Description
The body is cylindrical with serrations to give uniform fragmentation. This grenade is identical to the type 91 grenade except that the base of this grenade is solid and therefore cannot take a propelling charge. It can only be used as a hand grenade.
A Type 97 grenade with an aluminum body has been recovered. A gray or black grenade, which strongly resembles and appears to be a forerunner of the Type 97 grenade, has also been found. This grenade employs a fuze of black powder rolled in paper leading directly to the black powder bursting charge. No detonator is used in the firing train. The fuze pocket is threaded to take a mechanical fuze of the same size as the fuze used in the standard Type 97 grenade.
Functioning
The firing pin must first be threaded down into the inertia weight. The safety pin must then be withdrawn. As the grenade is to be thrown by hand, it is necessary to strike the inertia weight on some hard object thus driving the firing pin into the primer to ignite the delay train.
Hazardous Components
Filler - Powdered TNT
Physical Data
Diameter - 2 in (51 mm)
Height - 4 in (102 mm)
Weight - 19 oz (532 grams)
See Also
Source(s)
OP 1667, Japanese Explosive Ordnance, Volume 1 (1946)
CINCPAC-CINCPOA Bulletin 55-45, Japanese Infantry Weapons (1945)
