L86A1 practice rifle grenade

[mrclark303]

Afternoon all, I bought an L86A1 practice rifle grenade in a junk shop for £30.

The grenade is in very good order with 99% paint finish surviving.

Can't find much info on them, I am assuming they are L1A1 related?? Any info appreciated guys..

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

If you showed us a photo of what an L86 prac grenade is, maybe you'd get a bit of a response. Is it what we commonly refer to as an Energa grenade?

[mrclark303]

Inert L86A1 Rifle Practice Grenade - Militaria

Afternoon Peter, on my phone this weekend, but the link above is identical ... I am assuming the "L" number and the manufacturer mean it's British and L1A1 related ..

[Peter Laidler]

Not being an ammo man, I might as well start this off........ I have seen these things but never saw one used. It would be about as ballistically stable as a piano! The head just doesn't look like it contains enough dynamite to kill a vehicle. Could it be weighted to replicate an Energa and match the rough sighting method of the rifle launcher? I doubt it.

On the other hand, are we barking up the wrong tree? Would it slip directly over the standard diameter flash eliminators of the little L85 rifle. I know one of our staff was killed when one went off as it was being fired from an L85 rifle. But whether it was something like this, I don't know............

[mrclark303]

Thanks for that Peter,

I saw my example covered in dust at the back of a junk shop, but in very good order, obviously British Military manufacture and issue and thought it looked interesting. I haggled price to £30 (started at £50). I was surprised to find virtually no info out there on it (been right through my "The Complete Fal" and The Last Enfield books) and the iterweb looking for reference ..... I guessed 1960/70's and L1A1 related.

I didn't think rifle grenades moved forward into the L85 era with the exception of early trials, from a layman's perspective, they have always seemed like a really crap, poor mans mortar that over-stresses the rifle with lucky guess aiming.

Next step is to try it on an SA80 and see if it fits, might take a little time, but I will try and report back...

[Peter Laidler]

Just been told by someone that if that is from an SA80 type weapon, designed to fit over the flash eliminator*, they were a bit of a flop as there was never really enough wooooomph from a 556 ballastite to throw the grenade far enough, even the anti personnel grenade shown. The only thing that would do it was the bullet trap version but after a few what were called 'mishaps' and some 'serious mishaps' they were deemed an '....unwise choice' (his choice of diplomatic wording)

*Don't forget that there was a spring ring on the SA80 flash eliminator to retain the grenade but even early on it was found on the high speed video that the grenade was kicking or rocking as it made its way along the flash eliminator via the long rear tube and off the flash eliminator into free flight. Stability was crap - as was the lack of woooomph.

But I don't know if this was the one he was talking about........

[mrclark303]

Many thanks for looking into it Peter, interesting item, the last of the line I guess, before someone saw sense and started on underslung grenade launcher development!

I will try it on an L85 and see how it fits.

Can't say I would like to fire the bloody thing!

[Sentryduty]

before someone saw sense and started on underslung grenade launcher development!

Underslungs are a pretty good way of employing a little "mini-mortar" to deal with that guy hiding behind that low wall, in a trench, or in a building with a "window".

And considering they are a comical sounding "bloop" tube they are surprisingly light recoil and really easy to shoot accurately.

From all accounts I have heard, they are the polar opposite of the old Rifle grenade.

[browningautorifle]

the old Rifle grenade.

Was a real brute...and took lots of practice to make good with.

[nzl1a1collector]

The type of grenades used with the L1A1 were the No. 94 Rifle Grenade, the American M31 Rifle Grenade and the L2 or M26 Hand grenade with adaptor