Rifle Grenades
Rifle Grenades can be chosen over regular grenades for the following weapons and classes.
F1/N60 Rifle Grenades are available for the VC.
M17 Rifle Grenades are available for the US.
| Factions | Weapon | Icon | Classes | Ammo | Explosion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damage | Radius | |||||
 VC |
 Karabiner 98k |
 |
 Assault |
1 / 2 | 140 | 350 |
VC |
 Kbkg 60 |
|
Assault |
1 / 2 | 140 | 350 |
 US |
 M1 Garand |
 |
Assault |
1 / 2 | 140 | 350 |
US |
 M14 |
|
Assault |
1 / 2 | 140 | 350 |
US |
 M1903 Springfield |
|
Assault Sniper |
1 / 2 | 140 | 350 |
US |
 M1A1 Carbine |
|
 Medic Radioman |
1 / 2 | 140 | 350 |
US |
 M2 Carbine |
|
Assault |
1 / 2 | 140 | 350 |
VC |
 MAS-36 |
|
Assault Sniper |
1 / 2 | 140 | 350 |
VC |
 MAS-49 |
|
Assault |
1 / 2 | 140 | 350 |
VC |
 Mosin-Nagant M38 |
|
Assault |
1 / 2 | 140 | 350 |
VC |
 Mosin-Nagant M91/30 |
|
Assault Sniper |
1 / 2 | 140 | 350 |
VC |
 SKS |
|
Medic Radioman |
1 / 2 | 140 | 350 |
VC |
 Type 63 |
|
Assault |
1 / 2 | 140 | 350 |
Rifle grenades are grenades launched from the muzzle of a rifle using a rifle-mounted launcher or projection adapter, giving them much greater range than a hand-thrown grenade. They are typically fin-stabilized and propelled by a special grenade cartridge (or, in some designs, by systems that allow use of live ball ammunition), and they can carry a variety of payloads such as high explosive, smoke, and anti-armor warheads. By the Vietnam War era, rifle grenades were still present in some inventories, but dedicated 40mm grenade launchers increasingly filled the squad fire-support role once they became widely available.
DEFINITION & CHARACTERISTICS
A rifle grenade is a grenade intended to be fired from a rifle by fitting it to a muzzle launcher or to a projection adapter. In U.S. doctrine, rifle grenades are fin-stabilized and launched by a special gas-producing grenade cartridge loaded into the rifle’s chamber; separate projection adapters can also be used to launch certain hand grenades from rifles equipped with a grenade launcher.
- Common traits
- Role: Close fire support against personnel, fortifications, and (for HEAT types) light armor; also used for screening/signaling with smoke or similar payloads.
- Typical payloads: High explosive/fragmentation, smoke, illumination/signaling, and anti-armor (HEAT) warheads.
- Typical launch methods: Muzzle launchers/adapters fitted to the rifle; propelled by dedicated grenade cartridges (or, depending on system, bullet-trap/shoot-through methods).
- Typical “fire modes”: Single-shot per launch; rate of fire depends on loading steps, sighting, and ammunition handling.
- Common engagement ranges: Generally short-to-mid indirect/direct fire in the low hundreds of meters, depending on grenade type, launcher, and elevation.
- Notable tradeoffs: Longer reach and heavier effects than hand grenades without a separate launcher weapon, but slower to employ, requires special ammunition/attachments, and can disrupt normal rifle handling while the launcher is mounted.
HISTORY
Rifle grenades expanded rapidly in the World War I era as armies looked for portable explosive effects beyond throwing distance, leading to cup launchers and “shoot-through” systems like France’s Viven-Bessières (VB) grenade that could be launched with live ball ammunition. By the years before World War II, spigot-type muzzle launchers (including the 22mm family) enabled a wide range of grenade designs, from simple adapters that projected a hand grenade to purpose-built anti-armor rifle grenades.
In the Vietnam War era, rifle grenades were still encountered, including U.S. rifle grenade systems and dedicated anti-armor rifle grenades such as the M31 HEAT. At the same time, U.S. development programs explicitly sought a more accurate and longer-range explosive projectile than rifle grenades while remaining more portable than a mortar, contributing to the fielding of the 40×46mm system and weapons like the M79; under-barrel launchers such as the M203 later allowed a grenadier to keep a rifle while still providing organic explosive fire support. By the later Vietnam period, muzzle-launched rifle grenades were increasingly being phased out in favor of disposable anti-armor rockets for anti-vehicle work and 40mm launchers for squad-level fire support.
Sources
- TM 9-1330-200-12: Operator’s & Organizational Maintenance Manual for Grenades | U.S. Army Technical Manual (PDF)
- Rifle grenade (overview, launcher types, history) | Wikipedia
- VB rifle grenade (shoot-through system background) | Wikipedia
- M31 HEAT rifle grenade (Vietnam-era U.S. rifle grenade context) | Wikipedia
- M79 grenade launcher (Project Niblick context vs rifle grenades) | Wikipedia