M17 rifle grenade

M17 rifle grenade
The M17 is the third on the right
Type	Impact-fused rifle grenade
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1943–1945
Used by	United States
Wars	World War II
Production history
Produced	May–June 1943 March–April 1944
No. built	~325,000
Specifications
Mass	667 g (23.5 oz)[1]
Length	248 mm (9.8 in)[1]
Diameter	57 mm (2.2 in)[1]
Filling	TNT or EC powder
Filling weight	22 g (0.78 oz)[1]
Detonation mechanism	Impact fuze

The M17 (also known as the T2 grenade^[2] ) is a rifle grenade that was used by the United States during World War II.

"GRENADE, RIFLE, FRAGMENTATION, IMPACT, Ml7—

This grenade consists of a fin stabilizer assembly with impact type fuze similar to that used for Grenade, AT, M9Al. The head consists of a Mk. IIA1 hand grenade fuze body which is screwed in the fuze adapter on the stabilizer assembly. The Ml7 grenade is used in a manner identical with that of the Adapter, Grenade Projection, Ml, however, it offers a unit ready for firing without assembly in the field as is required for the Ml adapter"

WAR DEPARTMENT, INFANTRY FIELD MANUAL § WEAPON AND AMMUNITION TECHNICAL MANUAL, INFANTRY REGIMENT, PARACHUTE, June 1944, Page 43

Once the warhead is screwed in, the M17 is fitted onto a grenade launcher adapter, such as the M7 grenade launcher. A special blank .30-06 cartridge is inserted into the rifle, then fired. The M17 will not explode if it lands on sand, water or mud; only solid ground will cause it to detonate.^[2]

The M17 was adopted in 1943. It was the United States' primary anti-personnel rifle grenade during the middle part of World War II.^[3]

By the middle of 1944, the M17 had essentially been supplanted by the M1 Grenade Projection Adapter,^[3] which allowed a standard grenade to be converted into a rifle grenade.

• Pictures of the M17