These comments are primarily about the M204 fuse which is correct for the Mk2, M26 and M26A1, not the M26A2 which uses a different non interchangeable fuse, fragmentation hand grenades. The fuse is the component that screws into the grenade body. Fuses have different threads so as to not fit other hand grenades whose fuses have shorter or longer amount of seconds before detonation. The M204 fuse consists of a safety lever(spoon), pull ring with safety pin, striker with striker spring, primer, delay element with a 4-5 second delay and detonator. If you have ever purchased a dummy Mk2 hand grenade, the delay element and detonator will be missing having been used for training purposes. So these spent fuses are commercially purchased and installed in dummy Mk21(Mk2) and M30(M26) grenade bodies. this procedure involves spreading the tabs of the safety pin until they touch the fuse. The pictures I am including of an inert M204 fuse depicts what safety pin on unused Mk, M26 and M26A1 should look like. Most, if not all, of the time one sees only the side of the safety pin with the pull ring. Some other interesting fact about the Mk2 hand grenade. When Mk is used in the nomenclature, it means it was adopted by the U.S. Navy. The Mk1 1903 Springfield rifle is an example. Up until the early 1940s the body of the Mk2 hand grenade was painted yellow. When it was determined yellow made a target for the enemy, the color then became olive drab with a thin yellow band painted around the top edge of the body.
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elsielowsea
M204 FUSE FOR U.S. Mk2, M26 and M26A1 FRAMGMENTATION HAND GRENADES
3 reading
These comments are primarily about the M204 fuse which is correct for the Mk2, M26 and M26A1, not the M26A2 which uses a different non interchangeable fuse, fragmentation hand grenades. The fuse is the component that screws into the grenade body. Fuses have different threads so as to not fit other hand grenades whose fuses have shorter or longer amount of seconds before detonation. The M204 fuse consists of a safety lever(spoon), pull ring with safety pin, striker with striker spring, primer, delay element with a 4-5 second delay and detonator. If you have ever purchased a dummy Mk2 hand grenade, the delay element and detonator will be missing having been used for training purposes. So these spent fuses are commercially purchased and installed in dummy Mk21(Mk2) and M30(M26) grenade bodies. this procedure involves spreading the tabs of the safety pin until they touch the fuse. The pictures I am including of an inert M204 fuse depicts what safety pin on unused Mk, M26 and M26A1 should look like. Most, if not all, of the time one sees only the side of the safety pin with the pull ring. Some other interesting fact about the Mk2 hand grenade. When Mk is used in the nomenclature, it means it was adopted by the U.S. Navy. The Mk1 1903 Springfield rifle is an example. Up until the early 1940s the body of the Mk2 hand grenade was painted yellow. When it was determined yellow made a target for the enemy, the color then became olive drab with a thin yellow band painted around the top edge of the body.
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Nice example of the M204 series fuze. I believe the original M204s lacked the hole for the secondary safety pin at the top and had a larger tapered section on the bouchon above the threads. M204A1 would have the hole but retained the tapered bouchon, and finally M204A2 as shown in your photos. But it has been a few years since I was really active in the inert ordnance space so I may be misremembering.
Great write up L, thanks for posting it. Now I have to go and redo all the pins on my dummies on the Willys so they look proper.
Additional information regarding the Mk2, M26 and M26A1 fragmentation hand grenades. Both the Mk2, M26A1 andM26A1 hand grenades with the M204A1 or M204A2 fuse will detonate in 4 or 5 seconds. Should either grenade be accidently dropped after the safety lever is released, the proper procedure is to pick it up and throw it. It can be thrown farther than the distance that one could run from it. The average soldier can throw the Mk2 grenade approximately 30 meters. If fired from a rifle grenade launcher, the grenade can be projected approximately 140 meters. Safety clips may, or may not, be issued with the grenades. Being left handed requires holding the grenade differently. These grenades can be used in booby traps and also with the M18A1 anti-personnel mine, the Claymore and requires removal of the grenade fuse and replaced with the M18A1 Claymore shipping/arming plug that has the same thread as the grenades. All photos, except for the M18A1 shipping/arming plug are from FM 23-30 GRENADES AND PYROTECHNICS.
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