Unknown rifle grenade?

[Eodtek]

Ok, this is an unusual one. The ruler used as reference in the photo is marked in 1 inch increments (it's a 6 inch ruler).

The tube of the item is hollow and the diameter of the hole is a little over an inch.

This thing is huge and I still haven't been able to ID it. It was recovered in the area of Ft. Belvoir.

 

[BerdanIII]

Kinda looks like a smoke streamer or parachute flare rifle grenade; I think the white phosphorous grenade had a rounded head. I'll look at my manuals (WWI to Vietnam) tonight and see what I can find. The color (or, rather, lack of color) is odd.

Scratch what I just wrote. That thing IS huge. Maybe a subcaliber of some kind. I'll still poke around.

 

[dano1917]

eye popper

I don't have any idea what it is Eodteck, but it is an eye popper and I want one, hope someone will be able to help you with identification. Good eye candy for the shelves...Dano
The value of this reply = ZIP

 

[MissingSomething]

Is the opening at the back 22mm (standard rifle grenade launcher size)?

Something in my head says FN manufacture....(experimental?)

 

[dano1917]

French illumination?

Was cruising through Lynn's grenade guide and it strongly resembles a French illumination rifle grenade? It's close anyway...Dano

 

[Dave83]

maybe !

maybe it is not a rifle grenade may a mortar round because of the size !!
But only an opinion i dont know it !!

Best regards David

 

[US-Subs]

Mike, does it disassemble at all? The tail and fins do look typical of Euro stuff.

 

[Eodtek]

I have more pics I'll put up. No it does not appear to disassemble. The rear section is crimped into the body. There is a fuze inside and from the x-ray it appears that it is not loaded.

Our first laugh as we were standing around looking at it was that is big enough to be fired off the end of the M2 .50 cal barrel.

 

[paul the grenade]

im sure there was some experimental rifle grenades designed to be fired from the 50 cal browning. not to sure of the nomeclature though.
paul.

 

[MissingSomething]

im sure there was some experimental rifle grenades designed to be fired from the 50 cal browning. not to sure of the nomeclature though.
paul.

I am sure that I have read about something like this.... I have been pouring thru the library trying to find it....

Was the US experimenting with something like the Blacker Bombard or some other spigot mortar?

just throwing stuff out there.... oh:

 

[paul the grenade]

just been scouring my books and came across the US M 10 which was an experimental gren fired fron the 50 cal. no pics unfortunately.
could it be one of these?????:tinysmile_eyebrow_t

 

[BerdanIII]

P. the G.: The M10 eventually became the warhead for the 2.36" rocket launcher; and based on appearances this thing seems to be more modern than that. I think Canfield's book on WWII U.S. weapons has a photo of one on a standard tail assembly. It's kind of stubby and not very aerodynamic (not that this monster is streamlined).

If the tail boom is about 1" I.D., then I'm back to a signal cluster or a parachute flare. U.S. rifle grenade launchers had a O.D. of 0.86" and with the springs they used to retain the grenade on the launcher, the maximum O.D. was probably right at one inch. Plus, the parachute flare grenades were the longest of the lot.

Jane's didn't shed any light on this mystery and neither did any of my manuals. This might be a prototype / mockup / test unit. The tail is odd; except for the Energa, U.S. grenades had a drum tail, not fins.

More photos would help. The fuse would be the giveaway; there's no need of a time delay or kicker charge on an H.E. grenade (unless you're German and this is the 1940's) but a signal cluster or flare would need one.

What's the diameter of the head?