Hand grenades are small bombs, containing explosives or chemicals, that can be thrown or rigged as booby traps. 

They are used at short range and the effective casualty radius is relatively small. The built-in, delayed fuse delay allows you to safely throw it and seek cover before it explodes.

There are four basic types of hand grenades, Fragmentation, Illumination, Chemical, and Incendiary.

To Throw a Grenade:

• Hold the grenade in your throwing arm, making sure the "Safety Lever" is held securely to the side of the grenade.

• Using the "Pull Ring," remove the safety pin.

• Keeping your eyes on the target, throw the grenade, using an overhand throw. As soon as the grenade is released, the "Safety Lever" will fly off, igniting the fuse.

• Duck down behind cover and await detonation. If there is no cover, fall to the ground with your helmet toward the grenade.

To Secure a Grenade:

• Be very careful in removing grenades from clothing, pouches, or web gear. "Safety Pins" are relatively firmly attached to the grenade at the factory, but may have been tampered with. If the "Pull Ring" gets snagged on clothing as you remove the grenade, and if you don't hold onto the "Safety Lever," the fuse will be ignited and within a few seconds, the grenade will explode.

• Grasp the grenade, making sure to hold down the "Safety Lever."

• Watching the "Pull Ring," ease the grenade out of patient's pocket, or web gear.

• Wrap a strip of adhesive tape completely around the grenade, so that the "Pull Ring" and "Safety Lever" are firmly bound to the body of the grenade.

• Set the grenade down in a safe place.

To Avoid Injury from a Grenade that Lands Near You:

• Yell out very loudly: "GRENADE!" This will help prevent injury to your friends.

• Duck down beneath any kind of cover that makes sense. Ducking behind a tent flap won't help. Ducking behind a packing crate, desk, rock or any other substantial structure will help a lot.

• If there is no cover, drop to the ground, remaining as flat as possible and giving the grenade as small a target as possible.

• If you are in a slit trench or fortified bunker, you may find that there is "grenade sump" located at the bottom of the trench. The idea here is that when a grenade comes in, you can quickly kick the grenade into the sump. When it explodes, the force of the explosion will be directed straight up, sparing the occupants of the trench any injury. You may as well try it, as you have little to lose.

• Whatever you decide to do, do it quickly as you only have 0-3 seconds before the grenade will detonate.

• If you are in the middle of a fight and you are wounded by a grenade, keep fighting, as that gives you and your friends the best chance of survival. 

M67 Fragmentation Grenade:

• Body is a steel sphere.

• Olive drab color with a single yellow band at the top.

• Fragments are from a serrated wire coil inside the grenade body.

• Weight is 14 ounces

• Fuse Delay: 4-5 seconds

• Average soldier can throw it about 40 meters...shorter distances more accurately.

• Killing radius: 5 meters

• Wounding radius: 15 meters

• Danger from stray fragments: 230 meters

M61 Fragmentation Grenade

• Body is thin sheet metal.

• Olive drab color with a single yellow band at the top.

• Fragments are from a serrated wire coil inside the grenade body.

• Weight is 16 ounces

• Fuse Delay: 4-5 seconds

• Average soldier can throw it about 40 meters...shorter distances more accurately.

• Killing radius: 5 meters

• Wounding radius: 15 meters

• Danger from stray fragments: 230 meters

M15 White Phosphorous Grenade

• Used for signaling, screening, and incendiary purposes.

• Body is sheet metal, contains 15 ounces of white phosphorous.

• Grey in color with a single yellow band.

• Total weight: 31 ounces.

• Fuse Delay: 4-5 seconds

• Average soldier can throw the grenade 30 meters. 

• Bursting radius: 17 meters. All friendly personnel within this 17-meter area should be in a covered position to avoid being struck by burning particles.

• WP filler burns for about 60 seconds at a temperature of 5,000 degrees,.

• Burns from the WP are treated in the usual way unless particles of WP are embedded in the skin. In that case, immerse the wound in water or pack with wet cloths to halt combustion. Then pick out or squeeze out the WP. The particles will reignite spontaneously if allowed to dry. Apply copper sulphate solution to halt combustion of the WP particles. This permits them to be removed without igniting.

AN-M8 HC Smoke Grenade

• Used to produce dense clouds of white smoke for signaling and screening.

• Body is a sheet steel cylinder, filled with HC smoke mixture.

• Light green body with white top.

• Weight: 24 ounces

• Fuze Delay: 1.2 to 2 seconds

• Average soldier can throw it 30 meters.

• Emits a dense cloud of white smoke for 105 to 150 seconds.

