The Rifle Grenade General Service (RGGS) was a rifle grenade family of Israeli design in service with the British Armed Forces from 1996 onwards.[1] The RGGS superseded the L74A1 and L75A1 rifle grenades, these being the Luchaire 40mm in AC and AP/AV configurations respectively. The RGGS family consisted of the L85A1 High Explosive Rifle Grenade (deep bronze green with a brown explosives indicator band and yellow markings), the L86A1 Practice Rifle Grenade (light blue with a brown explosives indicator band and white markings), and the reusable L87A1 Inert Practice Rifle Grenade (main body in light blue with white markings, fins and tail tube in white).[2]
| Rifle Grenade General Service | |
|---|---|
| Type | Rifle grenade |
| Place of origin | Israel |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1996-2000s |
| Used by | British Armed Forces |
| Specifications | |
| Propellant | Bullet-trap |
| References | |
As with its predecessors, the grenade's means of propulsion was of the bullet-trap type, the grenade being launched from the muzzle of the L85 rifle using standard 5.56mm ball ammunition (the L87A1 grenade used a special L1A1 ballistite cartridge, however). For greater accuracy, a dedicated prismatic sight (L15A1 Rifle Grenade Launcher Sight[2]) was attached to the rifle before firing.[1]
The grenade was phased out of service due to the introduction of the L17A2/L123A1 Underslung Grenade Launcher; this offered lower recoil, improved ease of use, reduced ammunition weight, and the ability to have a chambered grenade at the ready without affecting the ability to fire the L85 rifle in its own right.[3][4]
References
edit- ^ a b "Sa80a1/Sa80a2". Hansard. 22 July 2002. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ a b Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) (1999). Army Code No. 71641, Infantry Tactical Doctrine Volume 1, Pamphlet No. 3 Infantry Platoon Tactics.
- ^ "The Infantry – Small Arms in the Section". British Army. Archived from the original on 27 December 2005. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "SA80 individual weapon". British Army. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
External links
edit- Picture of the L86A1 Practice Grenade
- Article (in Spanish) with reference to the Israeli BT/AP-M1091 rifle grenade, with cutaway diagrams of the L74A1 & L75A1
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