Airsoft grenades: types, operation and how to choose

Airsoft grenades may look similar, but they can produce completely different effects. Some scatter BBs, some make sound only, some trigger on impact and others use a delay. There are also single-use pyrotechnic products and 40 mm shells which are called grenades even though they are fired from a launcher rather than thrown by hand.

This matters because the device does not decide by itself when a player is eliminated. Each site specifies whether a BB hit, a detonation inside a room or an agreed radius counts. A product accepted by one organiser may be prohibited by another because of noise, fire risk, the playing surface or the hardness of its body.

This guide explains the common systems, compares well-known products such as the Kamikaze XS, DETON-A and STORM Apocalypse, and lists the questions to ask before buying.

Quick comparison

Type	Effect	Typical trigger	Reusable?	Main advantage	Check before use
Gas BB grenade	Scatters 6 mm BBs	Impact or delay	Yes	Elimination can rely on a real BB hit	Approved gas, sensitivity and site rules
Mechanical BB grenade	Scatters BBs without gas	Impact or spring delay	Yes	Low cost per throw	Limited reach and soft-ground reliability
Blank-firing sound grenade	Loud report without BBs	Impact or delay	Body yes; consumable per use	Clear, realistic event	Site permission, approved cartridges and noise
CO₂ sound grenade	Sound from a rupturing shell	Pressure delay	Reusable core; disposable shell	No BBs to scatter	Compatible shells, debris and indoor rules
Pyrotechnic grenade	Sound, BBs, smoke or another model-specific effect	Fuse or approved initiator	No	Does not depend on impact	Law, fire risk and explicit permission
40 mm shell	Forward cloud of BBs or an authorised projectile	Launcher trigger	Often	Large short-range BB payload	Not a hand grenade; specific energy and site rules

Impact versus delay

An impact grenade activates when it strikes a surface. It is intuitive and can react immediately when it enters a room, but performance depends on mechanism sensitivity and ground conditions. Long grass, mud, sand, carpet or a cushioned landing may prevent activation.

A timed grenade starts its delay when its safety is released. It does not require a hard surface and is often more predictable outdoors. It can roll or activate somewhere other than intended, however. Any delay must be used within the manufacturer's specification; an improvised modification is not an upgrade.

Neither is universally better. Impact can suit hard-floor CQB, while a timer avoids many failed activations in woodland. The organiser always has the final decision.

Gas grenades that scatter BBs

These products hold gas and tens or hundreds of 6 mm BBs. Activation releases the gas and projects the BBs around the device. They can be recovered, inspected, reset and refilled in accordance with their manual.

Their key advantage is an airsoft-specific effect. If the site applies a “BB hit only” rule, there is no need to invent a sound radius. Coverage is not a perfect sphere, though: furniture, corners, clothing and device orientation all change the pattern.

Temperature and gas matter too. Cold weather can reduce pressure, while excessive pressure or an unapproved gas can damage seals and mechanisms. Check the manufacturer's specified gas, accepted BB weight and indoor-use policy.

STORM Apocalypse and D-Tonator

ActionSportGames describes the STORM Apocalypse as a reusable, gas-powered impact grenade. It discharges 155 6 mm BBs with a spinning spread and has a polymer body sized to fit an M4 magazine-style pouch.

The STORM D-Tonator uses the same broad concept: gas power, impact activation, 155 BBs and a 360-degree effect, with a sliding safety instead of a conventional pin. Always use the manual for the exact reference because visually similar grenades need not share valves, seals or maintenance procedures.

They make sense where BB grenades are accepted and reusability matters. Their limitations appear on shock-absorbing surfaces and at games where a clearly audible report is required.

NOVRITSCH Gas Powered BB Grenade

The NOVRITSCH Gas Powered BB Grenade belongs to the same functional family. It is a reusable impact device with an on/off safety. The brand specifies a 155-BB capacity, 160 g weight and 0.45 J energy.

It must not be confused with the brand's sound grenade. This model projects BBs and therefore suits sites where only a player actually struck is eliminated. As with every gas system, temperature, seal maintenance and the landing surface affect performance.

Mechanical BB grenades

Mechanical products store energy in a spring or similar mechanism and release BBs without green gas or CO₂. They are usually inexpensive to run, easy to transport unloaded and less temperature-sensitive.

They do not normally match the velocity or spread of a gas grenade. Some work best when rolled and others need a particular surface to release their segments. They suit sites that require a BB hit and players who value simplicity, but testing must still take place in an authorised area with eye protection.

NOVRITSCH Spring Powered BB Grenade

The NOVRITSCH Spring Powered BB Grenade is a straightforward example. Three spring-loaded compartments open on impact and hold up to 130 BBs. It needs neither gas nor CO₂ capsules, so it continues to operate at temperatures where a gas grenade may lose performance.

