Russia in its entire history has changed its political status more than once, becoming part of an empire, a kingdom, a union, etc. If you trace the path of the country's development from ancient times to the present day, you will find that scientists and craftsmen, living at different times glorified the country not only in art and various sciences, but also in military affairs. A huge number of discoveries made by engineers and developers made it possible to win more than one battle. To exaggerate a little, we can say that gunpowder was invented in China, but it was in Russia that they learned how to use it correctly. The whole world is armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles, Makarov pistols, T-34 tanks, Dragunov sniper rifles, remote-action hand grenades (abbreviated as RGD-5), etc. All these and many other military achievements have been developed and put into use right on the territory of Russia. And only after successfully passed tests other countriesalso got the opportunity to purchase one or another firearm.
This article discusses the RGD-5 hand grenade: characteristics, device, application, development, etc.
Progress does not stand still
After the victory in World War II, the USSR arms complex faced the question of changing weapons. In order to move forward, it was necessary to revise the priority directions for the development of the industry and change the combat units used for a long time. So, instead of the RG-42 grenade, it was necessary to create a more advanced analogue that would cover some of the shortcomings of the existing options. Thus, in 1950, the development of a more powerful and efficient unit began. In 1954, the RGD-5 grenade entered service with the military forces of the Soviet Union, the device and characteristics of which were several times higher than the parameters of existing analogues.
This combat unit was vaguely similar in appearance to several European models: the French OF, which went into production in 1915, the Polish Z-23 and the German M-39. RGD-5 is a grenade, mostly intended for offensive combat. However, it can also be used to defeat and stun enemy personnel and during defensive operations (in trenches, in the forest, in settlements, etc.).
Components: body
The device of the RGD-5 grenade is a combination of three main elements:
- body;
- charge;
- fuse.
Let's consider each of them separately.
The RGD-5 hand grenade has a body that, with the help of a charge placed inside it, splits into the maximum possible number of fragments when it breaks. The skin of a unit consists of:
- top;
- lower half.
The upper part of the body is a combination of three elements: a cap, its liner and a tube. The latter is designed to connect the grenade and the fuse directly. Also, thanks to the tube, the charge, which has a breaking force, is sealed. With the help of a cuff, it is attached to the cap. For more careful storage, the grenade tube is equipped with a plastic plug, which also prevents dirt from getting inside. In combat conditions, this plug is replaced by a fuse.
A pallet and its insert are placed at the bottom of the case.
The outer shell of the RGD-5 grenade also has a marking, which is applied with a special black paint. The inscription includes the following information:
- short name of combat unit;
- batch number;
- encrypted equipment year;
- symbolic designation of the explosive inside the grenade;
- factory, or rather its number, where the gun was made.
Second compound element
RGD-5 is a grenade where the explosive charge mechanism consists entirely of an explosive material called TNT. This substance is designed to split the body of the combatunits into small parts (fragments). The bursting charge itself has a weight of 110 g, and RGD-5 weighs 315 g. The technical characteristics of the grenade are such that when a unit is thrown into combat condition, the fragments are scattered over an area from 28 to 32 square meters. In this case, the radius of damaging particles reaches twenty meters.
Third compound element
Now consider the fuse device. Initially, to complete the RGD-5 grenade, a drive system similar to that found in the RG-42 and F-1 combat units was used. The fuse is equipped with a powder moderator, the burning time of which is 3.2-4.2 seconds.
The body of this part of the grenade is made of metal. Inside it has a trigger mechanism. It consists of a safety lever, pins with a ring, a detonator and a striker with a mainspring. The direction of movement of the latter is controlled by a special washer, also fixed in the housing. The detonator is equipped with primers (igniter and detonator) and a powder retarder located between them. A threaded sleeve is screwed onto the fuse body itself. With its help, the fuse is connected to the grenade.
