V-40 Mini Grenade: Difference between revisions

Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
No edit summary
 
(One intermediate revision by the same user not shown)
Line 43: Line 43:


<hr>
<hr>
The MK3 hand grenade is a cylindrical concussion grenade designed to produce casualties during close combat while minimizing danger to friendly personnel exposed in the open owing to minimal fragmentation. There is a secondary fragmentation hazard though from rocks, gravel, wood splinters, glass, etc. The grenade is also used for concussion effects in enclosed areas, for blasting, or for demolition tasks. The shock waves (overpressure) produced by this grenade when used in enclosed areas are greater than those produced by the fragmentation grenade. It is, therefore, very effective used in an offensive role against enemy soldiers located in bunkers, buildings, and fortified areas. It is commonly known as the "concussion" or "demo" (from demolition) grenade.


There are three variants: the basic MK3, the MK3A1, and the MK3A2. They differ in their construction and the type of fuze used. They were designated Mk III (Roman numbers) prior to 2 April 1945.
'''V-40 Mini Grenade''' is a very small defensive fragmentation hand grenade developed in the Netherlands, commonly nicknamed the “mini-frag,” “golf ball grenade,” or “hooch popper.” It uses a conventional lever-and-pin fuze with a short time delay and a pre-scored steel body intended to produce controlled fragmentation. It is best known for being compact enough to carry in large numbers and for limited Vietnam-era use by U.S. special operations units.
=HISTORY=
The MK3A2 had a waterproof asphalt-impregnated fiberboard cylinder and its top and bottom were made from the same material. The top had a fuze well directly threaded in its center. It originally used the M6A4D fuze, which had a four to five second delay. This was later replaced with the updated M206 series fuze (currently using the M206A2), which was smokeless— and noiseless—burning and had a five-second delay. It contained an 8 oz. (~226.8 grams) TNT charge.


It can be identified by its cylinder, which is in two halves and is secured in the middle with a wide black band. The yellow lettering is printed directly on the surface of the grenade and reads "Grenade Hand - Offensive MK3A2 - TNT".
==HISTORY==
The V-40 was developed and produced in the late 1960s by Nederlandse Wapen en Munitiefabriek (NWM) “De Kruithoorn” as an unusually compact fragmentation grenade. The spherical body is notably small (around 40 mm in diameter) and uses internal pre-scoring to generate fragmentation while keeping overall size and weight low, paired with a typical delay fuze (commonly described as about four seconds). Production is generally described as ending in the early 1970s.


The grenades weighed in at 0.96 lbs. (~435.45 grams) They came packed in storage tubes in crates of 30 grenades.
In Vietnam, the V-40 “mini-frags” were a special procurement item used by MACV-SOG reconnaissance teams and U.S. Navy SEALs from early 1969, valued because small teams could carry many grenades for breaking contact or close-quarters use. The same compactness also created handling drawbacks, with reports that the small lever could be difficult to manage with gloves and could be released inadvertently. Canada later adopted the V-40 for a period and eventually withdrew it in part due to these handling concerns.
<br>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MK3_grenade SOURCE]
<hr>


===Sources===
* https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30023798 Grenade HE V-40 | Imperial War Museums
* https://dn720003.ca.archive.org/0/items/the-hand-grenade-rottman/vdoc.pub_the-hand-grenade.pdf ''The Hand Grenade'' | Gordon L. Rottman (Osprey)
* https://assets.nmm.nl/app/uploads/2022/10/ARMAMENTARIA-44-part-1.pdf Armamentaria 44 (mentions V40) | Nationaal Militair Museum (Netherlands) (PDF)
* https://old.weaponsystems.net/weaponsystem/BB01%20-%20V-40.html V-40 | Weaponsystems.net


<gallery mode="packed" heights="400px">
<hr>
File:Mk3a2 grenade 450.jpg
File:JVyBWCqYhlh3G9NUFIjdRkoDjOmALD2Oq1Ox7sME.jpg
File:Mk3A2 Grenade.gif
</gallery>


<div class="mw-collapsible" style="border:1px solid #ccc; padding:5px; width:100%;">
  <div style="text-align:center; font-weight:bold;">Real-Life Photos</div>
  <div class="mw-collapsible-content" style="margin-top:0.5em;">
    <gallery mode="packed" heights="400px">
    </gallery>
  </div>
</div>


<hr>
<hr>


 
<div class="mw-collapsible" style="border:1px solid #ccc; padding:5px; width:100%;">
{{#evt:
  <div style="text-align:center; font-weight:bold;">Videos</div>
service=youtube
  <div class="mw-collapsible-content" style="margin-top:0.5em;">
|id=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyLlYIxFifQ
    {{#ev:youtube|y5EP3EiTbZU}}
|alignment=inline
  </div>
}}
</div>

Latest revision as of 23:34, 24 February 2026

Factions Frag Grenades Icon Classes Ammo Explosion
Damage Radius

US

V-40 Mini Grenade
Gun Game
Zombies
1/2 100 275
Designation Weapon Type Fire Modes Throwing Range Weight
V-40 Grenade 3 Sec + 5 Sec 25 meters? 1 kg (2.2 lbs)
Full name Caliber Place of Origin Date Manufacturer Total Length Weapon Script Name
FN grenade United States Of America D8 ARM in ( mm) weapon_v40



V-40 Mini Grenade is a very small defensive fragmentation hand grenade developed in the Netherlands, commonly nicknamed the “mini-frag,” “golf ball grenade,” or “hooch popper.” It uses a conventional lever-and-pin fuze with a short time delay and a pre-scored steel body intended to produce controlled fragmentation. It is best known for being compact enough to carry in large numbers and for limited Vietnam-era use by U.S. special operations units.

HISTORY

The V-40 was developed and produced in the late 1960s by Nederlandse Wapen en Munitiefabriek (NWM) “De Kruithoorn” as an unusually compact fragmentation grenade. The spherical body is notably small (around 40 mm in diameter) and uses internal pre-scoring to generate fragmentation while keeping overall size and weight low, paired with a typical delay fuze (commonly described as about four seconds). Production is generally described as ending in the early 1970s.

In Vietnam, the V-40 “mini-frags” were a special procurement item used by MACV-SOG reconnaissance teams and U.S. Navy SEALs from early 1969, valued because small teams could carry many grenades for breaking contact or close-quarters use. The same compactness also created handling drawbacks, with reports that the small lever could be difficult to manage with gloves and could be released inadvertently. Canada later adopted the V-40 for a period and eventually withdrew it in part due to these handling concerns.

Sources


Real-Life Photos

Videos