MINUTES OF THE ORDNANCE COMMITTEE MEETING
HELD 27 February 1941

Item 16504

ELIMINATION OF GRENADE, HAND, PRACTICE AND GRENADE, HAND, DUMMY

AND SUBSTITUTION OF GRENADE, HAND, TRAINING

1. REFERENCE

None

2. DISCUSSION

a. There are existing requirements shown on Group S, Page 6 of

the Ordnance Book of Standards for a Grenade, Hand Practice and a

Grenade, Hand Dummy, the former requiring a grenade body with firing mechanism and a small charge of black powder and the latter being improvised at the present time by use of grenade bodies without the Mechanism and the practice charge.  During the World War period, however, a regular dummy grenade designated Dummy Hand Grenade, Mark 1, Drawing 82-1-7, of the same size and weight as the service grenade, was utilized.  This type is now classified as limited standard.  Training requirements are set up by Army Regulation 775-10 for the practice type.

b. The Training Grenade which requires standard type firing mechanisms and black powder charges, costs approximately the same as the regular service type (approximately $1.30) whereas the Dummy Grenade would not cost in excess of fifteen or twenty cents and can be recovered an reused.  It has been ascertained by telephone with the Office of the Chief of Infantry that the practice type is not necessary and that training requirements will be met by a dummy type having the same size, weight and contour as the service high explosive type.

3. RECOMMEDATIONS

The subcommittee recommends

1)  that steps be taken to cancel the requirement for a Practice Grenade with explosive charge

2)  that Grenade, Hand, Practice Mark II be transferred to limited standard

3)  that Grenade, Hand, Dummy, Mark I, Drawing 82-1-7, be transferred from limited Standard to standard, the drawing to be revised if necessary to insure the same weight, size, and contour as the present standard high explosive Grenade, Mark II; also, that a pull pin similar to that used with the Service Grenade be provided but no lever.

4)  That this grenade now designated Grenade, Hand, Dummy be in future designated Grenade, Hand, Training.

5)  That allowances prescribed in Army Regulation 775-10 for Practice Grenades be interpreted to read “Training Grenades”.