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First Post /M39 Egg grenade Markings/ Need Help Please

Kilroy was Here

Well-Known Member
Hello, this is my first post to the Forum. Greetings!! My name is Steve, but also known as Dr. Ruby, freelance Gynocologist. It was an old nickname. I used to do a lot of riding my Harley when younger, and had a few girlfriends : ) I live in Florida USA, and have been a WW2 gun/militaria collector for 40+ years.

I have become a bit tired with pistol/holster/rifle collecting, so have now turned to collecting WW2 hand grenades, and small AP mines, like S-mines, box mines, PMK40 etc. All countries involved. I have been collecting grenades/ordnance for a little less than 6 months now. So whatever pics I post, have been searched for, and got in the last 6 months.

I see no end to it either. I have the true collector "OCD" (obssesive compulsive disorder) I wanted a nice example of an american MkII pineapple, and know have 8 "pineapples" From WW1 to WWII. Same with the Soviet, German and Japanese. Sorry guys, I have no Mills bomb yet, but will soon.

Besides going crazy and finding & buying all the orig. WW2 grenades I can get now, I also want to know all about them, like I do my other WW2 militaria & collection. So please bear with me, I will be asking many little "stupid" questions, like in this first "help needed" introduction post.

I am posting some pics of my of my WW2 items, and a M39 Egg grenade I just got, and have some questions about.

I would like to know what the "Do" is stamped/inked on this egg means? Is it the type of filling that was used? What was the filling?

The grenade appears to be the original paint and stampings, and looks like maybe a "water recovery"?? Do you feel the paint, markings, and waffenampt are original to the grenade? The grenade body is stamped in bottom, 41 bzn. The fuse cap is marked 42 brb. I looked those up and they are correct. I knew it was a real egg, just wanted to know the maker.

Is it common for a M39 to have a waffenampt? I have seen them on stick grenades before. I have also seen "Do" on sticks.

Regards, Steve
 

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First Post/ More Pics/ Kilroy was Here

Hello!!! more pics.
 

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First Post/ More Pics/ Kilroy was Here

Hello, a few more pics...here's a couple INERT de-milled guns from the collection. I know, I know....I will try keep just to INERT ordnance and grenades in the future.

Regards, Steve
 

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Hi Kilroy. Welcome to BOCN. Thanks for sharing your Jap bits and pieces. They look great. Thanks Colin
 
Are you certain its bzn??
The brb fuze is by Richard Rinker GmbH, Iserlohn .
"DO" means "Donart" or "explosive" and was followed by a code indicating the filling composition and WaA stamps are the norm on Eggs as they are on most things.

Best Regards
Andrew MG34NZ
 
Are you certain its bzn??
The brb fuze is by Richard Rinker GmbH, Iserlohn .
"DO" means "Donart" or "explosive" and was followed by a code indicating the filling composition and WaA stamps are the norm on Eggs as they are on most things.

Best Regards
Andrew MG34NZ

Hello Andrew!! thanks for the info. Yes it is marked 41 bnz, the Steyr works. The holster for my late war Radom pistol is bnz maker marked. I knew they made guns and holsters, but not hand grenades. Very interesting.

I looked a little closer with a LED white light, and there is another black ink marking after "Do" it appears to be dgg?? 4 or 41??

Regards, Steve
 
Hello Andrew!! thanks for the info. Yes it is marked 41 bnz, the Steyr works. The holster for my late war Radom pistol is bnz maker marked. I knew they made guns and holsters, but not hand grenades. Very interesting.

I looked a little closer with a LED white light, and there is another black ink marking after "Do" it appears to be dgg?? 4 or 41??

