M9 fragmentation grenade

M9 fragmentation grenade
M9 variants (infantry, Spartan, and post-war respectively)
Production overview
Manufacturer:	Misriah Armory
Type:	Antipersonnel hand grenade
Cost:	30cR
Variants:	See variants
Specifications
Diameter:	Standard infantry variant 9.4 centimeters (3.7 in) Post-war variant 15 centimeters (5.8 in) Spartan variant 21 centimeters (8.3 in)
Height:	Post-war variant 20.6 centimeters (8.1 in)
Weight:	Infantry variant 0.40 kilograms (0.875 lb) Post-war variant 0.41 kilograms (0.9 lb)
Filler:	0.19 kilograms (6.7 oz) of ComL
Explosive radius:	Injuries 15 meters (49 ft) Kill 4.9 meters (16 ft)
Service history
In service:	2310-present Insurrection Human-Covenant War Post-Covenant War conflicts

“

The M9 is a high-explosive, dual-purpose grenade utilized by all branches of the UNSC. Skilled users can bounce the grenade to get hard-to-reach targets and bypass obstacles.

”

The M9 High-Explosive Dual-Purpose (HE-DP) Antipersonnel Grenade is the standard-issue hand grenade of the United Nations Space Command. The weapon is semi-erroneously known as a fragmentation grenade and the colloquial frag. Furthermore, the M9 designation technically refers to several models of varying design. Like most UNSC small arms and explosives, the M9 is produced by Misriah Armory.

The grenade has received a number of colourful nicknames among UNSC personnel, including "Damage", "Firecracker", "Pineapple", "Blast Beetle", "Hopper", and "Croaker".

Overview

A blueprint of the M9 in Halo: Reach.

Design details

"Well it’s a grenade, innit? It blows up."

— Anonymous E2-BAG/1/7 serviceman

The M9 is a High-Explosive, Dual-Purpose fragmentation grenade widely utilised throughout the UNSC's service branches. The grenade's operating mechanism has been essentially unchanged for centuries, since it entered service in 2310. The designation is used to apply to a number of vastly different grenades created in numerous munitions plants throughout colonised space; though all examples exhibit broadly similar properties. The grenade's explosive power comes from Composition L, or "ComL" - an explosive filler inside every M9 grenade with a volume of 190 grams (6.7 ounces). ComL is generally stable until the explosion is triggered, at which point the exterior casing fragments into roughly 1x5mm shards, and is sent flying in various predetermined directions.

The M9 is triggered by a simple digital timer fuse, which then detonates a small primer explosive, in turn triggering the ComL to explode and send the shrapnel fragments flying away from the grenade. The digital timer fuse sits atop the top of the weapon, with a hardpoint available to allow the grenade to be linked to a serviceman's battle dress uniform (BDU).

Variants

"This is my third tour and I’ve seen action on a half dozen planets—I’ve also seen about five different versions of the M9. Not like em nine eh through em nine ee, but totally different fragmentation grenades called em nine. I guess that’s one of the consequences of being part of a galactic empire [laughter] I said galactic empire!"

— Anonymous E2-BAG/1/7 serviceman

M9 fragmentation grenades come in a number of variants exhibiting great variance in size and shape, depending on their location of manufacture. Despite this, they all exhibit broadly similar performance properties. M9 variants are generally not given unique model designators and are instead all simply considered M9s - even when they share relatively little in common.

• Infantry variant - a standard-issue variant of the M9 fragmentation grenade used during the Human-Covenant War, measuring 9.4 centimeters (3.7 in) in diameter.
• Spartan variant - an up-sized variant of the M9 fragmentation grenade intended for use by Spartan personnel - notably issued to Special Warfare Group Three forces (in particular NOBLE Team) during the Fall of Reach.
• Post-war variant - a variant of the M9 fragmentation grenade introduced following the end of the Great War.

• 

  The standard infantry variant of the M9.

• 

  Another M9 grenade variant.

