RGD-33 grenade
| RGD-33 grenade | |
|---|---|
RGD-33 grenade in a museum. | |
| Type | Hand grenade |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | Winter War and Continuation War World War II Korean War First Indochina War Vietnam War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1933 |
| Produced | 1933-1942 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 500 g (18 oz) |
| Length | 190 mm (7.5 in) |
| Diameter | 45 mm (1.8 in), 54 mm (2.1 in) with fragmentation sleeve |
| Filling | TNT |
| Filling weight | 85 g (3.0 oz) |
Detonation mechanism | Time-fuse, 3.2–3.8 seconds |
The Soviet RGD-33 (Ручная Граната Дьяконова образца 33 года >Ruchnaya Granata Djakonova obraztsa 33 goda, "Hand Grenade, Dyakonov design, pattern year 1933") is a dual use (offensive and defensive) stick grenade developed in 1933.
Designed to replace the RG-14/30 which was an improved World War I vintage design, the RGD-33 proved to be overly complex to operate (especially in the hands of hastily trained conscripts), and too complex to easily produce during the Great Patriotic War. It was replaced in service with a simpler design, the RG-42, though it remained in service with naval infantry units for the remainder of the war.
In the post-war period, despite being obsolete in the USSR, the RGD-33 would continue to see use in Korea and Vietnam.