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U.S. WW2 Rifle Smoke Grenades

jerhal

New Member
I'm trying to figure out what one of my smoke grenades is. I bought it thinking it was a M23A1 but it has an metal protrusion on top covering the air hole on its nose.

It is the grenade on the far left. In order M23A1(?), M23A1, M22A2, M19A1. The last picture shows the protrusion. Thanks.

IMG_0669.jpgIMG_0670.jpgIMG_0673.jpgIMG_0671.jpg
 
From TM-43-0001-29
TM


GRENADES, RIFLE: SMOKE, GREEN, RED, VIOLET OR YELLOW, M22 AND M22A2
Type Classification:
Obs. MSR 11756003
Use:
For signaling and for laying smoke screens.
Produces green, red, violet or yellow smoke.
Description:
The M22 and M22A2 consist of three basic parts: a
steel stabilizer assembly, an integral fuze and a body.
The fuze is a mechanical impact-igniting type. The
body is filled with a burning-type smoke charge which
contains a dye to color the smoke. The surfaces of the
smoke charge within the body are coated with a starter
mixture charge to facilitate ignition. A small opening or
air hole in the nose of the ogive is covered by a nose
closing plug.
Difference Between Models:
The M22 and M22A2 grenades differ only in minor
features.

I'd say it's an M22 as it's the only one of it's type to note a "nose closing plug" vs tape.
 
I think it is an M23A1, but someone has put something in there for whatever reason, does it move around? Can you remove it??
 
From TM-43-0001-29
TM


GRENADES, RIFLE: SMOKE, GREEN, RED, VIOLET OR YELLOW, M22 AND M22A2
Type Classification:
Obs. MSR 11756003
Use:
For signaling and for laying smoke screens.
Produces green, red, violet or yellow smoke.
Description:
The M22 and M22A2 consist of three basic parts: a
steel stabilizer assembly, an integral fuze and a body.
The fuze is a mechanical impact-igniting type. The
body is filled with a burning-type smoke charge which
contains a dye to color the smoke. The surfaces of the
smoke charge within the body are coated with a starter
mixture charge to facilitate ignition. A small opening or
air hole in the nose of the ogive is covered by a nose
closing plug.
Difference Between Models:
The M22 and M22A2 grenades differ only in minor
features.

I'd say it's an M22 as it's the only one of it's type to note a "nose closing plug" vs tape.
I thought so at first too but the stabilizer is shorter than that of the M22 and is missing additional fuse assembly that the M22 has. In fact it measures at 9 7/8 inch which is the same length for the M23 in this link:
http://bulletpicker.com/grenade_-rifle_-smoke_-m23-and.html
(which uses the same TM-43-0001-29 source.). It is also the exact same length as the other M23 in the picture with the exact same stabilized assembly.

Further, the bottom picture at
http://bulletpicker.com/grenade_-rifle_-smoke_-m22-and.html
shows the "nose closing plug" as just that, a plug, not a protrusion. You can see the plug in the M22A1 in the first picture (2nd grenade from right).

For both the M22 and M23, after the smoke charge was molded into the grenade, they drilled in from the top to insert the starter mixture charge.

The M22 did not start emitting smoke until impact so it had a more elaborate fuse including a firing pin. Since it did not need a continuous airflow in flight to keep the smoke charge burning, it had a plug in the nose.

The M23 was a "streamer" and started emitting smoke immediately on firing so it had a simpler fuse with an immediate starting charge. To keep the smoke charge burning throughout the flight it needed a continuous sir source, hence the hole only being covered by tape and the tape being removed before firing.

Sorry if I'm explaining something you already knew. Everything matches it being the M23 but the protrusion and it being a protrusion instead of a plug makes me think it is not a M22 on a M23 stabilizer.

I did see some pictures once elsewhere of one with the protrusion and it was labeled as an M23 but I can't find them again so I can't verify their source. (Not the ones that come up at gunbroker.com as that is the grenade I bought.)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
From TM-43-0001-29
TM


GRENADES, RIFLE: SMOKE, GREEN, RED, VIOLET OR YELLOW, M22 AND M22A2
Type Classification:
Obs. MSR 11756003
Use:
For signaling and for laying smoke screens.
Produces green, red, violet or yellow smoke.
Description:
The M22 and M22A2 consist of three basic parts: a
steel stabilizer assembly, an integral fuze and a body.
The fuze is a mechanical impact-igniting type. The
body is filled with a burning-type smoke charge which
contains a dye to color the smoke. The surfaces of the
smoke charge within the body are coated with a starter
mixture charge to facilitate ignition. A small opening or
air hole in the nose of the ogive is covered by a nose
closing plug.
Difference Between Models:
The M22 and M22A2 grenades differ only in minor
features.

I'd say it's an M22 as it's the only one of it's type to note a "nose closing plug" vs tape.
I replied once but for some reason when I edited something, it became dark and almost unreadable. So I'll try again.

I thought so at first too but the stabilizer is shorter than that of the M22 and is missing additional fuse assembly that the M22 has. In fact it measures at 9 7/8 inch which is the same length for the M23 in this link:
http://bulletpicker.com/grenade_-rifle_-smoke_-m23-and.html
(which uses the same TM-43-0001-29 source.). It is also the exact same length as the other M23 in the picture with the exact same stabilized assembly.

Further, the bottom picture at
http://bulletpicker.com/grenade_-rifle_-smoke_-m22-and.html
shows the "nose closing plug" as just that, a plug, not a protrusion. You can see the plug in the M22A1 in the first picture (2nd grenade from right).

For both the M22 and M23, after the smoke charge was molded into the grenade, they drilled in from the top to insert the starter mixture charge.

The M22 did not start emitting smoke until impact so it had a more elaborate fuse including a firing pin. Since it did not need a continuous airflow in flight to keep the smoke charge burning, it had a plug in the nose.

The M23 was a "streamer" and started emitting smoke immediately on firing so it had a simpler fuse with an immediate starting charge. To keep the smoke charge burning throughout the flight it needed a continuous sir source, hence the hole only being covered by tape and the tape being removed before firing.

Sorry if I'm explaining something you already knew. Everything matches it being the M23 but the protrusion and it being a protrusion instead of a plug makes me think it is not a M22 on a M23 stabilizer.

I did see some pictures once elsewhere of one with the protrusion and it was labeled as an M23 but I can't find them again so I can't verify their source. (Not the ones that come up at gunbroker.com as that is the grenade I bought.)
 
I think it is an M23A1, but someone has put something in there for whatever reason, does it move around? Can you remove it??
Can't move it. It is solidly in place. It also looks like it been machined, not just something stuck it to fill a hole. It's been inserted from the inside too and there is no evidence of tampering on the bottom. It would not have fit through on of the smoke release holes.
 
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