M84 stun grenade

M84 Stun Grenade
M84 stun grenade
TypeStun grenade
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service1995–present
Production history
DesignerPicatinny Arsenal
Designed1980s
Specifications
Mass13.2 ounces (370 g)[1]
Length5.25 inches (133 mm)
Diameter1.73 inches (44 mm)

FillingMagnesium/Ammonium Nitrate
Filling weight0.16 ounces (4.5 g)
Detonation
mechanism
M201A1 time-delay fuse (1.0 to 2.3 seconds)
Blast yield170–180 decibels and 6–8 million candelas within a 5-foot (1.5 m) radius

The M84 is the currently-issued stun grenade ("flashbang") of the United States Armed Forces and SWAT teams throughout the United States. Upon detonation, it emits an intensely loud "bang" of 170–180 decibels and a blinding flash of more than one million candelas within 5 feet (1.5 meters) of initiation, sufficient to cause immediate flash blindness, deafness, tinnitus, and inner ear disturbance.[2] Exposed personnel experience disorientation, confusion and loss of coordination and balance. While these effects are all intended to be temporary, there is risk of permanent injury. Consequently, the M84 is classified as a less-lethal weapon.[3][4]

  1. ^ "M84 Stun Grenade". globalsecurity.org. GlobalSecurity.org.
  2. ^ "U.S. Army’s Search for an Economical Device for Stun Hand Grenade Training Archived 4 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine" (PDF). dtic.mil, pg. 5. Retrieved on 24 July 2009.
  3. ^ "FM 3-23.30 "Grenades and Pyrotechnic Signals". globalsecurity.org, 1 September 2000. Ch. 1, Sec. 10. "Stun Hand Grenades". Retrieved on 24 July 2009.
  4. ^ "M84 Stun Hand Grenade". pica.army.mil. Retrieved on 24 July 2009.