| F-1 | |
| Origin: | Soviet Union |
| Type: | Anti-personnel hand grenade |
| Is Explosive: | 1 |
| Service: | 1939–present (Russia) |
| Used By: | Soviet Union, Brazil, Cuba, China |
| Wars: | World War II Hukbalahap Rebellion Korean War Vietnam War Rhodesian Bush War[1] Six-Day War Yom Kippur War Angolan Civil War Iran-Iraq War Iraq War 2011 Libyan Civil War Syrian Civil War War in Donbass 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine |
| Weight: | 600g |
| Length: | 130mm |
| Diameter: | 55mm |
| Filling: | Trinitrotoluene |
| Filling Weight: | 60g |
| Detonation: | Time delay fuse 3.2 to 4.2 s |
The Soviet F-1 hand grenade (Russian: Фугасный > Fugasnyy 1, "Explosive, Type No. 1") is an anti-personnel fragmentation defensive grenade. It is based on the French F1 grenade and contains a 60g explosive charge (TNT). The total weight of the grenade with the fuze is about 600g.[2]
Due to its shape and its yellow-green color, it is nicknamed the (fem. 'little lemon'). It is also nicknamed Efka (Russian: Эфка) for the letter F.[3] It is similar to the American Mk 2 "pineapple grenade", which was also ultimately modeled on the French F-1.
F-1 simulation-training grenade is called УРГ (учебная ручная граната),URG (training hand grenade).
The Universal'nyi Zapal, Ruchnaya Granata, Modernizirovannyi]] (UZRGM) (Russian for 'universal igniter, hand grenade, improved') fuse is a universal Russian type also used in the RG-41, RG-42, RGO-78, RGN-86 and RGD-5 grenades. The standard time delay for this fuse is 3.5 to 4 seconds. There was a myth originating from Peter Kokalis article in Soldier of Fortune (magazine) that implied UZRGM fuze variants are available in versions which give delays between zero (i.e., instantaneous, specifically for use in booby-traps) and 13 seconds. However the UZRGM fuse never had such variants, all UZRGM fuses have delay of 3.2 to 4.2 seconds if working correctly. The myth originated from the author reading the numbers stamped on the fuse body, which are concealed when fuse is inserted into the grenade. This number indicates factory production line not the fuse delay. Having fuses without clear external marking indicating that it is "short fuse" with 0 or 1-2 seconds delay would be dangerous for soldier operating them. [4] It is possible to hear a loud "pop" as the fuse ignites and begins to burn.
The F-1 was introduced during World War II and subsequently redesigned post-war. It has a steel exterior that is notched to facilitate fragmentation upon detonation and to prevent hands from slipping. The distance the grenade can be thrown is estimated at NaNm (-2,147,483,648feet). The radius of the fragment dispersion is up to 200m (700feet) (effective radius is about 30m (100feet),[5]). Hence, the grenade has to be deployed from a defensive position to avoid self-harm. About 60 percent of the grenade body pulverizes during the explosion, only 30 percent of the body splits into 290 high-velocity, sharp-edged splinters each weighing around 1 gram with an initial speed of about 700m/s.
The F-1 grenade has been supplied to various Soviet allies and Third World nations over the years, including Iraq and other Arab nations, and there are different production variations according to country of origin (in terms of finish, markings and spoon/lever design). Though obsolete and no longer in production, it can still be encountered in combat zones. A copy of this grenade, dubbed the RGG-91 has been manufactured between 1992-1996 in Lithuania, by small arms factory "Vytis".
Type 1 grenade.
RGG-91
Lithuania