Working principle
Let's see how the fuse works. As mentioned above, the drummer is connected to the mainspring. It is fixed with a fork of the safety lever. That, in turn, is in a stable state thanks to the cotter pin. Rather, it is fixed by them. The pin is a safety pin that passes through the holes located in the wallsshells of the fuse itself and in the ears of the lever. The latter is connected to the lower base of the drummer. Above it is a puck. A mainspring rests against it with its one end. Its second part adjoins the body washer from above. After some time, the composition of the fuse was somewhat changed. Its deceleration element has been slightly modified: it has been stabilized. From that moment on, the fuse of the grenade became known as the UZRGM-2. It also began to be used for the production of combat F-1.
Hit the target
To throw the RGD-5 grenade, you must first remove the safety pin. In this case, the lever is tightly pressed against the body of the combat equipment and is held until the moment of the throw. Next, the spring is activated. She turns the safety lever, releasing the striker. That, in turn, under the influence of the spring interacts with the primer-igniter. The spark of flame from it passes to the moderator, and then, after complete burnout, to the detonator charge. This causes the grenade to explode.
The final weight of the RGD-5 grenade is 315 g. This small mass allows soldiers to throw a unit at a distance of 50 to 60 meters.
To throw a grenade, you need to go through several stages:
- first you should take the projectile in your hand so that the safety lever is closely adjacent to the body;
- then you need to unclench the "antennae" checks;
- pull it out of the fuse and throw the RGD-5 at the intended target.
Transportation and storage
Grenades of this type are supplied to military units in wooden boxes. At the same time, they have separate metal boxes, each of which contains either cases, or handles, or fuses. These containers can only be opened with a special knife, which is also supplied.
Lids and walls of wooden boxes are marked with a special composition, based on which you can find out the following information:
- how many grenades are inside the container;
- what is their total weight;
- name of grenades, fuses and handles;
- number of the factory where the equipment is made;
- year of manufacture of combat units;
- batch number;
- hazard sign.
It is forbidden to unpack those boxes of grenades that are not currently planned to be used. They should be stored in factory-created boxes.
Where to wear?
In conditions close to combat, each soldier has RGD-5 grenades in his ammunition load. In this case, the case itself is stored in a special bag. The fuses, each of which is wrapped in a paper or cloth wrapper, are located in the same place, but separately from the grenades. Previously, a soldier had to carry a canvas bag with two pockets for fuses and a department for two combat units. Currently, the military prefers to carry grenades and accessories in the pockets of their vests.
In tracked or wheeled combat vehicles (infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled artilleryinstallations, tanks, armored personnel carriers) grenades and fuses are stacked separately from each other in different bags.
Study option
For excellent possession of RGD-5 and its throwing right on target, initially men undergo special training. In schools, educational institutions for secondary and secondary special purposes, at universities with a military department, military schools and, of course, in the army, young people are trained to use a non-combat version of a grenade called the “URG-N training-imitation grenade.”
Like RGD-5, this prototype has exactly the same appearance, shape, weight. The URG-N grenade does not differ from the combat variant in terms of handling either. The process of contact of the educational analogue with the surface during throwing is accompanied by sound and visual effects: smoke, roar, etc. The Methodist analogue of URG-N is used repeatedly. This grenade, like the combat "brother", consists of a body and a fuse. The latter is an imitation of the present version. Cases URG-N and RGD-5 are almost identical. The only difference is that the training grenade has a small hole at the bottom, designed to enhance the sound effect. The body of the URG-N is painted black and has a special marking on it.
European version
In the army of the Soviet Union, the RGD-5 grenade, the photo of which can be seen in this article, was put into service in 1954. Then, after the collapse of a great power, many CIS countries retained this combat unit in their equipment. ExceptIn addition, the RGD-5 grenade is used in many foreign countries: China, India, Korea, etc. It is noteworthy, but the production of this type of weapon was carried out on the territory of Bulgaria and Poland. Twenty years after the release of the first grenade, it was the scientists of these countries who proposed replacing the fuse with a grenade. As a result, the RGD-5 received a new fuse called DVM-78, a large mass - 450 grams and a new name - RGO-78.
