M26 grenade

The M26 is a fragmentation hand grenade made by the United States.

Description
The M26 is a fragmentation grenade developed by the United States military. Its distinct lemon shape led it to being nicknamed the "lemon grenade".

Fragmentation is caused by a special fragmentation coil that lies between the outer layer and explosive filling.[2] The coil is designed so that fragmentation will not exceed a radius of 15m, allowing for a more controlled blast that is less likely to injure the thrower than previous designs.

Use
To use the grenade, the user must first pull the safety pin while gripping the striking lever in his/her palm. As long as the user holds the striking lever in place, the fuse will not ignite. The fuse ignites only when the striking lever is released, as upon throwing (or, unfortunately, dropping).

On the M61, the extra safety clip must be removed before the grenade is thrown in addition to the safety pin. This clip was added after numerous unplanned detonations occurred by the safety pin snagging on underbrush, particularly in the jungles of Vietnam.

Origins
After WWII, it became apparent that there were many faults with the Mk 2 grenade used by American forces during the war: it created uneven fragmentation upon explosion, the fragmentation tended to go past the intended range, and the fuse caused smoke and/or sparks to come out of the grenade, which was deemed unacceptable.[2]

[edit] The M26 emerges
The M26 was developed as a result of the studies on the Mk 2. Unlike its previous counterpart, its fragmentation does not exceed a radius 15 m and its fuse creates no tell-tale smoke or sparks.[2]

[edit] Use
The M26 series was the primary fragmentation grenade used by American forces in the Vietnam War.

[edit] Replacement
The M26 series was replaced by the M67 grenade after the Vietnam War.

M26A1
The M26A1 is an M26 that has fragmentation serrations against the explosive filling.

[edit] M26A2
The M26A2 is an M26A2 modified to accept an impact fuze. It is slightly fatter than the M26A1.

[edit] M61
The M61 is the M26A1 with an extra safety (called the "jungle clip") attached to the lever. This is to prevent detonations in case the pin is accidentally pulled (such as because of it hanging from a soldier's uniform).[2]

Canada
Canada adopted the M61, but it has been replaced by the C13 grenade, a Canadian-made version of the M67 grenade.[3]

United Kingdom
The L2 series is the British version of the M26. It has been almost completely replaced by the L109 grenade.[4] The L2A1 is the same as the M26, but the L2A2 differs in that it has a different fuze, but it is otherwise the same as the M26.

Israel
The M26 was adopted in Israel, and is still in use in that country. Its variant is named the M26A2, but it has no relationship with the American-made M26A2.[5]

Australia
Australia adopted the M26, but it has been mostly replaced by the F1 grenade.[6]

Portugal
Portugal adopted the M26 as the M312.[7]

South Africa
South Africa adopted the M26, but switched to the Portuguese version of the M26 for unknown reasons.[8]