| STRIM 65 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Rifle grenade |
| Place of origin | France[1] |
| Service history | |
| Used by | France Rhodesia[2] South African Defence Force |
| Wars | Rhodesian Bush War South African Border War Lebanese Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | STRIM |
| Designed | 1961 |
| Manufacturer | Hotchkiss-Brandt, licence manufacture by Mecar |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 735 g (25.9 oz) |
| Length | 420 mm (17 in) |
| Diameter | 65 mm (2.6 in) |
| Maximum firing range | 120 m (130 yd) |
| Filling | Hexolite HEAT charge with 300 mm (12 in) RHA penetration |
| Filling weight | 270 g (9.5 oz) |
The STRIM 65 is an anti-tank rifle grenade that the French Army used from 1961 to 1978, under the designation 65 AC 28. This and the older 73mm Modèle 1950 (similar in appearance to an Energa grenade) were the standard anti-tank munitions in French service.[1] A 22 mm grenade launching adapter mounted atop the rifle's barrel held the grenade until the firing of a ballistite (blank) cartridge provided the propulsive force to launch the grenade.
Mecar, under licence, also made the grenade in Belgium,[3] and a licence was also granted to Armscor of South Africa.[4]
The AC58 rifle grenade manufactured by Luchaire replaced the STRIM 65. The AC58 used a new bullet trap form of propulsion, thereby doing away with the need for a special launching round.[5]
The Brazilian M2 anti-personnel and M3 anti-tank rifle grenades bear a strong similarity to the STRIM 40 and STRIM 65 respectively.
Sources and references
[edit]- ^ a b Archer, Denis H R, ed. (1978). Jane's Infantry Weapons (Fourth Edition) 1978. London: Macdonald and Jane's. p. 769. ISBN 978-0354005630.
- ^ Baxter, Peter; Bomford, Hugh; van Tonder, Gerry, eds. (2014). Rhodesia Regiment 1899-1981. Johannesburg: 30 Degrees South Publishers. pp. 471–488. ISBN 978-1-92014-389-3.
The Rhodesian rifle grenade manual (for the 32Z and 28R) was the source
- ^ Archer, Denis H R, ed. (1976). "Grenades". Jane's Infantry Weapons (Second Edition) 1976. London: Macdonald and Jane's. pp. 391, 408. ISBN 978-0354005319.
- ^ Moukambi, Victor (December 2008). RELATIONS BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICA AND FRANCE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO MILITARY MATTERS, 1960-1990 (PDF) (Doctoral dissertation thesis). Stellenbosch: Military Science, Stellenbosch University. pp. 181–2. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
manufacturing licences for ENTAC missiles, 400 kg aircraft bombs and [STRIM] anti-tank rifle grenades were also granted to South Africans. Source: DOD, SANDF Documentation Centre, Pretoria. File No. Map 70/15 Vol. 1, Licence agreements, Annexure 2 to MAP/70/15 dated December 1966. Subject: Armament policy
- ^ Weeks, John, ed. (1979). "Grenades". Jane's Infantry Weapons (Fifth Edition) 1979–80. London: Macdonald and Jane's. p. 331. ISBN 978-0531039052.
The main object has been to develop a new anti-tank grenade to replace the now obsolete 65 AC 28 R2 model
External links
[edit]- French army manual on rifle grenades dated 1966 with an illustration of the STRIM 65 (65 AC 28) and text on pages 26 to 28
- Images of a practice round as used by the SADF up to the 1980s
- Recollection of firing a STRIM during basic training in 1979 at Walvis Bay
- Article (in Spanish) with reference to several French and Brazilian rifle grenades