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submitted 5 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[-] [email protected] 38 points 5 days ago

I wonder if anyone in the military has used a sling to launch a grenade.

You'd want a longer fuse though...

[-] [email protected] 35 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

According to wikipedia, the International Brigades used slings to hurl grenades during the Spanish American War. I've heard tell of Ethiopian troops using slings to launch grenades, but can't find a source.

And I know people have launched molotovs from slings, which are larger and more unwieldy, unless we're talking about the German example above with a handle.

[-] [email protected] 22 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Grenades are mostly used at closer and more hectic ranges, so it's often much faster to just throw it instead of having to prepare some sort of implement to increase range.

There have been instances of things being used, like slings, slingshots and even devices similar to those things you use to throw tennis balls for dogs. But at the end of the day, the increased range is rarely worth the extra time needed. You would only get an advantage as an opening attack from a longer distance. And for that we already have under-barrel grenade launchers that can reach ten times further than thrown ones, or mortars that could be a hundred times further away from the target.

[-] [email protected] 8 points 5 days ago

I feel like the ultimate 'stick' you can attach to a grenade these days is a drone. But yeah, agreed in general

[-] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Oh yeah, that is by far the best device in which they're used these days. Although that has little to do with grenades per se, since they can use all kinds of different explosive devices. And it still suffers from the main concern with hand grenades: Time to prepare. It's a lot faster and cheaper to throw one 20-30m than it is to take out, power up and send a drone that distance.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

Grenades are mostly used at closer and more hectic ranges, so it's often much faster to just throw it instead of having to prepare some sort of implement to increase range.

Hand grenades, sure. There's a reason we have grenade launchers though. They can fire several hundred meters. With that said, is there really a need for a sling? I could see gorilla forces making good use of them, as they'd be silent, cheap, portable, and a lot easier to hide. Conventional forces have no need though because either you're close enough for a hand grenade (there are different types, some are thrown further and some not), or you have grenade launchers available to hit the further away.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 4 days ago

Gorillas got grenades guys.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago

They used slingshots during WW1, it wasn't great

[-] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago

How much damage would a trebuchet grenade do?

[-] [email protected] 3 points 4 days ago

a trebuchet could throw 300 grenades up to 300 meters

[-] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago

Or a cistera ๐Ÿ˜€

Dungeon Crawler Carl Style

[-] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago

Sling staff to launch grenades?

[-] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

Just connect the pin to the sling so it slides out as you launch it. It has the small side effect of maybe getting stuck, but hey, nothing is perfect.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

just grab a dog ball throwing stick

[-] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

I was going to mention those at first, but who hasn't had a throw go wild with one of them?

this post was submitted on 31 May 2025
597 points (98.4% liked)

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