• If damaged with exposure of the filler material, spontaneous ignition can occur, particularly in the present of moisture and air.

• Produces some hydrochloric acid fumes that can irritate the eyes, throat and lungs. For that reason, if used in a closed space, protective masks should be employed by friendly forces.

• Treatment of symptoms involves immediate removal from the exposure, observation for delayed effects, and treatment of bronchospasm with vasodilators, steroids, and antibiotics (long-term) as indicated. 

M18 Colored Smoke Grenade

• Used as a ground-to-ground or ground-to-air signaling device, a target or landing zone marking device, or a screening device for unit movements.

• Body is a sheet metal cylinder with four emission holes at the top and one at the bottom to allow smoke release when ignited.

• Olive drab body with top color-coded to indicate the color of smoke.

• Smoke may be red, green, yellow or violet.

• Weight: 19 ounces.

• Fuze Delay: 1.2 to 2 seconds.

• Average soldier can throw it 35 meters. 

• Produces a cloud of colored smoke for 50 to 90 seconds.

• Cannister becomes very hot when ignite and may set dry grass or brush on fire.

ABC-M7A2 and the ABC-M7A3 Riot Control Hand Grenades

• Used to dispense CS gas for riot control.

• Body is sheet metal with four emission holes on the top and one on the bottom.

• Grey in color with a single red band.

• Weight: 15.5 ounces.

• Fuze Delay: 1.2 to 2 seconds

• Average soldier can throw it 40 meters.

• Releases a cloud of CS gas (Tear gas) for 15 to 35 seconds.

• Produces burning sensation in the eyes, with tearing and photophobia. Respiratory symptoms include burning, pain and a sensation of suffocation. Skin symptoms may include a burning sensation, particularly in moist areas.

• Most casualties require no medical care and the symptoms resolve spontaneously in 30-60 minutes.

• First Aid:

  • Move the victim into fresh air, facing them into the wind. 

  • Change clothing

  • If symptoms persist, rinse eyes and mouth with water, use soap and water on the skin.

  • Reassure the victim

  • In the event of massive exposure, the skin may blister (treat it like a burn) and the lungs may be damaged (requiring intensive care, such as ventilatory support, steroids, and antibiotics).

For further information on the medical treatment of these injuries, read:

• Medical Management of Chemical Agent Casualties: Chapter 8, Riot Control Agents

ABC-M25A2 Riot Control Hand Grenade

• A bursting munition with an integral fuze, used to dispense riot control agents.

• Body: Compressed fiber or plastic.

• Gray body with red band.

• Filler agent varies.

• Weight: 8 ounces

• Fuze Delay: 1.4 to 3 seconds

• Average soldier can throw it 50 meters

• Radius of burst (visible cloud agent) is about 5 meters, but grenade fragments may project as far as 25 meters.

AN-M14 TH3 Incendiary Hand Grenade

• Used to destroy equipment, including vehicles, weapons systems, shelters, or munitions. The grenade may also be used to start fires in areas containing flammable materials.

• Uses TH3 a form of thermite, which burns at very hot temperatures for 40 seconds, burning through 1/2 inch of steel plate and fuzing metalic parts.

• It produces its' own oxygen, so it can burn under water.

• Body: sheet metal.

• Gray with a single purple band. Some may be found light-red in color with black markings.

• Weight: 32 ounces

• Fuze Delay: 1.2 to 2 seconds

• Avoid looking directly at the grenade when it is burning as the intense light may damage the retina.

MK3A2 Offensive Hand Grenade (Concussion Grenade)

• Used to produce casualties during close combat while minimizing danger to friendly personnel. 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 against enemy soldiers located in bunkers, buildings, and fortified areas.

• Body: fiber, black in color with yellow markings.

• Weight 15.6 ounces

• Fuze Delay: 4-5 seconds

• Average soldier can throw it 40 meters.

• In open areas, effective casualty radius is 2 meters. In closed areas, the radius may be larger, due to overpressure effects.

• Secondary missiles and fuze pieces may be projected as far as 200 meters from the point of detonation.

M69 Practice Hand Grenade

• Used to simulate the M67-series of fragmentation hand grenades for training purposes.

• Body: Steel, colored light blue with white markings

• Weight: 14 ounces

• Fuze Delay: 4-5 seconds

• On detonation, emits a small puff of white smoke and makes a loud popping sound.

• Fuze fragments may exit the hole in the base of the grenade, causing injury.

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
Department of the Navy
2300 E Street NW
Washington, D.C
20372-5300

Operational Medicine
 Health Care in Military Settings
CAPT Michael John Hughey, MC, USNR
NAVMED P-5139
  January 1, 2001