Purchase and running costs are low, but users should not expect the durability of a metal body or the velocity of a gas discharge. It is a practical first device where the site accepts its spread mechanism and the ground allows it to open correctly.

Blank-firing sound grenades

A blank-firing grenade uses a consumable to produce sound rather than launch a BB. Its in-game effect is therefore conventional: an organiser may eliminate everyone in a room or within a stated radius, but sound alone does not create a universal hit rule.

The report is clear and immersive, but restrictions are greater. The site must expressly approve both device and consumable and may limit them in enclosed areas, near animals, on dry ground or at games with younger players. Hearing protection and distance from the head are real safety considerations.

Kamikaze XS: impact sound

The Kamikaze XS is sold under Saigo and manufactured by Industrial Airsoft. It is a metal-bodied impact sound grenade using one 9 mm blank consumable per use. Spanish listings from Warzone and AirsoftManiacs give approximate dimensions of 100 × 34 mm and a weight close to 334 g.

Its compact construction and immediate response on a suitable surface are attractive. The metal body also demands careful throwing: never at a person, glazing, vehicle or damageable object. Soft ground may fail to trigger it, and its weight can lead some CQB sites to prohibit it.

It is more accurate to call it an impact blank-firing sound grenade than simply “pyrotechnic”. The reusable body and blank consumable are separate items, and the consumable has its own purchase, storage and transport rules.

DETON-A: adjustable timed sound

Apex Workshop's DETON-A addresses soft-ground reliability with a timed mechanism. The manufacturer specifies a delay adjustable from zero seconds to more than one minute, fully mechanical operation, and compatibility with 9 mm blank cartridges and .209 primers through the relevant adapter.

It is approximately 100 mm tall and 34 mm in diameter, but weighs around 100 g through its aluminium and PA6 polymer construction. Unlike an impact sound grenade, activation does not rely on striking the ground. Unlike a BB grenade, its effect remains sound-based and needs a site-defined elimination rule.

The adjustment is not an invitation to improvise extreme delays or handle the device outside the playing area. Configure and reset it only as its manual directs, unloaded and with expressly compatible consumables.

Tectonic Innovations Quake 8: several uses before reloading

The Tectonic Innovations Quake 8 is another well-known impact sound grenade, built around a rotating eight-position chamber. It uses manufacturer-declared compatible .209 primers and allows several throws before every position needs replenishing.

Its advantage is operational: a single chamber does not need to be reset after each use. It remains a rigid-bodied sound device rather than a BB grenade, however. The site must accept both device and primers, define the in-game effect and approve its noise level.

NOVRITSCH Gas Sound Grenade: sound without blanks

The NOVRITSCH Gas Sound Grenade uses gas and a replaceable burst disc instead of a cartridge. Its body is reusable while each activation consumes a disc. NOVRITSCH specifies 110–115 dB measured at 30 cm, a 40 mm diameter and a pin-free system with a pressure-relief vent.

Its category matters: it does not scatter BBs and is not pyrotechnic, but it remains an extremely loud sound device. The manufacturer warns that reliability drops below 3 °C and recommends hearing and eye protection. It still needs site permission and a sound-based elimination rule.

CO₂ sound grenades

CO₂ systems commonly associated with families such as Thunder B use a reusable core and a consumable shell. After initiation, gas pressurises the shell until it ruptures with a loud report. They do not scatter BBs.

Delay can vary with shell, temperature and assembly, so never assume an exact countdown. They also leave debris which must be collected. Some sites accept them for immersion, while others prohibit them because of volume, variability or consumables. Use only compatible original components and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Thunder B: reusable core and consumable shell

The Thunder B is the most recognisable example of this system. It uses a 12 g CO₂ capsule and a shell which opens under pressure after the timed mechanism starts. The core is retained, while capsule and shell are consumed on every use.

It does not scatter BBs and its delay must not be treated as a precision timer. It also creates more debris and recurring material cost than a gas grenade with a burst disc. The effect is dramatic where authorised, but players should confirm that the site specifically accepts Thunder B or CO₂ sound grenades.

Single-use pyrotechnics and smoke

This category includes single-use products that create sound, smoke or BB dispersion depending on the exact reference. They are not interchangeable with a reusable gas grenade or a mechanical blank-firing device.

Fire risk changes the decision completely. Dry vegetation, wind, buildings, vehicles, fuel or seasonal restrictions can turn a product accepted at one event into a prohibited item at the next. Never use pyrotechnics without express organiser approval and without checking product category, age restrictions, conditions and applicable law.

