The M17 (also known as the T2 grenade ) is a

rifle grenade A rifle grenade is a grenade that uses a rifle-based launcher to permit a longer effective range than would be possible if the grenade were thrown by hand. The practice of projecting grenades with rifle-mounted launchers was first widely used du ...

that was used by the United States during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Description

Firing

Once the warhead is screwed in, the M17 is fitted onto a grenade launcher adapter, such as the

M7 grenade launcher The M7 grenade launcher, formally rifle grenade launcher, M7, was a 22 mm grenade, 22 mm rifle grenade launcher attachment for the M1 Garand rifle that saw widespread use throughout World War II and the Korean War. The M7 was a tube-shaped device, ...

. A special blank .30-06 cartridge is inserted into the rifle, then fired. The M17 will not explode if it lands on sand, water or mud; only solid ground will cause it to detonate.

History

Adoption

The M17 was adopted in 1943. It was the United States' primary

anti-personnel An anti-personnel weapon is a weapon primarily used to maim or kill infantry and other personnel not behind armor, as opposed to attacking structures or vehicles, or hunting game. The development of defensive fortification and combat vehicles ga ...

rifle grenade during the middle part of

Obsolescence

By the middle of 1944, the M17 had essentially been supplanted by the

M1 Grenade Projection Adapter The M1 grenade projection adapter was an expedient rifle grenade used by the American military in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. It consisted of an add-on 22 mm stabilizer tube and fins that converted a hand-grenade into a rifle grenade. It suppl ...

, which allowed a standard grenade to be converted into a rifle grenade.

References

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External links

Pictures of the M17
Grenades of the United States World War II infantry weapons of the United States Rifle grenades