Description
The HC Smoke Hand Grenade AN-M8 is a burning type grenade used to generate white smoke for screening activities of small units. It is also used for ground-to-air signaling.
The grenade body is a cylinder of thin sheet metal. It is filled with HC smoke mixture topped with a starter mixture directly under the fuze opening. The duration of smoke screen or signal is 105 to 150 seconds.
Hand grenade fuze M201A1 is a pyrotechnic delay igniting fuze. The body contains a primer, first-fire mixture, pyrotechnic delay column, and ignition mixture. Assembled to the body are a striker, striker spring, safety lever and safety pin with pull ring. The split end of the safety pin has an angular spread.
Safety clips are not required with these grenades.
Functioning
Removal of the safety pin permits release of the safety lever. When the safety lever is released, it is forced away from the grenade body by a striker acting under the force of a striker spring. The striker rotates on its own axis and strikes the percussion primer. The primer initiates the first fire mixture. The fuze delay element, ignition mixture, and grenade starter mixture and filler are initiated in turn by the preceding component. The pressure sensitive tape is blown off the emission holes and smoke is emitted for 105 to 150 seconds.
Hazardous Components
No information about hazardous components.
See Also
Source(s)
TM 43-0001-29, Grenades (chg 4, 2002)
TM 9-1385-51, Ammunition (Conventional) for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (1967)
TM 3-300, Ground Chemical Munitions (1956)
OP 1664, Volume 1 - US Explosive Ordnance (1947)
OP 1664, Volume 2 - US Explosive Ordnance (1947)
USNBD - Bombs and Fuzes, Pyrotechnics (1945)
