M67 grenade explained

M67
Origin:United States
Type:Hand grenade
Is Ranged:yes
Is Bladed:no
Is Explosive:yes
Is Artillery:no
Is Vehicle:no
Service:1968–present
Used By:United States, Canada, Argentina, Turkey, Malaysia, Philippines, Ukraine
Wars:Vietnam War
Falklands War
Operation Urgent Fury
Operation Just Cause
Persian Gulf War
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
Operation Inherent Resolve
Russo-Ukrainian War
Design Date:Late 1950s
Unit Cost:$45 (avg. cost in 2021)
Production Date:1968–present
Weight:14oz
Length:3.53inches
Diameter:2.5inches
Filling:Composition B
Filling Weight:6.5oz
Detonation:Pyrotechnic delay M213 fuze (4–5.5 seconds)
M69
Origin:United States
Type:Hand grenade
Is Explosive:1
Service:Current
Used By:United States
Weight:14oz
Length:3.53inches
Diameter:2.5inches
Filling:None
Detonation:Pyrotechnic delay fuze – 4 seconds

The M67 grenade is a fragmentation hand grenade used by the United States military. The M67 is a further development of the M33 grenade, itself a replacement for the M26-series grenades used during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and the older Mk 2 "pineapple" grenade used since World War I.

Overview

The M67 grenade has a spheroidal steel body that contains 6.5oz of composition B explosive. It uses the M213 pyrotechnic delay fuse. The M67 grenade weighs 14oz in total and has a safety clip to prevent the spoon on the grenade from being triggered in the event the safety pin is accidentally pulled. The safety pin prevents the safety lever, or "spoon" on the grenade from moving and releasing the spring-loaded striker which initiates the grenade's fuze assembly.[1]

The M67 is typically known as a "baseball" grenade because it is shaped like a ball that can be easily thrown.[2] According to the FY2021 US Army Justification, the average cost of a single M67 grenade is around 45 US dollars.[3]

The M67 can be thrown 35m (115feet) from the standing position by the average male soldier.[4] Its fuze delays detonation between 4 and 5 seconds after the spoon is released. Steel fragments are formed by the grenade body fracturing and have an injury radius of 15m (49feet) and a fatality radius of 5m (16feet), though some fragments can travel as far as 230m (760feet).

Variants

M33 fragmentation grenade

The M33 was the original successor to the M26 fragmentation grenade. It was essentially identical to the M67, but lacked the safety clip that is fitted to the safety lever of the M67.

M68 fragmentation grenade

This is a variant of the M67 fitted with the M217 impact fuze and a safety clip on the safety lever. This fuze has an electrical impact function which arms within 1 to 2 seconds and will detonate the grenade upon impact, and a back-up pyrotechnic delay function which will initiate the grenade after 3 to 7 seconds if the impact function fails. The M68 has the same specifications and markings as the M67 except it has a red-painted fuze and lever to indicate it has an impact fuze.

M33A1 and M59 fragmentation grenades

Predecessors to the M68, these impact-fuzed grenades used the M33 grenade body fitted with the M217 impact fuze, without a safety clip on the safety lever, and are marked similarly to the M68.

M69 practice grenade

The M69 grenade is used for grenade training to safely simulate the M67 grenade. The fuze screws into the body, and is replaceable after use. The simulator produces a report and a small puff of white smoke when employed.

The M69 has a blue-painted lever and a blue body with white markings. This is to indicate that it is a safe practice grenade rather than a live fragmentation grenade like the M33 or M67.

Users

Used in the Falklands War.[5]

Temporarily used by the Australian Defence Force following a safety incident with the domestically produced F1 grenade in 2007.[6]

Used by the Canadian Forces; designated as the C-13 Grenade and produced domestically by General Dynamics' Canadian division.[7]

Army, Air force and Navy.

Used by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.[8]

Used by the Armed Forces of Malta.

Army.

Armed Forces.

Used by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police-Special Action Force.

Armed Forces.[9]

Used by the Turkish Armed Forces.[10]

Primary fragmentation hand grenade of the United States Armed Forces since the 1960s.

C-13 grenades donated as part of Canadian military aid during the Russo-Ukrainian War.[11] [12]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://archive.org/stream/milmanual-tm-43-0001-29-army-ammunition-data-sheets-for-grenades/tm-43-0001-29_army_ammunition_data_sheets_for_grenades_djvu.txt US Army Technical Manual 43-0001-29 Army Ammunition Data Sheets for Grenades
  2. Web site: The U.S. Army Is Designing Its First New Grenade in 40 Years. 20 September 2016. 25 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20230207020733/https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a22935/us-army-et-mp-grenade/. February 7, 2023.
  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20230104200242/https://www.asafm.army.mil/Portals/72/Documents/BudgetMaterial/2021/Base%20Budget/Procurement/AMMO_FY_2021_PB_Procurement_of_Ammunition_Army.pdf Department of Defense Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Budget Estimates
  4. Web site: TC 3-23.30 Grenades and Pyrotechnic Signals, pg.3-23.
  5. Book: Nick van der Bijl . Argentine Forces in the Falklands . 30 July 1992 . . 9781855322271 . 41, 43.
  6. Web site: F1 GRENADE SAFETY. 2007-09-14. 2011-10-31. https://archive.today/20120728144654/http://www.defence.gov.au/media/DepartmentalTpl.cfm?CurrentId=7064. 2012-07-28. Department of Defence. unfit.
  7. Web site: General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems - Canada . General Dynamics Mission Systems - Canada . Hand Grenades . 6 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20230605143405/https://www.gd-otscanada.com/product/hand-grenades/. June 5, 2023.
  8. Web site: M67 (Grenade) Fragmentation Infantry Hand Grenade Specifications and Pictures . 2024-03-29 . www.militaryfactory.com.
  9. Web site: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) – Ammunition for the Royal Saudi Land Forces (RSLF) | the Official Home of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency . 31 January 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180118053613/http://dsca.mil/major-arms-sales/kingdom-saudi-arabia-ksa-ammunition-royal-saudi-land-forces-rslf . 18 January 2018 . dead .
  10. Book: Weapons Transfers and Violations of the Laws of War in Turkey. James Ron. 9781564321619. 13 March 2014. Ron. James. (Organization). Human Rights Watch. 1995. Human Rights Watch .
  11. Web site: Defence Minister Anand announces additional military support to Ukraine . . 28 March 2022 . 3 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20230528200517/https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2022/03/defence-minister-anand-announces-additional-military-support-to-ukraine.html. May 28, 2023.
  12. https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1679640915567075328 Ukrainian forces are now training to remove landmines with drone-dropped grenades, as seen here at a training range, a Ukrainian quadcopter drops a NATO-standard M67 grenade into a TM-62 anti-vehicle mine, clearing the local area. July 13, 2023