V40 Mini-Grenade


The V40 fragmentation grenade manufactured in the Netherlands.

History

These grenades were in service from the late 1960s to at least 2008.
During the Vietnam War, the Viet Cong/PAVN copied the V40 grenade, which utilized the fuze of the RGD-5 grenade.

Design

The V40 grenade is spherical in shape, high, and in diameter – approximately the size of a golf ball. It has a safety pin and safety lever with a safety clip attached to the safety lever.
The steel body of the grenade has 326 squares pressed into its inside face to produce separate fragments when the explosive fill is detonated. The V40 weighed and was issued primed from the manufacturer. Fuse delay time was four seconds.
This grenade was considered lethal up to a radius of and had a safety radius of about. It was commonly referred to as the Mini-Frag, Golf ball grenade or the Hooch popper.
Due to its small size, a considerable number could be carried; however, its small size also made the weapon dangerous when wearing gloves, as the impact of the striker on the primer was difficult to feel.

Users