JVA 1634 grenade fuze

[jvollenberg]

Question for the masses ... we have a Finnish grenade, the one shown here:

http://www.lexpev.nl/grenades/europe/finland/m4143.html

however, it came with a JVA 1634 fuze. It is your standard striker-release fuze.

Question, does anyone know what country JVA stands for? and what does JVA stand for?

I will try and post some pictures later, but I don't have access to the grenade at this moment.

Joe

 

[Tmine35]

First, "JVA" is a FInnish abbreviation used by army ordnance items - it comes from JalkaVen Ampumatarvike = Infantry ordnance item. It also exists in form "A". JVA + number or A + number is just a catalogue number, grenades and fuzes also have their type designations, M/41, M/55 etc.

The spoon type fuzes are post war, I have only one post war ordnance catalogue dated 1962. In this list series 1600 numbers are all hand grenade items, but curiously 1634 shows only an empty row in the list.

Kindly send picture of the fuze when you can, then I can tell you what model it is.

Second, WW2 grenades were used after WW2 but with post war spoon type fuzes. Thus most likely your combination is a real thing - though not a WW2 combination.

 

[jvollenberg]

Here is some pictures. This has been a learning experience for me.

Joe

 

[Tmine35]

This stuff is too modern to me and I don't have much literature about it. I think this fuze is called M/83, it definitely is a Finnish one. It has the same thread size as previous types but I doubt it was used in combination with M/43 shells - however I may be wrong.
The previous spoon type fuze M/55 however was used with M/43 bodies - this I can see in manual pictures.
The next fuze pattern looks like M/83 but has a plastic body, I think it dates in 1990's.

 

[EODGUY]

Joe,

I have been led to believe that this is a legitimate combination of the m/43 grenade body and the newer m/83 striker release fuze. It is certainly not the fuze that was used on the original grenade, but apparently the Finish Army used this combination at a point in time to use up existing stocks of the grenade bodies. My guess would be they might have used them in training only because of the age and construction of the m/43 bodies. I was told the designation was m/43/83. That makes sense, but I have no documentation to support that. I will bow to Tmiine35 since he is from Finland and should know a lot more than I do. Bob

 

[Tmine35]

Originally M43 grenade was issued with M32 fuze, as shown in above mentioned Lexpev's link.
Post war it was used with M55 fuze, I have documents about it.
After more studies I have to admit that it also appears to have been used with M83 fuze, as EODGUY says. I have no document to verify this but found this picture of a solid metal throwing ptactice grenade showing it. Thus I believe the real thing existed as well.

 

[Francesco_Dif]

Confirm: the designation is: Sirpalekasikranaatti M43/83

 

[jvollenberg]

What company is VRT? Any ideas?

Joe

 

[rigby]

VRT - Valtion Ruutitehdas