Another Strange Grenade

[paul the grenade]

Hi All.
Ive just finished restoring this strange Japanese Type 43 Sling Grenade.
All i had was the Iron Bottle shaped head. I payed a visit to my mate who has a wood lathe and made the rear piece and scratch block from a piece of beech wood. The tin lid is from an old soldered tin container that i had lying around. The wooden handle is attached to the body by the piece of rolled linen cloth and just tied on. An old gren pin was used for the sling loop and a sutable length of twine for the sling finished it off.
Hope you like my efforts.:tinysmile_fatgrin_t
Cheers, Paul.

 

[spotter]

Very Nice job Paul

 

[gijunkman]

I don't even want to think about how to use this one. Talk about getting rid of a cherry bomb. No thanks. Nice piece Paul, looks like one scary thing to use though.

 

[Fragman]

Hi Paul. Great job. Is this one of those ones that our chinese friends on ebay were describing as Japanese Type 98b stick grenades? Cheers Colin

 

[goran_croatia]

Great job Paul!!!It's a very interesting piece,I have never seen such a grenade.Was that some kind of field improvisation made during ww2 by Japanese army?

 

[sgtlynn]

Great Job paul. As a matter of interest I have identified at least three Japanese grenades that used that particular piece. The 98b is one, the sling grenade as you have, and it appears that the first War Japanese grenade used the same iron piece. In fact the sling grenade has the appearance of being a modification of the first war grenade. No absolute proof, but if all the diagrams are compared, you can see what I mean. I will try to find all the diagrams and post them.

 

[Tarbelin51]

Really beautiful work.
Paul felicitation

 

[paul the grenade]

hi colin.
yes. its the same one.
mine arrived with a stick handle that didnt really fit.
ive been pondering what to do with it for a year or so and finally decided on the sling version..
cheers, paul.

Hi Paul. Great job. Is this one of those ones that our chinese friends on ebay were describing as Japanese Type 98b stick grenades? Cheers Colin

 

[Grenademan2005]

I have never seen this grenade before, but it seems all original, great work Paul. Must be a very rare grenade.

 

[Fragman]

Thank Paul. The sling grenade was a great choice for a restoration project. I wish I’d brought one now:sad:. Cheers Colin

 

[sgtlynn]

Here is a drawing of the WW1 Japanese grenade that shows remarkable similarity to the sling grenade. Note the iron portion, looks about the same to me.

 

[sgtlynn]

and here is a drawing and photo of the type 98b, note the iron portion, very similar if not the exact piece.

 

[Kilroy was Here]

Hi All.
Ive just finished restoring this strange Japanese Type 43 Sling Grenade.
All i had was the Iron Bottle shaped head. I payed a visit to my mate who has a wood lathe and made the rear piece and scratch block from a piece of beech wood. The tin lid is from an old soldered tin container that i had lying around. The wooden handle is attached to the body by the piece of rolled linen cloth and just tied on. An old gren pin was used for the sling loop and a sutable length of twine for the sling finished it off.
Hope you like my efforts.:tinysmile_fatgrin_t
Cheers, Paul.

Hi Paul, good job on the Type43. Looks great. If it were mine, I would soak it in some very strong tea or coffee, then a little dirt to age it just a bit. Looks great either way.
Here is my Type43, or 98B, as the good fellow in China lists them. I got just the head a month ago, and decided to go with the stick version. I did not know what it looked like, so styled it after my 98A I also got from him. Lots of fun making it. The end caps are from a hardware store, a replacement gas cap, aged a little and painted black. The handle was made only with a "Ka-Bar" Camillus USMC fighting knife, sandpaper and stain, and an oak wood dowel. k. I know now that I see more of them, it appears there was just a wood plug on the end, instead of the screw cap, like a 98A.

Can you post pics of the handle that came with your 98B? Do you still have it? What is the measurement where it inserts into the grenade head?

Regards, Steve

 

[Fragman]

Hi Steve, great job of the handle. The screw caps appear to be the same as the 98A. Cheers Colin

 

[Kilroy was Here]

Hi Steve, great job of the handle. The screw caps appear to be the same as the 98A. Cheers Colin

Hi Colin, thanks. It looks close, but not quite right. Too squared. I think a cap from a Chinese Type 57? 67? it's kind of a copy of these T98's. It might work and look better. Of course I would like to have an original cap, but really do not think I will find one floating around.

Is that a pic of your T98A? It looks in great condition.
Regards, Steve

 

[Fragman]

Hi Steve, Unfortunately it’s not mine. It was sold on Ebay back in 2004. My one can be seen at:

http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/ww2-japanese-type-t23069.html?t=23069

You’ll notice mines missing it’s cap also. I’ve tried one of my Chinese ones, but they don’t fit.
Cheers
Colin

 

[Kilroy was Here]

Thanks Colin!!

Hi Steve, Unfortunately its not mine. It was sold on Ebay back in 2004. My one can be seen at:

http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/ww2-japanese-type-t23069.html?t=23069

Youll notice mines missing its cap also. Ive tried one of my Chinese ones, but they dont fit.
Cheers
Colin

Hi Colin, Great!! thanks for the link to the thread. It has everything I wanted to know about the T98, and I printed it out to keep with the grenade stuff.

If you come across some type of cap that looks more similar to an orig that fits, please let me know. I like to have a cap on it to keep the ring and string/fuse from falling out. Here are some more pics of mine. Yours is a little nicer and more complete. But we are both lucky to have the ones we do. They are fairly rare. Is the your detonator that I am missing at the end of the delay wood?

Regards, Steve

 

[Fragman]

Hi Steve, Your Jap stick grenades look pretty good to me. They are as you say very hard to find.

Attached is a close-up of the fuze. Whilst I've put the two bits together, in reality there's still a section in the top of the handle. The cardboard sleeve and washer are starting to delaminate, but all things considered are in not too bad a condition. Cheers Colin