M17 (T2 Grenade)

History

"Rifle grenades" were used during World War II (1939-1945) to enhance the battlefield capabilities of ordinary infantry before the widespread introduction of man-portable shoulder-fired rocket weapons during the Cold War. It now allows the gunner to fire standard grenades from a distance using indirect and direct fire - useful for engaging burrowing enemies. The standardized rifle grenade used by the US military in the early to mid-war period became the "M17", and this weapon was nothing more than a special adapter - forming the main body of the rifle grenade - attached to the normal Mk 2 "Pineapple" attachment was "Anti-Human Fragmentation Grenade. The weapon is mounted on the barrel of a service rifle and triggered by the use of a wildcard.

30-06 rifle cartridge. The M17 entered service in 1941 and was standardized on the front lines until 1944. At this point the series was officially Replaced by the "M1 Projection Adapter" which appeared in 1943 - this new product retains the Mk 2 grenade as the warhead.

The M17 carries a 22g TNT base charge, ignited by a shock fuze integrated in the base. With the Mk 2 grenade bolted to the launcher, the complete system measures 248mm long, weighs 667g and measures 57mm in diameter. Unlike traditional grenades, which typically expose infantry to enemy fire when thrown, rifle grenades allow indirect, angled fire, protecting operators from battlefield hazards. In addition, the engagement range has also been improved.

Despite these advantages, rifle grenades have proven to have some limitations - in particular the M17 requires a hardened surface to detonate properly, sometimes causing the ammunition to not detonate when landing on softer terrain. When attached to the muzzle, the gun also extends an already long and heavy service rifle.

The explosive power and fragmentation of the grenade also remains the same as the thrown form - so the blast radius remains the same as the original design.

Nonetheless, the weapon is needed, and the M17 has provided years of faithful service. It could prove the difference between an infantry squad being pinned in the mud for hours under machine gun fire, or an infantry squad being able to attack an unsuspecting machine gun crew with a foxhole clearing device.

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