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M18 Smoke Grenade
- Thread starter BOUGAINVILLE
- Start date
Definitely post WWII, in fact, looks much later. I'm don't know which part of the code is year off this lot number, it may be on the part you cut off in the photo. Not sure when they started putting the warning on the side about indoor use, that is pretty new (post 1990).
BOUGAINVILLE
Well-Known Member
Many thanks for that US-Subs. It is as I suspected, post WWII.
This will end up in my swap basket.
Cheers,
BOUGAINVILLE
This will end up in my swap basket.
Cheers,
BOUGAINVILLE
If I am recalling their structure correctly, the one in the photo is from Pine Bluff Arsenal and was loaded in 2006.
V40
Well-Known Member
I may agree, it might have been manufactured at Pine Bluff in 2006. These newer types of the old M-18's have been in use for I believe over a decade now or 10+years? The one you are showing is definately a newer series of M-18's. The have been nicknamed by fellow collectors as the "Mushroom Head(s)" because of thier raised portion around the fuse. The actual collectables are the old ones from the Vietnam War Era. However, I am interested in it. PM me.
Also, you'll see that this one and the other newer colors/chemical grenades no longer has the rolled tops and bottoms. That is the first thing I saw that told me it was the newer series of smokes. One part you may have noticed on this newer Yellow M-18 is the fact that it and the other colors have been made to be thrown with no real possibility of an adater being made for it to be launched. Where as before, you could get the chemical launcher adaptors easily back then; "Chemical, M2A1-2 adaptor". Plus the days of the launched grenades out of a launcher attached to a rifle ended with the Marines sometime in the middle 1960's. I believe they were the last to use the "WP, M19A1" R/G in Vietnam.
This adapter could launch these things (chemical grenade(s) as far as 300 yards with a "Vitamin Pill" placed upside down in the launcher. I have no idea why they went this route in the manufactureing process of these new types.
The newer ones you have shown in your three nice photos are filled with the same chemicals that the old AN-8's had inside. The AN-8's were adopted by the Army and the Navy, hence the designation "AN", just FYI.
The basic chemical is a "HC" mixture which we all know now that in enough concentrations it will kill people right their from suffocasion and/or induce in about three days what they call a "Chemically Induced Pnuemonia" because of the little bit of chorine that is processed during the burning of the grenade into a gas. Even back during Vietnam these AN-8" were used for clearing tunnels and bunkers in the abcense of a CS grenade with you at that time.
This is why they are requiring the donning of a mask before use. Also, those will be typed standard for a while longer. The newer version of the AN-8 is the M-83 I believe? I had one and just let it off this past Fourth of July without thinking about taking measurements, temperature, humidity and dew point readings and wind directions and speed at ground level. I was really not impressed because the smoke seemed a little bit anemic as it was going off. Just FYI.
As far as "collectors" status goes it probable won't make it unless it is only a temporary fix to a long term solution or untill something comes about that is stronger. One could only wonder what that will be like. I just got back from a doing a "Living History" session. A D.I. told me that the newer smokes have some propertise relating to chemical or gaseous lasers. That really perked my interests.
V-40
Also, you'll see that this one and the other newer colors/chemical grenades no longer has the rolled tops and bottoms. That is the first thing I saw that told me it was the newer series of smokes. One part you may have noticed on this newer Yellow M-18 is the fact that it and the other colors have been made to be thrown with no real possibility of an adater being made for it to be launched. Where as before, you could get the chemical launcher adaptors easily back then; "Chemical, M2A1-2 adaptor". Plus the days of the launched grenades out of a launcher attached to a rifle ended with the Marines sometime in the middle 1960's. I believe they were the last to use the "WP, M19A1" R/G in Vietnam.
This adapter could launch these things (chemical grenade(s) as far as 300 yards with a "Vitamin Pill" placed upside down in the launcher. I have no idea why they went this route in the manufactureing process of these new types.
The newer ones you have shown in your three nice photos are filled with the same chemicals that the old AN-8's had inside. The AN-8's were adopted by the Army and the Navy, hence the designation "AN", just FYI.
The basic chemical is a "HC" mixture which we all know now that in enough concentrations it will kill people right their from suffocasion and/or induce in about three days what they call a "Chemically Induced Pnuemonia" because of the little bit of chorine that is processed during the burning of the grenade into a gas. Even back during Vietnam these AN-8" were used for clearing tunnels and bunkers in the abcense of a CS grenade with you at that time.
This is why they are requiring the donning of a mask before use. Also, those will be typed standard for a while longer. The newer version of the AN-8 is the M-83 I believe? I had one and just let it off this past Fourth of July without thinking about taking measurements, temperature, humidity and dew point readings and wind directions and speed at ground level. I was really not impressed because the smoke seemed a little bit anemic as it was going off. Just FYI.
As far as "collectors" status goes it probable won't make it unless it is only a temporary fix to a long term solution or untill something comes about that is stronger. One could only wonder what that will be like. I just got back from a doing a "Living History" session. A D.I. told me that the newer smokes have some propertise relating to chemical or gaseous lasers. That really perked my interests.
V-40
Would not the 6th month of the year be June?
I believe that he was using this breakdown to identify the month of manufacture:
A = January
B = February
C = March
D = April
E = May
F = June
G = July
H = August
J = September
K = October
L = November
M = December
In the case of the grenade lot # shown, PB-06E would be Pine Bluff, 2006, May.
Yep and that is what was confusing me. It's all straight in my mind now.