History of the M48 Red Smoke Grenade

The M48 red smoke grenade was a U.S. military non‑lethal, special‑purpose burning munition designed primarily for training and signaling purposes. It was not intended to cause injury or death, but to produce a visible red smoke cloud for concealment, marking, or simulation of chemical agent effects.

Development and Purpose

The M48 was developed in the mid‑20th century as a training substitute for the M47 CS (tear gas) grenade, allowing soldiers to practice deployment and handling without exposing them to actual irritants It was also used in certain operations for visual signaling and area marking in training or limited‑conflict scenarios.

Design and Specifications

• Type: Hand‑thrown, burning‑type munition
• Weight: ~390 g (≈1 lb)
• Diameter: 3.5 inches
• Body: Two vulcanized rubber hemispheres (grey)
• Fill: ~165 g of RS red smoke mixture
• Fuze: XM227E1 pyrotechnic time‑delay fuze with a lead styphnate primer and a silicon/red lead/dialumina nitrocellulose delay charge
• Operation: Safety pin and latch removal, arming handle release, firing pin ignites primer → delay charge → ignition mix → RS smoke expelled through emission port.

Historical Use

The M48 was in U.S. service during the Vietnam War, where inert versions were used for training and demonstration tacticalfirearmhub.com. It was also documented in U.S. technical manuals (TM 43‑0001‑29, TM 9‑1385‑51) and in ordnance inventories. Its non‑lethal nature made it suitable for live‑fire training without the hazards of real chemical agents.

Notable Facts

• Inert variants have been recovered and sold as historical ordnance, often marked with “M48 GRENADE RED SMOKE RS” and lot numbers.
• The M48 was not exported in its deactivated form due to munitions control regulations.

The M48’s role was to bridge the gap between live chemical agent training and safe simulation, and it remains a collectible piece of Cold War‑era ordnance. Today, it is preserved in museums, collected by ordnance historians, and occasionally sold to enthusiasts.

In summary: The M48 red smoke grenade was a U.S.‑made, non‑lethal training and signaling grenade, in service from the 1950s through the Vietnam era, valued for its ability to simulate chemical agent effects without actual hazard.