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Luchaire Rifle Grenades

O

oktato

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Hi,

Does anyone know about Luchaire rifle grenades used by the British forces?

You see the L60A1 practice grenade fairly often at militaria fairs and Darryl Lynn's Grenade Recognition Guide mentions the following French manufactured grenades used by Britain:

Grenade, 40mm, HEAT, L74A1 and Grenade, 40mm HEAT-APERS, L75A1.

The photograph shows 5 different Luchaire rifle grenades including an L60A1.

The sectioned grenade is marked:
40 mm BTRG
TP
5.56 / RO SA 80
1 LUL 88

​
So, were this grenade, and the L60A1, practice versions of the L74 or L75?

And were any other Luchaire rifle grenades adopted by the British?

Does anyone have a photo of the L74 or L75?

Luchaire Rifle Grenades.jpg

Any information appreciated!

Thanks,

Gary
 
Hi Gary,
The British issue L74 and L75 are versions of your sectioned one. As far as I know only those and the L60A1 (part of a kit) prac were the only ones actually issued. I have a prac firing one, with booster, fired and inert, with french markings but also a purple band, giving me the idea that this may have been a British trials version. I also have a pic somewhere of a British Army Soldier in NI, with one of these fixed on the barrel of his rifle, proving that these were actually used.
 
Thanks Tony,
Any chance of posting a photo of the practice grenade with French markings?
Cheers,
Gary
 
Gary,

There is some confusion over the L60 designation. The L60 serial was allocated to a Royal Ordnance commercial design for a smoke screening training grenade. Only the experimental notation was used:
Grenade, Hand, Smoke Screening Training, XL60E1.

The inert monobloc grenade representing the L74 and L75 for practice purposes was a part of a kit which included spare tails, frangible nose markers and propelling cartridges, the notation for this kit was:
Kit, Grenade, Rifle, 40mm Target Practice Marker (BTRG) L60A1.

There were three Luchaire commercial designs purchased by the UK, the British nomenclature being:

Grenade, Rifle, 40mm HEAT, Anti-armour L74A1
Grenade, Rifle, 40mm HEAT/Fragmenting Anti-vehicle/Anti-personnel L75A1
Grenade, Rifle, 40mm Anti-armour L80A1

Best
 
I can't find anything on the top 2 items. I am guessing the top one is a practice grenade. I know the next one is a smoke. any idea on their designations?

Joe
 
jvollenberg said:
I can't find anything on the top 2 items. I am guessing the top one is a practice grenade. I know the next one is a smoke. any idea on their designations?

Joe
Click to expand...

The first one is french "grenade polyvalente F1" (painted orange/red, I assume trial version, inert dummy).
The name "polyvalente" is for "multipurpose" : hand or rifle, AWF fuze (instant. or delay), offensive or denfensive (removable fragmentation sleeve).
This grenade was adopted in french army.
 
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