Original Item: Only One Available. The Viven-Bessières rifle grenade was an infantry weapon in use with the French Army from 1916 onwards. Also known as the "VB" grenade, it was named after its inventors, and officially referred to as the "Viven-Bessières shell" in the French Army instruction manual. The grenade launcher system consists of two elements, the discharger (Launcher) and the projectile (grenade).

Appearing in 1916, the VB grenade was the most famous and best French rifle grenade developed. It was even copied by the Germans during WWI due to its usefulness. Unlike most rifle grenade systems, it did not have any long rod attached, and actually used the regular ammunition for propulsion. Not needing to reload the rifle used with different ammunition was a literal game changer.

This example is in very good condition, and still has the detonator/fuze, bottom plug, and explosives filling plug. Only the brass lever over the central hole that triggers the fuze is missing. The fuze is marked 36-F, and the top of the grenade body is marked S U.

Made of a pig iron cylinder with inner fragmentation grooves, the grenade has a central hollow tube the same inner diameter of the Lebel rifle bullet. Next to this on one side is another hollow tube, which contains the detonator, topped by a brass cap with a small lateral percussion lever over the detonator tube. The bottom of the detonator is covered by another screw cap. On the other side is the screw plug for the explosive filling hole.

The VB grenade was shot using a grenade-sleeve fixed on the Lebel rifle, using a traditional ammunition rather than a blank cartridge, thus avoiding frequent accidents caused by ammo confusion in the fight stress. When shot, the bullet went through the central tube, hit the small lever placed on the external part of the detonator, igniting the starter that communicated the fire to the wick then the detonator. The ejection gases, accumulating in the sleeve when the bullet was still inside the central tube, propelled the body of the grenade up up to 180 m.

A small brass cap with a central hole for the bullet was sometimes used to cover the external mechanisms and prevent accidental percussion during transportation. This grenade was so efficient that it changed the tactics of the French infantry. Each company had 16 VB men, giving a powerful and very maneuverable firepower for both attack and defense. It was still in use in the French Army in 1940.

Very hard to find in any condition and ready to display!