Regards, Steve

bnz makes more sence Steve...you put bzn in your first post..I havent seen any other bnz grenades? but Im not going to say there arn't any!!
I cant help much with the composition code I have seen a vast list of codes but its all in German so no good to this Kiwi!, there are members here who may well know.
The 4 41 is April 1941 manufacture/filling date, or at least this is what I understand these numbers to relate to, they are also found on stick grenades, if Im wrong Im happy to be corrected!
Heres a link that may be of use for chasing up German number and letter codes
http://www.radix.net/~bbrown/codes_full_alpha_a-b.html

Best Regards
Andrew MG34NZ
 
bnz makes more sence Steve...you put bzn in your first post..I havent seen any other bnz grenades? but Im not going to say there arn't any!!
I cant help much with the composition code I have seen a vast list of codes but its all in German so no good to this Kiwi!, there are members here who may well know.
The 4 41 is April 1941 manufacture/filling date, or at least this is what I understand these numbers to relate to, they are also found on stick grenades, if Im wrong Im happy to be corrected!
Heres a link that may be of use for chasing up German number and letter codes
http://www.radix.net/~bbrown/codes_full_alpha_a-b.html

Best Regards
Andrew MG34NZ


Hi andrew, sorry, it's early here, I need more coffee. It is marked " 41 bzn" as I first said, for sure 100%. I will post some pics later today.
I use the same reference "radix" as you gave me the link to. It does not list a bzn mfg. It's a real wartime grenade, maybe someone out there knows the mfg, or has one. Thanks for the other info, I appreciate it.
Regards, Steve
 
Hi andrew, sorry, it's early here, I need more coffee. It is marked " 41 bzn" as I first said, for sure 100%. I will post some pics later today.
I use the same reference "radix" as you gave me the link to. It does not list a bzn mfg. It's a real wartime grenade, maybe someone out there knows the mfg, or has one. Thanks for the other info, I appreciate it.
Regards, Steve

LOL ....no problem Steve...I will check a couple of books I have and see if the codes in them, Theres still a lot of unknowen codes as well so it may just stay a mystery.
Regards
Andrew
 
Are you certain its bzn??
The brb fuze is by Richard Rinker GmbH, Iserlohn .
"DO" means "Donart" or "explosive" and was followed by a code indicating the filling composition and WaA stamps are the norm on Eggs as they are on most things.

Best Regards
Andrew MG34NZ

A little correction: "Do" doesn't mean "Donart" but "Donarit". There are several Donarit-compositions known. The most common consists of 80 % ammoniumnitrate, 12 % TNT and 8 % nitroglycerine.

Cheers

engineer
 
Hello Engineer!! Very good! thanks for the detailed info. That is what I wanted to know. I appreciate it. Regards, Steve
 
Hi Kilroy.
Great grenades.
can you do a close up of the rubber fuze cover on the ceramic gren and if it comes off, the wooden fuze underneath if possible. Also a better pic of the cut away showing the internals ?:tinysmile_fatgrin_t
cheers, Paul.
 
Hi Paul, nice to meet you!!. I have seen your website, very nice, I like the cut-aways, and showing how you do it.

I got you with the fuse huh? It is a repro I made. Not real. I have only been doing grenades 6 months, but a very intense 6 mo. grenade training session. I have 6 different color ceramics so far, that one I made a fuse for display.

The fabric strip used for the carry cord is actual WW2 fabric cut from an old pair of USAAF coveralls, and then a rubber plumbing part/cap modified a little.
The stick and cap for the Type 98B shown I made also for display. I patterned it after the orig T98A stick pictured. The stick just slips in, and did not modify in any way the orig T98B head.
The Japnese cut-away, is not a cut-away, but a US WW2 training aid. It is a cross between a T97 & T99. It is cast aluminum, and weighs 195 gr. Most paint is gone. I could repaint, but I do not touch any original items. A rusty M39 like you did for a cut-away I would do, but not any decent shape grenade or mine.

From my "intensive" 6 month training, :nerd: I have only read and seen that these ceramic grenades are never found with original fuses. By the nature of their design and fabrication, they are destroyed when interted. I think there might be one at the USMC museum here, but not sure. I have some fairly good pics and diagrams of the fuses I will post sometime.

Regards, Steve
 

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Thanks for the info mate.
Ive been pondering making the wood fuze for my ceramic gren for ages. If you have a good detailed pic of what it looks like then please post it.
Cheers, paul.
 
ww2 grenades

Great collection Kilroy, Looks like it's getting phat in a hurry! As for the other part there was a period in the late 70's and early 80's that my mustache looked like a glazed donut! Dano
 
Thanks Dano, yes, the collection is growing rapidly. I remember the good old days too. I had a beard for while back then, and am familiar with the Free mustache, and beard rides also!! Steve
 
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