Description: This grenade is similar to the type 99 Kiska grenade with a tail assembly added. It is designed to be fired from the spigot type rifle grenade launcher. The body and tail are painted black.

The grenade body is a smooth-surfaced, cylindrical cast steel tube. It is threaded inter-nally at the forward end to receive the cover plate. There is a bored opening in the base of the grenade body. A cylindrical solid steel plug, threaded on its after end to receive the tail assembly, is pressed into this hole.

The tail assembly consists of a stabilizer tube to which four fins are welded. The tube is constructed of rolled sheet steel with a smooth weld down the joining seam. Threads are pressed into the forward end to correspond with those on the base plug. The four fins are of light metal. The outer end of each fin is doubled back to provide a smooth expo-sed surface. The inner edge is bent 90 degrees and provides a surface for spot welding the fin to the tube. The fins are positioned at 90-degree intervals around the circumfe-rence of the tube.

The fuze body differs from the Type 91 and 97 hand grenade fuzes only in having an alu-minum striker block into which is screwed a steel striker. A brass shear wire through the block holds the striker away from the percussion cap.

The explosive train of the grenade consists of a percussion cap, black powder relay, cy-clonite primer, tetryl booster and a main charge of cast TNT. The cyclonite is enclosed in a brass container, the tetryl in a cardboard cylinder. Directly under the tetryl booster there is a set-back buffer consisting of a felt washer and a jelly-like pellet.

Operation: Prior to firing the grenade from the rifle the safety fork is with-drawn. The fuze is fully armed. On impact the brass wire through the striker block is sheared and the steel striker is driven into the percussion cap. The resultant flash ignites the black pow-der relay.

The fuze is instantaneous and cannot be substituted as a fuze for hand grenades.

Remarks: A translation of the labels attached to the stabilizer tube gives the following informations: "This grenade can be used on rifles type 38 and type 99. The wooden bul-let for type 38 and type 99 is to be used." These two rifles are the standard combat weapons for Japanese troops.

A translation of the tag attached to the safety fork gives the following pre-cautionary measures: "Do not remove fork until ready to fire." and "Do not drop or otherwise strike on the nose."

Figure 183 – Model 3 Modification 1 Rifle Grenade.