Experimental BLU-24/B body?

[ordnance]

Turned this body up a number of years ago, primarily because it appeared to be an M67 grenade but with a large opening for fuze threads. The construction is the same with a welded and ground smooth center seam joining upper and lower roll coined hemispheres.

For some reason, it never occured to me to try one of the BLU-24/B or BLU-66/B jungle bomb fuzes until a few days ago. They fit perfectly so I am assuming the body might have been an experimental try to replace the normal 24 and 66 cast bodies with M67 grenade technology.

It also came with the white polypropelene spacer ring visible in the last couple photos. When installed, the fuze from the BLU-24/B with the lower plastic fin extensions does not fit properly and the spacer keeps the fuze from screwing down all the way. With the fuze from the BLU-66/B installed, the fuze will seat all the way but the spacer slides around loosely. So I'm not sure if another fuze was used or if the spacer was supposed to fit on the bottom of the body to help the bombs nest better when stacked.

Any opinions on this piece? Experimental or a later variation I just haven't seen before? Any documentation in those BOCN libraries? Thanks.

Rick

 

[HAZORD]

Very interesting and logical assumptions, but since it isn't a grenade, you really need to get rid of it, and I would be happy to do you the favor of accepting it.

 

[US-Subs]

There was actually a lot of experimentation on fragmentation and variations back in that time-frame. I've looked in several documents and seen plenty of other experimental modifications, but haven't found that one yet. For many of these variations it was simply a blurb in a report someplace, maybe 2-3 lines. If you don't happen to have the right report in your hands- You can search for a long-long time. I'll add it to the hundred or so other things I am watching for.

 

[BOMBSaway1980]

there was also the BLU-40