6 Common Hollywood Grenade Mistakes That Will Blow Your Mind

Photo Credits: Sobli / RDB / ullstein bild / Getty Images. (resized).

In the realm of explosive armaments, grenades often steal the limelight yet are frequently misrepresented. The media tends to exaggerate their use, showing characters yanking pins with their teeth, hurling grenades at enemies, and expecting spectacular explosions. While these depictions heighten the thrill of the scenes, they overlook the correct techniques for handling these devices.

Here are six typical errors found in the depiction of grenades in military films.

What is a grenade?

German soldier with Russian hand grenades, 1910-1915. (Photo Credit: HUM Images / Universal Images Group / Getty Images)

Contemporary hand grenades comprise an internal explosive charge, a detonator and an internal striker responsible for initiating the explosion. These components are secured by a lever and pin safety device. While there are diverse grenade types designed for specific purposes, the fragmentation grenade stands out as the most prevalent.

The roots of grenades can be traced back to the Byzantine Empire, where small ceramic canisters resembling pomegranates were utilized. These containers were filled with “Greek fire” and employed to set ships ablaze in naval battles. Concurrently, during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) in China, ceramic vessels filled with gunpowder and fuses contributed to the historical evolution of grenades.

The advent of the modern grenade took place in Britain in 1906, although formal adoption by the British Army didn’t occur until ’13. The outbreak of World War I propelled advancements in hand grenade technology throughout Europe, leading to the creation of novel models like the Mills bomb, acknowledged as the inaugural modern fragmentation grenade.

Today, the weapon varies in form and purpose, from fragmentation grenades to high explosive ones, anti-tank and stun grenades (also known as flashbangs).

Movie error #1: Pulling the pin with your teeth

A grenadier using his teeth to pull the pin out of a grenade. (Photo Credit: Keystone-France / Gamma-Keystone / Getty Images)

Following the discussion on the historical development of grenades, it’s essential to clear up the misconceptions spread by Hollywood about these explosive devices. One common error is the idea that soldiers pull the pin with their teeth.

The safety pin of a grenade is intentionally designed to be difficult to remove, particularly when bent. If it were as easily pulled out as depicted in films, the grenade would not be a dependable or safe weapon. Although a soldier could theoretically use their teeth to remove the pin, this would likely result in an unwelcome visit to the dentist (an experience nobody wants).

It is much more practical and safer for soldiers to use their hands to pull the pin.

Movie error #2: A massive fireball explosion

A grenade explosion from the 2008 film, The Hurt Locker. (Photo Credit: Summit Entertainment / MovieStillsDB)

In many war films, characters often throw grenades, resulting in a dramatic explosion followed by their slow-motion escape, as is customary in Hollywood films. However, this depiction does not accurately reflect reality. Grenades are not designed to produce large fireballs; their main purpose is to scatter shrapnel over a wide radius.

The average causality radius of a hand grenade ranges from five to 20 meters. Within a 10-meter range, a grenade can fatally injure bystanders, while serious injuries can occur up to 20 meters away. Despite the potential lethality of a grenade explosion, the weapon lacks the force needed to generate the huge fireballs commonly seen in movies.

Movie error #3: The effects of shrapnel

A man shows a piece of shrapnel in Kharkiv amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 2022. (Photo Credit: Aziz Karimov / SOPA Images / LightRocket / Getty Images)

Among the range of grenades currently in use, the M67 fragmentation grenade is especially common. It is specifically designed for defensive applications, constructed to break apart upon detonation and disperse shrapnel in all directions. Even improvised devices like Molotov cocktails use a similar fragmentation strategy to boost their destructive effect.

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Yet, in films, TV shows, and video games, the shrapnel part of grenades is often downplayed, with the explosive force being shown as the main threat. In reality, the explosion by itself is unlikely to be fatal for those within the blast zone; the real hazard comes from the deadly potential of the shrapnel.

Movie error #4: Throwing the grenade like a baseball

French officer throwing a grenade, World War II. (Photo Credit: Albert Harlingue / Roger Viollet / Getty Images)

When soldiers throw a grenade in movies, they usually throw it lightly over the shoulder like a baseball. In reality, grenades are much heavier than the average baseball, weighing around 400 grams (depending on the model), while a baseball only weighs 141 grams.

It takes time and practice for soldiers to properly learn how to throw a grenade with enough force to avoid falling victim to the 20-meter-wide causality radius.

Movie error #5: Projectile grenades are not missiles

A soldier from the Afghan National Army carries his rocket propelled grenade (RPG) launcher during a foot patrol in a volatile area in Panjwayi district, Kandahar province, 2006. (Photo Credit: JOHN D MCHUGH / AFP / Getty Images)

Grenade launchers, also known as projectile grenades, have become one of the most easily recognizable weapons in the world. They were first used in modern combat during WWI and were constructed from items like crossbows and catapults. As such, they were less effective than the ones used today.

Today, projectile grenades are so sophisticated that they often get mistaken for missiles and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). RPGs are much larger and use larger ammunition that’s equipped with its own internal fuel supply, while grenade launchers are smaller rifles that use external fuel to launch fragmentation grenades, which slightly reduces the risk of getting blown up.

Both rocket launchers and grenade launchers have their advantages. Grenade launchers are smaller and can be fired faster than a rocket launcher, but rocket launchers can fire missiles at a greater distance. Even though movies like to use grenade launchers and rocket launchers interchangeably, they couldn’t be more different!

Movie error #6: You can’t actually throw grenades back

A soldier prepares to throw a hand grenade towards enemy trenches during the Spanish Civil War, 1938. (Photo Credit: Hulton-Deutsch Collection / CORBIS / Getty Images)

One movie trope that likely bothers many soldiers and military enthusiasts is when characters throw back unpinned grenades – especially when they’ve been sitting on the ground for more than a few seconds. While throwing the weapon back can be accomplished in some circumstances, it’s incredibly difficult (and inadvisable), unless one has a death wish.

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There’s only a few seconds of space between the pin being pulled and the grenade going off, and thus the only way a soldier could even successfully lob the weapon back is if they were to catch it straight out of the air. This hardly ever happens. The most likely scenario is it’ll roll and bounce on the ground, not giving someone enough time to run up to it, grab it and throw it back before detonation.

Elisabeth Edwards: Elisabeth Edwards is a public historian and history content writer. After completing her Master's in Public History at Western University in Ontario, Canada Elisabeth has shared her passion for history as a researcher, interpreter, and volunteer at local heritage organizations. She also helps make history fun and accessible with her podcast The Digital Dust Podcast, which covers topics on everything from art history to grad school. In her spare time, you can find her camping, hiking, and exploring new places. Elisabeth is especially thrilled to share a love of history with readers who enjoy learning something new every day! The Digital Dust Podcast
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