- Joined
- Oct 11, 2010
- Messages
- 12,704
- Reaction score
- 7,457
- Age
- 61
Manufactured in France c.1915-18 from cut-down of old Gras Mle1874 rifles to quickly equip the poilus with trench artillery, the Guidetti launcher gave the French army a cheap direct and indirect fire weapon with a range of 40 to 195 meters. It also gave a new purpose to the Foug grenade, whose time fuse was responsible for many accidents in the field due to the weak spring holding its plunger in place ; it was used as a mortar projectile, with the energy of the launch being enough to arm it.
77mm Guidetti percussive grenade - 150g of cheddite explosive - or 65mm Foug ‘citron’ fuse grenade in a wooden sabot - 90g of cheddite explosive, single shot Gras bolt action with a cut-down 10cm barrel using a 11mm cartridge, covered by a ‘blunderbuss’ telescopic sleeve fitted with a recoil spring.
