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Russian grenade Identification help

B

Bombsaway

New Member
Hi Everyone
I am new to this site, I ran across it while researching the F1 grenade I got a few months ago.
I have a modest collection, mostly mortars, artillery, and aerial bombs.
Recently I aquired some interesting grenades, I don't know anything about them, and can't find any information online, if someone can ID these for me, that would be great.

Grenade (1).jpgGrenade (2).jpgGrenade (3).jpgGrenade (4).jpgGrenade (5).jpg

They are plastic. From the shape, size, color, and writing, I assume they are russian, but I have never seen, or heard of plastic grenades before.
Someone has cut them in half to get out the explosives, and you can see the fragmentation pellets inside.
No, they aren't toys, no they aren't replicas. I live in vietnam and check out old battlefields, and bought them off a farmer who found them while clearing some trees.

Any ideas?
Thanks
 
The grenade is a Cambodian standard ordnance. The grenade is used with a Uzrgm like fuze. It will be interesting to know the writing on the bottom.cambogia03.jpg
 
I don't think its cambodian. Cambodia does not manufacture anything.
I had a closer look at them, one of them has slightly better markings. here is a photo
markings.jpg
I have copied what I believe is written. the is vietnamese, and L is vietnamese for batch or lot number. so I guess its vietnamese manufacture, but the vietnamese never design anything, they just copy the chinese or russian stuff. Does anyone know if the chinese or russians do plastic grenades? or what years?
anyone have any other thoughts?
 
Bombsaway said:
I don't think its cambodian. Cambodia does not manufacture anything.
I had a closer look at them, one of them has slightly better markings. here is a photo
View attachment 84642
I have copied what I believe is written. the is vietnamese, and L is vietnamese for batch or lot number. so I guess its vietnamese manufacture, but the vietnamese never design anything, they just copy the chinese or russian stuff. Does anyone know if the chinese or russians do plastic grenades? or what years?
anyone have any other thoughts?
Click to expand...

It isn`t Soviet. Maybe from China, but I don`t know their grenade well.
 
Do you have a better location where this one was found in country? And do you know if other munition items that had been demilled (cut taken apart) were found in the same area? It isn't Russian the grenades shown by Francesco are all Russian types, the round bottom one is an RGD-5 or maybe Chinese copy. I will serch my filrs later today but the color and the symbol above the O may help lead to an answer.
 
I believe it is a Vietnamese manufactured grenade. Vietnam is manufacturing a lot of items these days. Plus, the Vietnamese and the Chinese are dire enemies now and have been since the late 1970's. The Vietnam government wants the U.S. very badly to establish a base back in Vietnam and with further joint operations in conjunction with the U.S. because of Communist China's contesting the waters off of what used to be the northern part of North Vietnam. There is no doubt that China wants Vietnam and would love to teach them a lesson.

So, I am doubtful it came from China. Russia on the other hand might be the manufacturer. Take a look at this table of equipment:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_equipment_of_the_Vietnam_People's_Ground_Forces
 
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ném bằng tay is Hand Grenade in Vietnamese. The "Lo" means Parcel in Vietnamese.
 
The Iraqi "unknown" has a coil of wire for frag effect vs the pellet matrix. Similar only in that they have plastic bodies.
 
As suspected above this one is Vietnamese and made in the factory at Đồng Tiến.
The factory code #31 and the markings are very distinctive.

The Vietnames are also copying US patterns and do own developments.
 
I agree it is VN, thought so from the beginning because of the lettering, but was just not sure. EOD - do you know where that city is located? I have been trying to find it on my VN maps, I come close in an area near Hanoi but the spelling changes. I have some information on other items suspected as being made in VN, but no proof yet on them, mostly because the lettering is too blurred
 
weberoed said:
I agree it is VN, thought so from the beginning because of the lettering, but was just not sure. EOD - do you know where that city is located? I have been trying to find it on my VN maps, I come close in an area near Hanoi but the spelling changes. I have some information on other items suspected as being made in VN, but no proof yet on them, mostly because the lettering is too blurred
Click to expand...

Looking that city up on a Vietnamese website shows that it is not a city.
 
The fuse was a US one i just kept in the same box, it snuck into the photo.

Thats alot of info that you found out pretty quick. It looks like its patterned after the russian RGD-5

The US stuff is easy, lots of information on dates and markings available, being from a communist country in a different language makes it difficult to get any information.

Maybe I can get a factory tour :tinysmile_hmm_t2:

Anyone know why they are making plastic grenades? cost? weight? corrosion resistance? less detectable?
 
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The grenades in the basket are not rgd5 but granades with plastic body (as you can see some was demil and the two parts of the body are held together by some staples...) and the picture comes from a cambodian museum and, at this moment, this type is present only in the cambodian area and the khmer language is very similar to the vietnamense. The grenade isa made in a very easy way and there is no reason to doubt that it can not be done in factories in cambodia. cambogia04.jpg
 
It is Vietnamese.
Keep in mind that only in 1989 Vietnamese occupation troops withdrew from Cambodia after having been there for 10 years!
 
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