Are Rifle Grenades a small arm or heavy weapon?

Bolt Action 2nd Ed:

PINNED (page 39, Pin markers, 2nd paragraph)

In the case of some particularly heavy weapons two or more pin markers can sometimes be scored against a target in one go.

ROLL TO DAMAGE (page 56)

Heavy weapons add a modifier to the damage roll, allowing for a score of greater than 6.

Since the rifle grenade adaptor fires as a light mortar with Pen +1 (possible damage score of greater than 6) causing D2 pins (2 or more pins), it is a heavy weapon.

Finally the weapons chart on page 62 lists the light mortar under the heavy weapons section 🙂

re pins – the number of PINs a RGA generates are by the HE rule, so there is nothing to stop a small arms weapon giving multiple PINs

Small arms fire is unable to generate multiple pins with a single shot.

re page 56, that says all heavy weapons have a PEN mod, not that only heavy weapons can have a PEN mod, also again the RGA doesn have a PEN value, its the HE template that does

No, it says heavy weapons can generate a damage score higher than 6, and small arms weapons cannot. So the RGA is definitely not a small arms weapon. The point that “it is the template that does (have the Pen)” does not hold, because that is the same with all HE weapons (see the Pen column for HE weapons in the weapons chart on page 62), which would mean all HE weapons are not heavy weapons?

re light mortar – thats not a rifle grenade adaptor,  the rules in both the marianas & stalingrad campaign books dont say use light mortar rules they give a separte stat line (with shorter range)

That is true, I was looking at the older VB Launcher write-up in the Armies of France and Allies book which stated it fires as a light mortar. The rifle grenade adaptor  stats in the Battle of the Bulge book is the same but does not mention the “light mortar”, so we can ignore the “light mortar” bit. The “damage greater than 6” and “2 or more pins” should suffice to prove that the RGA is considered a heavy weapon under Bolt Action rules.

it doesnt state that small arms cant generate more than 1 pin or have a PEN value, the rule book only states that heavy weapons do and so implies that small arms cant..

Pin markers (Page 39)

Every time a unit is fired at by an enemy unit and suffers one or more hits as a result, place a single pin marker next to it.

Small arms weapons follow this rule and hence cannot generate more than  1 pin. While some heavy weapons may generate only 1 pin (e.g. the HMG and shaped charged weapons), any weapon that generates 2 or more pins is a heavy weapon (refer to weapons chart on page 62). And as explained, heavy weapons can generate damage scores higher than 6. No small arms weapon can, and this is not inferred.

*in favour is the 1″ HE template and associated PEN value, & D2 Pins.  + the ability to fire smoke + has the indirect rule

I don’t think the “fire smoke” and “indirect rule” come into this discussion as they are not specified as criteria for heavy weapons.

against is that it doesnt remove the users rifle, its not a team or one shot weapon…..

While the rifle is still used to fire the grenade, the single grenade now causes more damage through its explosion compared to a single bullet, hence it is not small arms weapon. I don’t think the team or one-shot comes into the discussion. For example the mmg team is a team weapon but it is definitely not a heavy weapon. And team or one-shot are not specified as criteria to qualify as heavy weapons.

Reading rules, it does not matter if it is fired from a light weapon (and to be precise it is not a light weapon, but a special light weapon, beacuse it is a rifle with RIFLE GRENADE ADAPTOR attached) but the weapon used and its rule is the rifle grenade (see battle for france or battle of the bulge), which is a heavy weapon. Like the hand grenade in skirmish, it doesn’t matter if it is hand thrown but the weapon is a hand grenade which is a heavy weapon. They are HE heavy weapons.

For me is simple.
From rulebook “Heavy weapons add a modifier to the damage roll”. Rifle grenade has HE 1″ rule, then has +1 pen, then is heavy weapon.

The Rifle Grenade is fired by a small arm but can hardly be classed as a typical  small arm amo.   Explosive load in HE was normally much less than in a Hand grenade but enough to produce a lot of splinters.

And there also existed hollow charge rounds. Intended against armored vehicles.

So historically a rifle grenade could hurt armored vehicles.    Best German one 120 mm armor.

German AT Rifle Grenades made42-45 more than 20.000.000, hard to ignore. 😉  HE add. 35.000 000

The rules, like in Stalingrad p. 133 , do ignore that AT role. It’s a classic: Talk with the other guys before starting the game.

Yes based on the current rules the rifle grenade adaptor is a heavy weapon. I guess some players would like to see the following added (just to make it absolutely clear) in the next Bolt Action errata:

All rifle grenade adaptors/VB launcher entries in all books. Add the following line:

The rifle grenade adaptor/VB Launcher is considered a heavy weapon.