divided into early and late types. The initial type has a green shell with a green or blue belt on it, and the warhead is a gray or blue flat-headed warhead. The later version also uses a green shell, and the warhead is a light blue round-nosed warhead with a longer size. The tear gas grenade is mainly used for anti-terrorist riot control, and its shell is yellow-brown with a red bullet belt on it, and a gray flat-headed warhead is used. The self-defense grenade can be used for self-defense in close encounters with the enemy, with a maximum range of 50m. The total length of the bullet is relatively short, the shell is green, the warhead is a black flat-headed warhead, and there are 20 shotguns inside, which can be used as a shotgun.
On the left is a schematic diagram of a grenade for self-defense, the length of the whole bomb is relatively short, the shell is green, the warhead is a black flat-headed warhead, and there are 20 shotguns inside; On the right is a schematic diagram of a tear gas grenade with a yellow-brown shell with a red belt and a gray flat-headed warhead
On the left is a schematic diagram of an illumination grenade, the warhead of which is white, and the color of the plastic cap on the top varies according to the color of the glow; The middle is a schematic diagram of a smoke grenade for defense, the cartridge case is green, the smoke chamber is light green, and the smoke chamber cap is a round-headed design; The right is a schematic diagram of the smoke grenade used to indicate the target, the cartridge case is longer, the length of the smoke chamber is shorter, and the color of the smoke chamber cap is also determined according to the color of the smoke in the smoke chamber The smoke grenade is divided into two types: defensive and target. Defensive smoke grenades are used in encounters with the enemy, emitting smoke to cover escapes, with green shells, light green smoke chambers, and rounded caps, which are color-coded according to the color of the smoke in the smoke chambers. Smoke grenades are used to indicate the target to be attacked, and the shell is longer than the defensive smoke grenade, and the length of the smoke chamber is shorter, and the color of the smoke chamber cap is also determined by the color of the smoke in the smoke chamber. 2 types of grenade pack cloth grenade pack When the M79 grenade launcher was first adopted, it was not equipped with a special equipment for carrying grenades, but was designated to use a universal grenade pouch from the M1956 equipment to carry grenades. However, the number of grenades carried by this universal pouch is very limited. In order to facilitate the supply of ammunition, the US military later issued cloth grenade packs carrying grenades. The design of the cloth grenade bag is very simple, consisting of two carrying lanyards and a long pocket. The carrying lanyards are sewn on both sides of the cloth grenade bag and are not attached. When carrying a grenade bag, soldiers only need to tie two carrying lanyards together according to their size, which is very convenient to use. The inside of the long pocket is divided into 3 parts, and the middle of each part is sewn with fine thread. Among them, the two sides are pockets, and the middle cannot be filled with grenades, and its role is to maintain balance. Each pocket can hold 3 grenades, for a total of 6 grenades. In order to facilitate access to a single grenade, each pocket cover is divided into 3 small pocket covers, which grenade needs to be taken, just open the corresponding pocket cover. Each pocket flap has a metal snap closure for fastening the flap. Depending on the manufacturer, there are 3 types of snap fasteners.
The design of the cloth grenade bag is very simple, consisting of two carrying lanyards and a long pocket. Among them, the long pocket is divided into 3 parts, and the middle of the 3 parts is sewn with fine thread. Its middle part cannot be loaded with grenades, but is only used for balance; The sides are pockets for grenades
When storing grenades, instead of placing the grenade directly in the pocket of the cloth grenade bag, the grenade is placed on a plastic support, and then the plastic support is placed in the pocket of the cloth grenade bag
The long plastic support is to increase the length on the basis of the short plastic support, so that the plastic support can wrap almost all of the grenade, and only a section of the bottom of the bomb is exposed It should be noted that when storing the grenade, the grenade is not directly placed in the pocket of the cloth grenade bag, but the grenade is placed on the plastic support, and then the plastic support is placed in the pocket. Plastic trays are conjoined designs and are divided into two categories. The first type is a short version used from the Vietnam War until the 1970s, which is in the shape of a round bowl and the length can only wrap around the warhead of a grenade. Short plastic brackets are divided into two types according to the different shapes of the backings, one is more rounded in design, and the other is slightly pointed. The cropped plastic holder is available in white and green. The second type is the long plastic tray, which has been in use since the 1980s and is still being used. The long plastic support is based on the short plastic support to increase the length, so that the plastic support can wrap almost the entire grenade, only a section of the bottom of the bomb is exposed. The long plastic tray is available in only one color, white.
