RG-42

The Soviet RG-42 (Ручная Граната образца 42 года > Ruchnaya Granata obraztsa 42 goda, "Hand Grenade pattern of [19]42 year") was a fragmentation grenade designed by S.G. Korshunov.

It was originally introduced during World War II from 1942 onwards as an emergency measure to replace the complex RGD-33 grenade. It continued in use with the USSR and its Warsaw Pact allies in the post-war period until replaced in 1954 by the RGD-5 grenade. Stockpiles were held for emergency or reserve issue, military aid, or foreign sales. They were eventually destroyed in the 1980s due to the TNT filling degrading and becoming unsafe.