C03054 RUSSIAN RGD-33 GRENADE WITH FRAGMENTATION SLEEVE. The RGD-33 (Ruchnaya Granata Degtyareva [Model] - 1933) developed from and replaced the Model 1914/30 stick grenade, although it retained its predecessor’s released igniter fuze mechanism. Constructed entirely from olive drab painted, stamped sheet metal, it is comprised of a 2 1/8" diameter head screwed unto a 1 5/16" diameter handle, creating an overall height of 7 1/2". Slid over the head is a 2 1/2" tall fragmentation sleeve, also painted olive drab, with a cross-hatched pattern to its exterior. An open, vertical seam is along one side of the sleeve, and a vertical notch is to the base of its opposite side, which has a sliding, locking mechanism alongside it. The notch would be oriented when the sleeve was fitted so that it would allow for the protrusion of a short pin along the lower side of the grenade head, with the sleeve then being fixed in position by sliding the locking mechanism under this pin. The pin is presently absent. To the top of the grenade head is the swiveling cover to a central hole, for the detonator, which passes through to its threaded base. A catch retains the extension to this cover, with a Cyrillic "ÑÏ" ("SP") monogram embossed beside it, no doubt indicating the manufacturer. What appears to be the western letter "D" has been handwritten alongside this monogram, and "11-40" is ink stamped to the other side of the cover. The stepped base of the grenade head has a notched washer screwed unto its threaded extension. This short extension screws unto the top of the grenade handle. The handle has five horizontal ribs to it, between the first and second of which is a sliding switch. This switch, when moved towards the left, reveals a small hole and unlocks the handle, which actually has an inner and an outer assembly, held together by a strong spring. The grenade is then cocked by pulling back on the outer handle and twisting it clockwise, until a red dot may be seen through the small hole, only traces of which remain. Pushing the switch to the right again locks the handle. The detonator would then be inserted through the hole to the top of the grenade head, immediately prior to use. The grenade, which has complex internal mechanism, was armed by exposing the red dot of the cocked handle, and then throwing it such that the momentum of the head in relation to the handle starts the fuze delay, with the grenade exploding 3 1/2 seconds later. Another, more obscured, maker’s monogram may be seen embossed near the base of the handle, along with another, equally obscured, handwritten marking. All of the components are lightly to moderately surface spotted, most noticeably to the interior of the fragmentation sleeve, the swiveling detonator cover, the sides of the head, its sliding switch, and near the base of the handle. Most of its original paint, however, has been retained.

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