Type 42
| Factions | Weapon | Icon | Classes | Ammo | Explosion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damage | Radius | |||||
 VC |
 Type 42 |
 |
 Engineer |
1 | 150 | 256 |
| Designation | Weapon Type | Explosive Weight | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| [[]] | AP Mine | kg ( lbs) | kg ( lbs) |
| Full name | Place of Origin | Date | Manufacturer | Total Length | Weapon Script Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FN | China | D8 | ARM | in ( mm) | weapon_rg42 |
The Type 42 is a Chinese-produced copy of the Soviet RG-42 fragmentation hand grenade. It uses a time-delay fuze and a cylindrical stamped-metal body with an internal fragmentation liner. In Vietnam-era use, it is best known as one of the common Communist-supplied hand grenades encountered alongside other Soviet and Chinese grenade patterns.
HISTORY
The original RG-42 was developed in the Soviet Union during World War II as a simpler, faster-to-produce fragmentation grenade, and it remained influential after the war. Chinese industry produced its own version, commonly designated the Type 42 in Western identification literature, retaining the basic cylindrical body and fragmentation-liner concept while using a Soviet-pattern time fuze system.
During the Vietnam War, Chinese-made ordnance and field equipment were supplied to North Vietnamese and associated forces, and U.S. Army technical publications included the Type 42 in recognition and threat-grenade references for troops. In practice it functioned as a standard fragmentation hand grenade for close combat, patrol actions, and defensive positions, and it is frequently discussed in Vietnam-era U.S. identification guides focused on Communist munitions.
Sources
- TC 5-31 (1967) Viet Cong Booby Traps, Mines and Grenades
- DA Pam 381-12 (1966) Recognition Guide of Ammunition Available To, or in Use By, the Viet Cong
- DST-1160H-016-94 (March 1994) Hand and Rifle Grenades – Worldwide Identification Guide (DIA / U.S. Army Foreign Science and Technology Center)
- FM 3-23.30 (2005) Grenades and Pyrotechnic Signals (U.S. Army)