Smoke is not harmless either: it restricts visibility, can affect people with respiratory problems and can mask a real fire. Spain regulates pyrotechnics and cartridges through Royal Decree 989/2015. A commercial “for airsoft” label does not replace those obligations.

40 mm grenades are launcher shells

A 40 mm shell is loaded into a compatible launcher. Many store gas and discharge a cloud of BBs, as ActionSportGames explains for its B&T GL-06. Other systems launch dedicated projectiles which can only be used when specifically authorised.

They must not be thrown by hand or treated as sound grenades. Sites may impose energy, distance or angle rules and ban particular projectiles. “40 mm compatible” does not guarantee that every shell safely fits every launcher; length, gas, valve and manufacturer specification all matter.

ACETECH ACEHIVE 2

The ACETECH ACEHIVE 2 is a reusable 40 mm shell designed around rapid reloading with its Spawner system. ACETECH specifies an 80-BB discharge and an indicator for checking shell status.

It is useful for frequent launcher use but does not replace a hand grenade. Its BB cloud travels in the barrel's direction and remains subject to the site's launcher distances, energy limits and rules.

Tokyo Marui M320A1

The Tokyo Marui M320A1 takes a different approach from a conventional gas shell. The gas tank and firing mechanism sit inside the launcher; each lightweight cartridge stores only 18 BBs. Tokyo Marui specifies simultaneous release of all 18 and an approximate two-square-metre spread at 20 m.

Its cartridges are therefore specific to the M320A1 and not interchangeable with a generic 40 mm gas grenade. It is a useful demonstration of why the complete architecture matters more than the advertised diameter.

How sites interpret grenades

Find four rules before playing:

1. Which types are permitted. BB, gas, CO₂, blank-firing, pyrotechnic and smoke devices are usually assessed separately.
2. What produces an elimination. A BB hit, detonation in a room, line of sight or a declared radius.
3. Where use is permitted. Interiors, outdoors, stairwells, vehicles, tunnels and vegetation can have different rules.
4. How it may be thrown. Many sites require underarm throws, rolling or a warning before entering a room.

Spanish Airsoft Federation guidance leaves the acceptance of airsoft-specific blank-firing grenades to the game organiser. That reflects real practice: lawful sale does not compel a private site to permit a product.

Choosing the appropriate system

Need	Usually suitable	Why
CQB where only BB contact counts	Gas or mechanical BB grenade	Produces a verifiable hit
Grass or soft outdoor ground	Timed grenade	Does not rely on a sharp impact
Game with a sound-radius rule	Kamikaze XS, DETON-A or CO₂ if authorised	Clearly perceptible report
Lowest cost per use	Mechanical BB or reusable gas	No cartridge or shell for each throw
Greater sound realism	Blank-firing or CO₂	Strong acoustic effect with more restrictions
M203, M320 or similar launcher	Compatible 40 mm shell	Separate category fired from the launcher

Buying first and asking later is usually a mistake. Read the rules of the two or three sites you visit most often and choose a system accepted by all of them.

Safety and maintenance

• Keep eye protection on in the playing area and during authorised testing.
• Never throw a grenade directly at another person's head or body. Follow the site's required technique.
• Do not use sound devices near an ear, inside containers, under clothing or in enclosed spaces where the organiser prohibits them.
• Transport the device unloaded, secured and separate from gas, cartridges or other consumables.
• Never combine shells, capsules, primers, cartridges, gases or adapters that the manufacturer does not declare compatible.
• Do not modify springs, strikers, valves, delays or safety systems.
• Inspect the body, safety, rings, seals and impact surfaces. A crack or deformation means withdrawing it until inspected.
• Recover the device and all debris when the marshal allows. Adding a name or telephone number helps it return to its owner.

Spain's Order INT/2860/2012 covers airsoft sporting devices that fire projectiles, but a sound grenade, a blank cartridge and a pyrotechnic article are not automatically the same legal object. For uncertain purchase or use, consult the manufacturer's documents, organiser and current law; this guide is not legal advice.

Conclusion

The best grenade is not the loudest. It is the one that works predictably, is accepted by your sites and matches their elimination rules.

The Kamikaze XS stands out as a metal impact sound grenade; the DETON-A provides a lightweight mechanical timer; the Quake 8 offers several consecutive uses; and STORM or NOVRITSCH BB grenades cover reusable BB dispersion. The NOVRITSCH Gas Sound Grenade produces sound through gas and a burst disc, while Thunder B represents CO₂ with a consumable shell. For launchers, ACEHIVE 2 and the Tokyo Marui M320A1 demonstrate two very different cartridge architectures.

Before taking any of them to a game, ask about type, consumable, radius, permitted zones and throwing method. That one-minute conversation prevents wasted purchases and turns a dramatic accessory into a safe part of the game.