• 

  The up-sized Spartan variant of the M9, seemingly based on the prior design..

• 

  The post-war resized M9.

UNSC Remarks

The M9 was one of the several weapons recorded by Doctor Robert McLees in the report Machines, Materiel and Munitions from the Human-Covenant Conflict, 2525 - Present.

• "Grenades are not something you throw just because you see bad guys. Make sure you know where your squad is at, make sure it’s only the bad guys you’re gonna blow up, then chuck the damage."
• "This is my third tour and I’ve seen action on a half dozen planets—I’ve also seen about five different versions of the M9. Not like em nine eh through em nine ee, but totally different fragmentation grenades called em nine. I guess that’s one of the consequences of being part of a galactic empire [laughter] I said galactic empire!"
• "The grenade detonated directly beneath the Ghost and sent it and the driver tumbling through the air; the remainder of 1st squad dispatched the Brute and secured the enemy vehicle."
• "There ain’t a magical wall at fifteen meters—had a hole punched in my cheek at about ninety meters over a year ago back on Ballast. Could’a lost an eye or even been killed. Remember when you hear that call or a thump to keep your head down.”
• "...bounced off of the loading ramp and exploded above head level (2.4 meters) killing the Brute SL and disrupting the remaining Grunts."
• "Well it’s a grenade innit? It blows up."

In-game information

This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

The M9 is a staple weapon present in all Halo games to date. It can be effectively hurled and bounced around corners and travels farther than the Covenant's Plasma Grenade alternative; this can be used to quickly and aptly damage an attacker before he can move away from it, giving you an instant advantage in the close combat situation. It is also harder to see and has a shorter fuse, therefore making it harder to avoid and more useful for killing enemies on foot.

Gallery

Browse more images in this article's gallery page.

• 

  Detail view of an M9 Frag Grenade in Halo: Combat Evolved.

• 

  A pair of M9 grenades from Halo: Combat Evolved.

• 

  The M9 Fragmentation Grenade in Halo 2.

• 

  The M9 Fragmentation Grenade in Halo 3.

• 

  A fragmentation grenade in mid-flight.

• 

  The M9 Frag Grenade in the Halo: Reach Beta.

• 

  The M9 Fragmentation Grenade in Halo: Reach.

• 

  An overview of the M9 Frag Grenade from Halo: Reach.

• 

  Front and back views of the M9 Frag Grenade from Halo: Reach.

• 

  Left and right views of the M9 Frag Grenade from Halo: Reach.

• 

  Reference chart of the Fragmentation Grenade in Halo: Reach.

• 

  A comparison of the M9 Fragmentation Grenade models from Halo 3 and Halo: Reach.

• 

  Render of the M9 grenade in Halo 4.

• 

  The M9 Fragmentation Grenade in Halo 4.

• 

  HUD Icon of the M9 Frag Grenade in Halo 4.

• 

  The M9 in Halo 2: Anniversary.

• 

  Explosion from a frag in Halo 5: Guardians.

• 

  A Spartan-IV throwing a M9 in Halo Infinite.

List of appearances

Halo: The Fall of Reach (First appearance) Halo: Combat Evolved Halo: The Flood Halo: First Strike Halo 2 Halo Graphic Novel Breaking Quarantine Halo: Ghosts of Onyx Halo: Uprising Halo 3 Halo Wars Halo 3: ODST Halo Legends The Package Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe The Mona Lisa Halo: Reach Halo: Fall of Reach Covenant Invasion

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Halo 4 Spartan Ops Halo: Spartan Assault Halo: Initiation Halo: Escalation Halo 2: Anniversary Halo: New Blood Hunt the Truth (Mentioned only) The Hunt Begins Halo: Spartan Strike Halo: Last Light Halo 5: Guardians Halo Wars 2 Halo: Retribution Halo: Fireteam Raven Halo: Shadows of Reach Halo: Point of Light Halo: Divine Wind

Halo Infinite Halo: The Television Series Solace Halo: The Rubicon Protocol Halo: Winter Contention