Securing a Smoke Grenade

[InfantrySSG]

I'm preparing for a deployment to Afghanistan and am required to carry smoke grenades for various uses. Usually I carry anywhere between one to three smokes for different reasons, i.e. colors. What I'm wondering is if there is a better way to carry them other then the issued double mag pouch, or purchasing a ridiculous "smoke grenade pouch". I have seen some of the group guys use Rubber bands but havnt gotten a good look at them since I always see it in passing on the Range so I don't really know how its secured to the molle.

 

[Crusader74]

I'm preparing for a deployment to Afghanistan and am required to carry smoke grenades for various uses. Usually I carry anywhere between one to three smokes for different reasons, i.e. colors. What I'm wondering is if there is a better way to carry them other then the issued double mag pouch, or purchasing a ridiculous "smoke grenade pouch". I have seen some of the group guys use Rubber bands but havnt gotten a good look at them since I always see it in passing on the Range so I don't really know how its secured to the molle.

Welcome to the site..

Please adhere to site rules and post and intro before posting again and then someone will be permitted to answer your query.

You might also want to take down the "selfie" for PERSEC reasons before you deploy.

 

[Crusader74]

Thread reopened...

 

[Diamondback 2/2]

Dude, I just taped the pull-pin, and than bent the spoon around a peice of molle webbing. Either that or you can just use a dump pouch and toss them in there (I would still tape the pull-pin as they tend to be a bit weaker and I've seen one get snagged on a limb of a tree and pop in the middle of a movement.

When you tape, go around the pull-pin and Spoon/fuse body, than double the last bit of tape over on itself to make a pulltab of sorts. That way you are not dicking with getting the tape off when you need it. Personally, electric tape works better and comes off faster than duct tape.
As for bending the spoon, just hook it on a piece of webbing, than bend the spoon back up like a hook. I have never had one come off doing this, works really well, and when you need it, just bend the spoon back down and you are good to go.

Outside of that, I would just toss them in an assault pack or dump pouch.

 

[InfantrySSG]

I just hate having anything bouncing around on my kit. The dump pouch is way too loose to store smoke grenades and its kinda pointless buying a whole nother pouch for a grenade when you can just hook it onto the molle.

 

[Diamondback 2/2]

I never had an issue with them bouncing around, but you could just use a peice of shock cord/rubber band around the molle and the bottom of the grenade body.

 

[InfantrySSG]

Yeah, Ill have to give that a shot. Thanks.

 

[The Hate Ape]

Rubber band around the spoon and casing once it is slipped through the molle. If you use a smaller one IE the ones on tq's do a double wrap. The same can be applied to FBs.

 

[pardus]

I always used a large pouch, I could carry at least 3 grenades and they were 100% secure and tangle free.

 

[Mac_NZ]

I carried a smoke grenade bungeed onto my gear ONCE...

It was Infantry Section Commanders course and we had 2 x front line ammo so I had no pouches left to fit it in. We tabbed for about 3 hours from our night loc to our defensive postion for the fortnight. I sat down with my pack on and started to take it off and heard "CRACK, hissssssssssss". I got it off my gear quick smart but I tell you now, nothing sucks more than being an NCO from a crack unit and doing a dick thing like letting a smoke grenade off on your kit.

Upon inspection afterwards the pin was still fully in the grenade but had been warped at the portion that goes through the spoon, the only thing I and the DS could come up with was that the grenade had been levered against the spoon just enough for the striker to flick over and activate. I've never been able to replicate it again but I wont ever carry a smoke grenade unless it's in a pouch.

If you ever get to the Combat School in NZ there is some lovely comments in the book in the gunbay about it.

 

[Ranger Psych]

Extra pouches or a multiple-shit pouch. Never by the spoon. The spoon is a safety device not a fucking attachment point.

 

[amlove21]

Echo what Ranger Psych just said. I carried 4 smokes on my JPC under each arm, rubber banded to my molly. Worked great. Use heavy weight rubber bands, replace if they get loose.

I have had a couple different options in the past, but this is the one I've ended up sticking with, much for the same reasons most have stated.

 

[Diamondback 2/2]

Hmmm. Spoon is not a safety device, and has been used to attach to gear for a really long time. The old Vietnam era LCE ammo pouches were designed for attaching frags by the spoon with a small strap that went through the pullpin and around the fuse, etc. I've seen guys use ammo pouches and I don't see anything wrong with it, but I would hardly call attaching by the spoon unsafe or wrong.

 

[Ranger Psych]

So the part of the firing mechanism that is the final thing you release to make something burn or explode is a good thing to use to attach to gear. Yeah, ok.

I'll laugh and point when the fucker burns off like how it happened to Mac, and happened to other people I know who tried that method.

 

[racing_kitty]

EOD frowns upon taping grenades. Highly. Safety issues. Use your brain. I'm down with a rubber band, but don't count on it as your #1 end-all safety.

 

[policemedic]

I have to admit I'm firmly in the pouch camp. Smoke, bangs, gas all ride in pouches. I think it's safer and reduces the risk of loss. The only thing I rubber band to my kit is a tourniquet.

YMMV.

 

[dirtmover]

EOD frowns upon taping grenades. Highly. Safety issues. Use your brain. I'm down with a rubber band, but don't count on it as your #1 end-all safety.

We just had to turn in all frags and smoke that had been taped for the same reason RK said. If I remember correctly it had something to do with the timing i.e. cooking off of the device.