RGD-5

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RGD-5

RGD-5 hand grenade.
Type Hand grenade
Place of origin Soviet Union Soviet Union
Service history
In service 1954–present
Specifications
Weight 310 g
Length 117 mm
Diameter 58 mm
Effective firing range 15–20 meters
Maximum firing range 30 meters
Filling Trinitrotoluene
Filling weight 110 g
Detonation
mechanism
 3.2 to 4 seconds. pyrotechnic delay fuse
RGD-5 hand grenade in Kuwait. Live but unfuzed

The RGD-5 (Ruchnaya Granata Distantsionnaya) English "Distance Hand Grenade" or "Time-delayed Hand Grenade", is a post World War II Soviet anti-personnel fragmentation grenade, designed in the early 1950s. RGD-5 was accepted to service in 1954, and is still in service with many of Russia's former client states and has been supplied to Iraq as well as other Arab nations.

Composition

The grenade contains a 110-gram (3.9 oz) charge of TNT with an internal fragmentation liner that produces around 350 fragments and has a lethality radius of 25 metres (82 ft).[1] The weight of the grenade with the fuze fitted is 310 grams (11 oz). Typically, the RGD-5 uses the 3.2 to 4 second UZRGM fuze, a universal Russian type which is also used in the RG-41, RG-42, and F1 grenades. The RGD-5 may be fitted with the more modern DVM-78 fuze, or variants of the UZRGM with delays of between zero (i.e. instantaneous for use in booby traps) and 13 seconds. It is also possible to screw an MUV booby-trap firing device into the fuze well.

Description

The grenade is egg-shaped with no external ribbing, except for a lateral ridge where the two halves of the grenade join. The surface has a few small dimples on it with a green or olive drab, paint-scheme. The RGD-5 can be thrown about 35 to 45 metres (115 to 148 ft) by the average male soldier and when thrown, it is possible to hear a loud "pop" as the fuze ignites and begins to burn. The grenade can inflict injuries (e.g. penetrating eye wounds) out to 15 metres (49 ft) from the site of detonation. Victims caught within 3 metres (10 ft) of the detonation site are almost certain to be killed or severely wounded.

This grenade is still manufactured in Russia with copies produced in Bulgaria, China (as the Type 59) and Georgia. Many millions of RGD-5s and its clones have been manufactured over the years and although not as advanced as more modern grenades which are specifically designed to penetrate CRISAT standard body armour, the RGD-5 is still an effective and inexpensive weapon. A single RGD-5 grenade costs around $5 US, making it highly affordable during a major conflict when many grenades are required.

The URG-N is a reusable training model of the RGD-5 of cast iron construction (rather than sheet steel) and a modified fuze containing a compound which simulates the detonation of the grenade. The body of this grenade is painted black with white markings.

Rifle grenade

The AK-47 can mount a (rarely used) cup-type grenade-launcher that fires standard Soviet RGD-5 hand-grenades. The soup-can shaped launcher is screwed onto the AK-47’s muzzle.[2] It is prepared for firing by inserting a standard RGD-5 hand-grenade into the launcher, removing the safety pin, and inserting a special blank cartridge into the rifle's chamber. With the butt-stock of the rifle on the ground it can be fired.

The maximum effective range is approximately 150 metres (492 ft).[3]

References

  • Hogg, Ian V. (1991). Jane's Infantry Weapons 1991-92. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0-7106-0963-9. 
  1. ↑ http://faq.guns.ru/rgd5.html |RGD-5 data (in Russian)
  2. ↑ File:AK47Figure54.jpg – Wikisource. En.wikisource.org. Retrieved on 2011-09-27.
  3. ↑ Operator's Manual for AK-47 Assault Rifle. Department of the Army

See also

External links

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