Infantry Weapons

Type 86P hand grenade

Also known as
  • Type 86P
  • Type-86P
  • Type 86 hand grenade
  • Type 86P fragmentation grenade
  • 86式全塑无柄手榴弹
  • 86式手榴弹

The Type 86P, also described in Chinese as the 86式全塑无柄手榴弹, is a Chinese all-plastic fragmentation hand grenade standardized in 1986 with an ovoid body, striker-release delay fuze, and about 1,600 embedded steel balls. Technical references disagree on the explosive fill, while conflict reporting documents the type in Iraq weapons caches, Boko Haram-captured materiel in northeast Nigeria, and opposition-area Syrian arms-market listings.

Type 86P hand grenade, All-plastic defensive fragmentation hand grenade, Infantry Weapons
Image source: Type 86P grenade.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
China
Type
All-plastic defensive fragmentation hand grenade
Service note
1986-present
Designed
1986
Produced
1986 onward

Specifications

Munition class
High-explosive fragmentation hand grenade
Body
All-plastic ovoid body with horizontal and vertical grip ribs
Fuze
Striker-release delay fuze; CAT-UXO identifies the Type 86P fuze as pyrotechnic-delay
Fragmentation
Approximately 1,600 steel balls, about 2.5-3 mm, embedded in plastic
Fill
Open sources conflict: Chinese web references report about 40 g TNT, while a 1994 U.S. ordnance guide lists plasticized PETN; JMU/CISR extract lists 39.28 g net explosive weight
Delay
3-5 seconds in the 1994 U.S. ordnance guide; Chinese web references often summarize about 4 seconds
Effect radii
Lethal radius about 6 m; safety radius about 25 m
Dimensions
About 90 mm long and 52 mm diameter
Weight
About 260 g
Grip ribs
External grip pattern reported as five horizontal ribs and eight radial/longitudinal ribs
Timeline

Type 86P hand grenade Key Events

  1. Design finalized

    Chinese reporting says the 86式全塑无柄手榴弹 was designed and standardized in 1986 and then produced in quantity for PLA service.

    Sources: 军事丨国产86式全塑无柄手榴弹，将代替木柄手榴弹装备部队 - 搜狐

  2. Recovered in Iraq cache hunt

    U.S. military reporting said Marine engineers found four Type 86P grenades among weapons caches west of Habbaniyah during Operation River Sweep.

    Sources: Iraqi, Coalition Troops Detain Suspects, Find Weapons

  3. Shown in Dikwa capture imagery

    Sahara Reporters published photos of Type 86P grenades among materiel Boko Haram said it had stolen from Nigerian forces after the Dikwa attack.

    Sources: Boko Haram Releases Photos Of Nigerian Army's Gun Trucks, Police Van Stolen In Dikwa

  4. ARES Syria market report released

    ARES' Digital Bazaar report identified 19 Chinese Type 86P hand grenades in its dataset of online arms-market listings from opposition-controlled northwestern Syria.

    Sources: Digital Bazaar: The Online Trade of Arms and Munitions in Opposition-controlled Syria

Design Notes

Open-source Chinese reporting and a 1994 U.S. ordnance identification guide describe the Type 86P as a compact all-plastic grenade that moved Chinese hand-grenade design away from older stick-grenade ergonomics.

Designation

86式全塑无柄手榴弹, rendered here as Type 86P hand grenade.

Body construction

An olive-green ovoid plastic body with external ribs and a steel-ball fragmentation liner molded into plastic.

Fragmentation liner

About 1,600 steel balls, typically described around 2.5-3 mm diameter, provide the main anti-personnel fragmentation effect.

Fuze and fill

Sources agree on a striker-release delay fuze but disagree on fill: Chinese web references report about 40 g TNT, while the U.S. ordnance guide lists plasticized PETN.

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Sources

Hand and Rifle Grenades - Worldwide Identification Guide (U)Publisher: Defense Intelligence Agency / U.S. Army Foreign Science and Technology Center | Note: Supports Type 86P identification, Chinese origin, 90 mm length, 52 mm diameter, 260 g weight, striker-release fuze, 3-5 second delay, plastic body, approximately 1,600 steel balls, lethal radius, safety radius, and plasticized-PETN fill listing. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Iraqi, Coalition Troops Detain Suspects, Find WeaponsPublisher: DVIDS / War.gov | Note: For 2003 Iraq War, reports four Type 86P grenades found in weapons caches west of Habbaniyah during Operation River Sweep, supporting recovered insurgent-cache context. | Accessed: 2026-07-03The Management of Lethal Materiel in Conflict SettingsPublisher: International Peace Information Service | Note: For 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, lists Type 86P hand grenades as materiel in service with or recovered from Boko Haram, supporting that Type 86P hand grenades were fielded by Boko Haram and ISWAP-side forces. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Boko Haram Releases Photos Of Nigerian Army's Gun Trucks, Police Van Stolen In DikwaPublisher: Sahara Reporters | Note: For 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, reports Boko Haram insurgents displayed Type 86P hand grenades stolen from Nigerian military forces at Dikwa, supporting that Type 86P grenades were fielded by Boko Haram and ISWAP-side forces. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Digital Bazaar: The Online Trade of Arms and Munitions in Opposition-controlled SyriaPublisher: Armament Research Services | Note: For 2011 Syrian Civil War, documents 19 Chinese Type 86P hand grenades among online arms-market listings in opposition-controlled north and northwestern Syria, supporting Type 86P circulation in opposition-held areas rather than a specific firing event. | Accessed: 2026-07-03军事丨国产86式全塑无柄手榴弹，将代替木柄手榴弹装备部队 - 搜狐Publisher: Sohu | Note: Supports the 1986 design date, quantity production, current PLA issue, all-plastic body, 1,600-steel-ball fragmentation liner, 40 g TNT fill, and smokeless/flameless ignition details for the 86式全塑无柄手榴弹. | Accessed: 2026-07-03军事丨国产86式全塑无柄手榴弹，已装备部队定量生产了Publisher: Sina | Note: Supports reported weight, length, diameter, exterior rib pattern, steel-ball liner, and Chinese service background for the 86式全塑无柄手榴弹. | Accessed: 2026-07-0305-Grenade.pdfPublisher: James Madison University Center for International Stabilization and Recovery | Note: Supports EOD-style identification of the Chinese Type 86P hand fragmentation grenade, striker-release grenade association, and 39.28 g net explosive weight. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Type 86P Hand GrenadePublisher: CAT-UXO | Note: Supports general identification, role, fuze type, and technical description of the Chinese Type 86P hand grenade. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Original Chinese Current Issue Type 86P Hand Grenade with Fuze and Pull RingPublisher: International Military Antiques | Note: Supports background details for an inert Type 86P example, including Chinese development, plastic body construction, fuze assembly, approximate height, and steel-ball fragmentation liner. | Accessed: 2026-07-03METIS grenade munitions indexPublisher: Fenix Insight | Note: Supports manufacturer-country context by listing Type 86P hand grenades as manufactured in China. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Type 86P grenade.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a public-domain U.S. Army drawing of the Type 86P fragmentation grenade. | Accessed: 2026-07-03