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The Coupler Frag Grenade

Simple, Tiny, and Does the Job

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#1 Mehku

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 05:38 PM

I have been going over several grenade designs and concepts for the past few months. Some have been more complex, and some have been more simple. However, for this new grenade prototype, I found an easy and simple way to make one. I based it off the film canister grenade, but I tinkered with the design. The grenade explodes as hard as you throw it. You can even drop it from about shoulder-height and it will explode, meaning that this will also work outdoors as a tiny bunker-buster. Yet, the design is durable enough that it won't go off in your pocket unless you do something extraordinary.

First, the materials:

You will need:

-2 pvc/cpvc couplers or flanges of generally any size
-regular tape
-4 small foam "frags"
-2 AR springs
-3 small rubber bands

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First, tape the hole on the bottom of both couplers and place an AR spring in the middle.

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Now, put your foam "frags" on top of the spring.

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Be careful when you sandwich the two couplers together. Make sure the frags don't fly out. Then, when you have completely sandwiched them together, place 3 small rubber bands around the couplers.

Here is the finished product next to a maverick turret for size comparison:

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Your done! Now lets go frag somebody!

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My very shitty videos:

Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
Video 4

Like I said before, the spread isn't the best, but it can get the job done.

Edited by Mehku, 12 May 2009 - 09:27 PM.

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#2 nerfnukerz

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 05:42 PM

Yes! My first first post!

That is awesome! I think I might go build one right now. However, would there be a way to make it hold more frags?
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#3 Mehku

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 05:43 PM

Yes! My first first post!

That is awesome! I think I might go build one right now. However, would there be a way to make it hold more frags?


To put more frags in, you need bigger couplers.
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#4 nerfnukerz

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 05:47 PM

Yes! My first first post!

That is awesome! I think I might go build one right now. However, would there be a way to make it hold more frags?


To put more frags in, you need bigger couplers.



Oh.. <_<

Also, I have looked through my materials, and the only thing I have that looks like that coupler is a cpvc flange. Could that be what you have there?
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#5 Mehku

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 05:49 PM

Yes! My first first post!

That is awesome! I think I might go build one right now. However, would there be a way to make it hold more frags?


To put more frags in, you need bigger couplers.



Oh.. <_<

Also, I have looked through my materials, and the only thing I have that looks like that coupler is a cpvc flange. Could that be what you have there?


Yea, it looks like it would work. I refer to anything that connects to a pipe as a coupler, so sorry for the confusion.
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#6 Capten Karat

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 05:53 PM

I'm confused about how this works.

1. Do you have to be holding it to set it off?
2. If question 1 was answered no, how does it go off?
3. Could you also use end caps for this?
Take of your thinking caps, and put on your ALGEBRAINS!

#7 Mehku

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 05:57 PM

I'm confused about how this works.

1. Do you have to be holding it to set it off?
2. If question 1 was answered no, how does it go off?
3. Could you also use end caps for this?


1. No. You throw it, and the force of the impact when it hits something makes it go off.
2. Same as above
3. You could try, but I don't know if you would get the same results.
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#8 PointBlank

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 07:08 PM

That is an awesome idea! Also, very well executed. Would it be at all possible to put up a video demonstration? That would be great.
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#9 TantumBull

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 07:26 PM

I have a hard time seeing this get a decent spread. I too would like to see a video.
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#10 CrazyIvan VI

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 07:46 PM

I'm sort of confused here.

You throw it at something, and it 'explodes'.

However, it's just shooting out bits of foam, which won't fly very far, so you'd practically need to HIT someone with it...

Sorry, I don't see how whipping rubberbanded couplers around makes a 'frag grenade.' Why do we even need a frag? This isn't Halo, it's nerf.
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#11 nerfer63

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 08:08 PM

I highly doubt this will work its to bulky for four little pieces of darts that go nowhere.
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#12 Mehku

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 08:11 PM

I'm sort of confused here.

You throw it at something, and it 'explodes'.

However, it's just shooting out bits of foam, which won't fly very far, so you'd practically need to HIT someone with it...

Sorry, I don't see how whipping rubberbanded couplers around makes a 'frag grenade.' Why do we even need a frag? This isn't Halo, it's nerf.


It's developed for different play styles. Of course, this would be fucking retarded if you bring it to a large war. Even though it can be used outdoors, its more for indoor use. When I was nerfing in my friend's basement, which has many tight corners and other small places, I couldn't shoot him without getting shot because we often corner each other. The whole point it to either smack a wall right behind him, or just distract him while I dive for cover.

It was developed for those reasons, not because I'm trying to make this Halo or some other Mil-sim bullshit.

The spread is not good, but it's not bad either. What balances this out is the fact that the plastic couplers bounce everywhere and make a lot of noise. So, it is more primarily a distraction than a weapon, but hell, if I do hit someone, then it might as well have foam in it. Whatever will make the opponent flinch or dive is worth it. I will try to get a quick video up maybe tonight or tomorrow.
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#13 RVMVTVProductions

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 08:13 PM

Wait, so the stress/impact of the throw detaches the bands, letting the springs decompress, or did I miss something?

I like the idea, but I think a bigger grenade covered in foam and actual Stefan "frags" would make it better. Now to work on a launcher...

I too would like to see a video.

Edit: Shadowblade, you beat me to editing in "Foam Padded" grenades.

Edited by RVMVTVProductions, 12 May 2009 - 08:30 PM.