Cloth grenade packs are available in a variety of color variants depending on the age of production and the manufacturer. The grenade bag in the picture is yellow-brown cloth grenade bag according to the production age and different manufacturers, there are a variety of color variants, and some models have different colors of the color of the lanyard and small pocket. Plastic grenade bag After being used on the battlefield for a period of time, cloth grenade bags are considered to have the disadvantage of requiring the cooperation of both hands when using them, and it is difficult to remove them with one hand. To solve this problem, plastic grenade packs were distributed, i.e. grenade packs were used directly from the butt. The plastic grenade pack consists of a carrying strap and two sets of stocks, each of which can hold 3 grenades, for a total of 6 grenades. The two sets of ammunition stocks are connected by a metal D-ring and a lanyard in the middle, which the soldier can tie to his body. The butt is made of grey plastic and is similar in design and size to the long plastic stock used in cloth grenade packs. The top end of the butt is provided with a butt cover, and a protrusion is provided under the inner wall of the butt cover to jam the bottom of the grenade, and the grenade is not easy to fall out. The plastic grenade pack is much stiffer than the cloth grenade pack, making it easy to access the grenade with one hand. However, because the butt is made of plastic, and the D-ring connected to it is made of metal, the two collide when walking, and it is easy to make a "click" noise, which is also a major disadvantage of the plastic grenade bag.
The plastic grenade bag consists of a carrying lanyard and two sets of cartridge stocks, which are connected to a lanyard with a metal D-ring, which the soldier can use to tie to his body
A protrusion is provided below the inner wall of the cartridge cover to jam the bottom of the grenade, so that the grenade is not easy to fall out When dispensing, the plastic grenade is packaged in a special carton, and each carton can hold 12 plastic grenade bags. In 1966, U.S. soldiers were issued grenade vests specifically designed to carry grenades, and the use of grenade packs gradually decreased. At present, some grenade packs are still in use, but in more modern materials. After being used on the battlefield in Vietnam for a period of time, the 3 Grenade Vest Grenade Packs were considered to have many problems, such as too little ammo, poor balance when marching and fighting in the jungle, easy to get caught in bushes and branches, etc. In order to solve these problems, the US Army, based on the opinions of officers and soldiers, has worked with the US Equipment Development Institute to develop special equipment for carrying grenades. In order to increase the number of grenades carried, as well as to make it easy to balance, after a period of research, a grenade vest was designed specifically for carrying grenades. In order to be as lightweight as possible, and to dry quickly when wet, and to allow for use in the tropics, the body of the grenade vest is made of a thin mesh nylon material with better air permeability. A total of 3 models of grenade vests have been made so far. Type 1 Grenade Vest The Type 1 grenade vest was distributed to the battlefield in Vietnam in 1966 for combat testing, and the total number of production was about 6,000 pieces. The vest body is designed in the style of a vest, and there is a long strip of hook and loop sewn on the front and left sides of the chest, and the two hook and loop buckles can be glued together to secure the vest. There is a slender slit in the middle of the back, and a plurality of buttonholes are arranged on both sides of the seam, and strings can be interspersed in the buttonholes, and the fat and thin of the grenade vest can be adjusted according to the soldier's figure by pulling the string.
The first type of grenade vest has two grenade pouches arranged on the front and left sides of the chest, and each grenade pouch can hold 3 grenades, so it can carry 12 rounds of ammunition on the front
The back of the first type of grenade vest, the left and right sides of its bottom, that is, the waist of the shooter, are each provided with 1 grenade bag, each grenade bag carries 3 rounds, so the back can carry 6 rounds The grenade vest chest is equipped with 2 grenade bags arranged up and down, and each grenade bag can hold 3 grenades in 1 plastic support, so a total of 12 grenades can be accommodated. On the left and right sides of the bottom of the back, that is, on the waist of the shooter, there is a grenade pouch, and each grenade bag can hold 3 grenades in a plastic support, that is, 6 grenades can be carried on the waist. As a result, the entire grenade tank can hold a total of 18 grenades.
The grenade bag does not have a pocket flap, but a large Veland loop is sewn on the front of it, and above the grenade bag, there are 3 vertical straps at equal distances, and a smaller Velcro is sewn on the bottom of the lanyard. Glue the nylon hook and loop on the front of the grenade bag to the front of the grenade bag to use it as a pocket cover of the grenade bag Due to the large diameter of the grenade, the grenade bag is not provided with a pocket cover, but a large piece of Nylon Hook and loop is sewn on its front, and three vertical hook and loop straps are arranged at equal distances above the grenade bag, and a smaller piece of Nylon Hook and loop is sewn at the bottom end of the hanging belt. Attach the 3 hook and loop straps to the front of the grenade bag to use it as a pocket flap for the grenade bag. Which grenade needs to be removed, just pull the corresponding vertical lanyard. It is fastened in the form of a velcro, which also makes it easier to remove the grenade with one hand. Type 2 Grenade Vest After the Type 1 grenade vest was put into the battlefield, some problems were quickly discovered, such as the mesh nylon material used in the vest was not durable and easy to break; Every 3 grenades are packed into a small pocket, which is still relatively difficult to access; It is not very convenient to adjust the fat and thinness of the grenade vest with strings interspersed on both sides of the armpits, etc. According to the above problems reported by the soldiers, the first type of grenade vest was comprehensively improved, and the second type of grenade tank was produced, which began to be adopted in 1968.
