User:The All-knowing Sith'ari/M9 High-Explosive Dual-Purpose Grenade

The M9 High-Explosive Dual-Purpose Grenade is a fragmentation grenade is use with the United Nations Space Command Defence Force.

Design
The M9 features a spherical steel body that contains 190 grams of ComL high explosive. The explosion is powerful enough to flip a vehicle weighing up to three metric tonnes. Grooves in the casing mean that upon detonation, the grenade breaks apart into small, regular shards. This surface creates consistent, reliable fragmentation patterns, rather than randomly rupturing along metallurgical faults.

Fragmentation is also generated by a special fragmentation coil that lies between the outer layer and explosive filling. The coil is designed so that fragmentation will not exceed a radius of 15 metres, allowing for a more controlled blast that is less likely to injure the thrower than previous designs. The grenade has a kill radius of 5 meters and a casualty radius of 15 meters.

Use
The M9 can be thrown about 30 to 35 metres by the average soldier. It has a five second fuze, which can be activated by two methods. In standard mode, the fuze activates after the grenade's spoon is released, detonating the grenade after five seconds. In delayed percussion mode, the fuze activates after the grenade strikes a hard surface after being thrown.

To use, the user first adopts the "throwing position"; feet spread apart with the grenade held squarely in the abdomen area. Second, the user removes the safety clip from the grenade. Third, the user maintains a firm grasp on the safety lever ("spoon") with the dominant hand, pressing it into the body of the grenade, while flicking off the safety cover of the priming button. The user must press hard on the button to ensure activation.

The user heaves the grenade at the intended target. He may also let go of the safety before throwing and "cook" the grenade for a few seconds in order to ensure the enemy does not have time to throw it back before detonation. However, "cooking" a grenade is not recommended in all but the most dire defensive situations, as variances in the length of the delay fuse could cause the grenade to explode too near to the user.

When the grenade is thrown, tossed or dropped, the safety lever (which is under spring tension but was held in place first by the pin, then by the palm of the user's hand) snaps back to its original position. This action frees a spring-loaded firing pin which snaps over onto a percussion cap, lighting the time delay fuse which is followed a few seconds later by detonation.

Operators

 * United Nations Space Command