The RGD-33 was a fragmentation stick grenade used by the Soviet Union during World War II.
Description
The fragmentation sleeve was removable though and the time delay was about four to five seconds. Before use, the grenade must be cocked via a handle and a detonator must be inserted from the top of the grenade. The detonator once inserted is pressed against the safety mechanism.[1] Then the top cover is closed and the grenade is ready for use.
To arm the grenade, the safety is to be pushed to the left and the grenade must be thrown to activate the firing pin mechanism which works because of the throwing movement. Once the firing pin is in position, it hits the primer turning on the delay.
The weight of each grenade was about 500 grams without any fragmentation sleeve, but with the sleeve, the weight was 750 grams. About eighty-five grams of the weight was TNT. The diameter was forty-five millimetres and the average range the grenade can be thrown was between twenty-seven to thirty-seven meters.[2]
The blast radius was about 9.1 metres and although shrapnel could fly up to 100 metres. The RGD-33 could be used both as a defensive grenade and an offensive grenade because of the removable sleeve. There were no variants of the RGD-33 and it began to replaced in 1941 by the RG-42.
History[]
The RGD-33 Grenades was developed in 1933 to replace the older M1914 Grenade. It had several flaws including the fact that it was very complicated to use and produce. That is why it began to be replaced by the more simplistic RG-42. Even so, the RGD-33 was used up to the end of World War II.
The effectiveness was fairly good for the RGD-33 especially against personnel when the fragmentation sleeve was attached. Some RGD-33s were captured by German forces and redesignated Handgranate 337 (r). In the 1950s, the new RGD-5 grenade almost entirely replaced the RGD-33, however, it remained in limited service until the 1960s.[3]
References[]
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