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#14 Shadowblade

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 08:13 PM

You could try making itty-bitty stefans, like .5". A single copper bb should give the "frags" enough weight to fly a little further.

I wouldn't be throwing that at people however. Looks like it might hurt someone if you throw it too hard, so you may have to pad it a little. I second the video request. We may have something here to work with.

EDIT: RVMVTV beat me to it. Basically what he said.

Edited by Shadowblade, 12 May 2009 - 08:14 PM.

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#15 Disturbed

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 08:26 PM

A stronger spring would help and longer darts. Good job, many of the homemade grenades aren't very good, with this one all you need to do to the grenade is add a stronger spring to spread the darts more.
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#16 SchizophrenicMC

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 09:04 PM

More Grenades?

I can see that this year's big thing in Nerf is going to be scatter weapons; grenades, scatterguns, those little popper things, tripmines...
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QUOTE(NerfUK @ May 8 2009, 11:54 AM) View Post

(I forgot to take a picture of my own poppers)

QUOTE(analogkid @ May 20 2009, 10:04 PM) View Post

Every size rod you could ever want.

#17 Mehku

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 09:28 PM

I put the videos up on this first post. Sorry for the shitty quality, it's the only camera that I have.
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#18 gameplayer20859

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 09:28 PM

Cool concept but your going to need stronger springs, weighted darts, and padding on the outside. Nice way to make a granade that actually detonates on impact.
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#19 Darken

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 10:34 PM

My only suggestion would be to get stronger springs, and maybe as a version 2.0, a grenade with six or so 1/2" PVC barrels on each half holding two or three mini stefans a piece, with foam padding around it. It would be complicated, but if it worked with stronger springs, it could definately prove itself usefull, especially because unlike other grenades you don't need to make it hit the ground at the perfect angle.

Edited by Darken, 12 May 2009 - 10:35 PM.

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#20 Chaos-blades

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 11:12 PM

Good thinking dude. It's a pretty similar design to the old film canister grenades.

Personally i've never felt the need for a grenade in nerf, but that's my opinion based on my stlye of play.
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#21 Ambience 327

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Posted 13 May 2009 - 09:31 AM

I've seen several different grenade concepts, both here and at NHQ, in the past week or so. Of all of them, this one seems to have the most promise. My biggest issue with it is, as others have said, the bare coupler which could hurt/injure another player and/or damage walls or other objects/property.

Since I play primarily indoors, I am in full agreement that a decent grenade would be a powerful tool. By decent, I mean that it needs to do the following:

1) "Detonate" reliably on impact with the ground or a wall.
2) Send a decent amount of foam in a good spread with a blast radius of 5 feet or more.
3) Be safe enough to hurl around without fear of causing injury if it hits someone, or damage if it hits a wall, lamp, etc.

I'm still not convinced that we can pull off all three of those goals in the same grenade, but if we can, I would be a very happy Nerfer. I'll be watching this thread with great interest, and doing some thinking along these lines myself.
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#22 TAiLsChaser

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Posted 13 May 2009 - 10:06 AM

The result of hitting someone with the fragments is about as the same as shooting a shotgun spread over a group of people while turning a corner - not a lot of them are going to admit getting hit nor is the likelihood of them feeling it. This grenade has to go off in front of you so you and your witnesses have proof that someone got hit. But if you have time to toss this, you're better off using your gun.

Interesting nevertheless.
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#23 CaptainSlug

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Posted 13 May 2009 - 10:11 AM

It's still my opinion that grenades have no place or use in a Nerf War.
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#24 Ambience 327

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Posted 13 May 2009 - 01:46 PM

And you're entitled to that opinion CS. However, I'm also entitled to mine. :D

Like I said, indoors, these things could be quite useful, and if limited (and supplied to both teams) wouldn't become an unbalancing factor. I'm not saying they would see use every game, but they would certainly be something thrown into the mix to spice it up now and then.

Let's face it - once you've played dozens of games in the same space, it can get a little stale. If you're limited to that same space (as my group is - we don't have any place to play that suits our needs other than the church), you have to throw a new game variant or a new type of weapon into the mix every now and then.

Case in point - we use these air rockets, each supplied with two rockets and a holster/quiver, as "rocket launchers". Rather than some easy-to-abuse/refuse "blast radius", we just say that hits from the rockets count until they stop moving, wheras other shots (from darts) are deemed dead once they hit anything (a wall, ceiling, player, etc). This, combined with the fact that nothing else we use can outrange these things, makes them desirable weapons that are difficult to use and don't remotely unbalance the game, but add a slightly different aspect of play to the game (as well as granting bragging rights to anyone who scores a kill with them). For instance, they can be launched over the whole distance of the auditorium, and even potentially score a hit on people hiding behind things via indirect fire & bouncing.

I have considered adding some ball blasters to the mix, with the same "counts until it stops" rule for more variety.
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#25 Mehku

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Posted 13 May 2009 - 04:55 PM

Thanks for all of the replies!

Since this is only a prototype, I will be working more on increasing the spread for the foam and the safety of using this grenade. I already have tried a new design, but it didn't work and self-destructed / didn't blow up at all. There are many other possible designs for the final product, so just hang tight until I can get my hands on some more parts and perfect the design.

Some of the things that I am currently working on are padding the grenade with foam like many of you suggested, and I'm trying to add stronger springs and weighted "frags". The biggest problem is that I need to figure out a way that the grenade can still function without being hindered by the foam padding. The foam is keeping the bands from effectively coming off, thus resulting in a dud. I need to do some more experimentation.
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