A small explosive is a device that releases energy in an explosive manner. The two most common types of small explosives are grenades and caps. A GRENADE is a small explosive device that is thrown by hand or launched from a rifle. It typically contains an explosive charge, a fuse, and a detonator. A CAP is a small explosive device that is used to ignite a larger explosive charge. It is usually made of a metal tube filled with a combustible material such as gunpowder.