RG-42

The Soviet RG-42 (Ручная Граната образца 42 года > Ruchnaya Granata obraztsa 42 goda, "Hand Grenade pattern of [19]42 year") was a fragmentation grenade designed by S. G. Korshunov.

It was originally introduced during World War II from 1942 onwards as an emergency measure to replace the complex RGD-33 grenade. It continued in use with the USSR and its Warsaw Pact allies in the post-war period until replaced in 1954 by the RGD-5 grenade. Stockpiles were held for emergency or reserve issue, military aid, or foreign sales. They were eventually destroyed in the 1980s due to the TNT filling degrading and becoming unsafe.

Unlike the RGD-33, the RG-42's components were simple to produce and assemble. Only the fuze required specialized manufacture and the parts could be easily assembled by hand by cottage labor. Partisans often made copies of the simple design when out of contact.

It contained approximately 110-120 g of the high explosive (TNT) in a cylindrical stamped-metal can.

It was introduced with the 3.2 to 4.0 second UZRG fuze, though the later 3.2 to 4.2 second UZRGM and UZRGM-2 modernised fuzes would also be used. The UZRG fuze family would also used in the RGD-5 and F1 grenades.

The grenade could be thrown about 30-40 m and has an effective fragmentation radius of approximately 25 m.

The total weight of the grenade with the fuze was 420 g.

Foreign copies

 * People's Republic of China: Type 42 grenade.

Users

 * Soviet Union
 * DPRK: were used at least until 1997
 * Georgia: Used during civil conflicts in 1990s
 * 🇮🇶 Iraq
 * 🇵🇱 Poland: were used at least until 2019
 * 🇺🇦 Ukraine: were used   at least until April 2024
 * 🇺🇦 Ukraine: were used   at least until April 2024

Western Sources

 * Brassey's Infantry Weapons of the World describes this grenade as having 118g of TNT, 20 meters fragmentation effect, and a 40 tossing range.