The Type 2 grenade vest no longer uses a grenade bag with 3 rounds, but a small grenade bag that can only hold 1 round. There are 3 rows of grenade bags on the left and right sides of its chest, 2 grenade bags in the first row, 4 grenade bags in the second and third rows, which can carry a total of 20 grenades, plus 2 grenade bags on each side of the armpit, and the entire second type of grenade vest is equipped with a total of 24 grenade bags The second type of grenade vest changes the old grid nylon material to a strengthened new grid nylon material, which is more durable and durable. It no longer uses the strings interspersed on both sides of the armpits to adjust the size, so the design of the two sides of the armpits is no longer so wide, more in line with the human body shape, and more comfortable to wear. The slit in the middle of the back is no longer a slender design, but a triangular design that is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, and a horizontal strap is connected to both sides of the bottom of the slit, and an adjustment buckle is provided on the horizontal strap to adjust the length of the lanyard, and then adjust the fat and thin of the grenade vest.
The two pieces of Velcro on the left and right sides of the chest have been moved from the outside to the inside, and the width has been greatly reduced, making it more comfortable and easier to open and close. At the same time, the upper and lower ends of the velcro are equipped with a plastic snap to make the closure tighter In order to facilitate the use of grenades, the second type of grenade vest no longer uses a 3-round grenade bag, but a 1-round small grenade bag. There are 3 rows of grenade bags on the left and right sides of its chest, 2 grenade bags in the first row, 4 grenade bags in the second and third rows, which can carry a total of 20 grenades, plus 2 grenade bags on each side of the armpit, and the entire Type 2 grenade vest can carry a total of 24 grenades. Each grenade pouch has an open bottom and a vertical strap on the top to serve as a pocket flap. Each pocket flap is fitted with a cylindrical snap closure to fasten the flap. In order to reduce weight, the snap buckle is made of plastic, but if it is opened and closed repeatedly, it can easily break, which is also a major defect of plastic snap fasteners.
The back of the second type grenade vest. The middle seam is no longer a slender design, but a triangular design with a narrow top and a wide bottom, and a horizontal hanging belt is connected to both sides of the bottom of the opening, and an adjustment buckle is provided on the horizontal hanging belt, which can adjust the length of the hanging belt, and then adjust the fat and thin of the grenade vest In addition, the two pieces of nylon hook and loop on the left and right sides of the chest are moved from the outside to the inside, and the width of the hook and loop is greatly reduced, which is not only more beautiful and comfortable, but also easier to open and close; At the same time, there is a plastic snap button at the upper and lower ends of the velcro to make the closure tighter. Inscriptions are printed on the inside of each side of the armpit, the inscription on one side is the name and storage number, and the inscription on the other side is the method of adjusting the size of the grenade vest. Type 3 Grenade Vest In 1975, the U.S. military improved the Type 2 grenade vest and designed the Type 3 grenade vest. It was developed and used until the 1990s, when it was replaced by the MOLLE mounting system.
The design of the Type 3 grenade vest is basically similar to that of the Type 2, with only minor improvements
In order to make it easier to wear a grenade vest while wearing a bulletproof vest, the size of the slit on its back has been greatly increased, and the length of the horizontal straps attached to both sides of the bottom of the slit has been increased accordingly
In order to close more tightly, the upper and lower two snap buttons on the velcro that fasten the left and right pieces of the chest were replaced with three snap buttons on the top, middle and bottom
The snaps on the Type 3 grenade vest are made of metal The design of the Type 3 grenade tank is basically similar to that of the Type 2, with only minor improvements. The two top two grenade pouches on the left and right sides of its chest are slightly lengthened to accommodate longer flare grenades. Since plastic snaps are easy to break, the snaps on the Type 3 grenade vest are made of metal. In order to close more tightly, the upper and lower two snap buttons on the left and right pieces of velcro on the chest were changed to three snap buttons on the top, middle and bottom. In order to make it easier to wear a grenade vest while wearing a bulletproof vest, the size of the slit on its back has been greatly increased, and the length of the horizontal straps attached to both sides of the bottom of the slit has been increased accordingly. In addition, the inscriptions that were originally printed on the inside of the armpits on both sides were changed to the labels, which were sewn on the inside of the grenade vest. (To be continued)
(The original article was published in the first half of the 3rd issue of "Light Weapons" in 2013, and the official account has been deleted) The 2023 bound book is on the shelves, scan the code to enter the link to buy:
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| Editor: Wei Kaigong Ding Yongqiang |
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