Infantry weapons / Grenades / DM51
DM51
General Facts
- TYPE
Hand grenade - ORIGIN
Germany - NICKNAMES
Handgranate Spreng/Splitter DM 51 (German military designation) - DESIGNED
Mid 1970's - DESIGNER
Diehl - PRODUCTION
1978 - present - PRODUCERS Germany - Diehl
- QUANTITY
Unknown - UNIT COST
About $8 a piece - CHARACTERISTICS
Defensive and offensive grenade in one
Can easily be clustered
Reliable
Limited size and weight
More expensive than single pupose grenades
Introduction
The DM51 is an offensive/defensive hand grenade of German origin. It was developed in the 1970's to replace all grenades in German service with a single type. This is achieved by a removable fragmentation jacket which turns the defensive grenade into an offensive grenade.
Design
The DM51 features a high explosive grenade body with removable fragmentation jacket. By turning the jacket 90 degrees it is easily removed to turn the defensive grenade into an offensive grenade. The grenade body is a cylinder and has the fuze on top. The grenade is armed by pulling the pin. The fragmentation jacket features several ribs for strength and to provide a good grip. Several DM51 can be clustered for greater effect or to create a Bangalore torpedo.
Firepower
The high explosive grenade body is filled with 60 g Nitropenta and has a lethal radius of a few meters. When fitted with the fragmentation jacket the lethality and lethal range increase vastly.
Users
The DM51 is the standard grenade of the German military and in widespread service amongst all branches.
DM51
The DM51 is a offensive and defensive hand grenade in one. The sleeve with shrapnel can be removed in order to use the high explosive body as an offensive grenade. The DM58 is the practice version of the DM51.
- Specifications:
- DM51
| Type | Offensive/defensive hand grenade |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 57 mm |
| Length | 107 mm |
| Weight | 0.425 kg complete, 145 g without jacket |
| Fuse | DM 82A1B1 or B2 |
|---|---|
| Filling | Explosive: 60 g Nitropenta Fragments: 6.500 steel balls, 2 - 2.3 mm diameter |
| Effect | 35 m danger area |
| Velocity | Hand thrown |
| Range | Hand thrown |
|---|---|
| Remarks | Jacket with fragments can be removed to create an offensive grenade |