HG 85 (Handgranate 85)

History

The HG 85 is a time-fuze fragmentation grenade system loaded with 155 grams of TNT. Each unit weighs 465 grams and is 65mm in diameter. As an anti-personnel weapon system, the HG 85 relies on its detonation mechanism to throw thousands of metal fragments in all directions, destroying soft targets with relative ease.

As such, these types of weapons are useful for driving determined and prepared enemies out of fortifications and urban environments. The Swiss Army first entered service with the HG 85 series in 1985, and several other European powers followed suit.

The HG 85 has a traditional design with an egg-shaped body that fits securely in an adult's hand. The clamping ring is mounted on the top together with the fixing element. The shell of the grenade body is made of metal.

The user manually triggers the arming process and then throws the grenade in the direction of the enemy, taking care to keep a safe distance from the explosion, a single fragment can reach 100 meters or more.

The HG 85 series is mainly used in the armed forces of Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The British renamed the grenade in the Royal Stockpile as the L109 and had a specially designed safety clip not found on the original HG 85.

The L110 was designated as an inert drill grenade for grenade throwing training and was coloured a striking blue (as opposed to the L109's exterior green scheme. The Dutch designated their HG 85 as Nr300 and had the same safety clip mount as the British L109) .

Specification

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Performance

Changes