US - M21 Practice grenade

[MissingSomething]

OK.... a few questions for the US grenade experts.

Does a M21 have a threaded hole in the bottom??? I have read that they do not and there was a cork placed in the bottom....

I have one that threaded....Is it a fake????

Fuze

Markings on body... looks like the letter "T" (maybe casting marks)

 

[sgtlynn]

The M21 does not have a threaded hole in the base, they were closed by a cork, perhaps in later years by a plastic plug like the M30/M62. That does not mean yours is a fake however. Some people with more brains than sense, would attempt to close the hole with a pipe plug, fill the body with whatever explosive was to hand and try them out. They would regularly end up in the hospital or morgue......... Check the threading, its likely a standard plumbing thread.

 

[gijunkman]

What style fuze is in it? If the M213 or M228 fuze fit it is a fake. Those fuzes are for the M67/M69 grenades and have a 5/8''-11 thread. Real M21's have a 9/16 nonstandard thread.

 

[gijunkman]

Ok where'd the picture come from? Yes thats a real M21

 

[MissingSomething]

The whole thing :bigsmile:

 

[Lou]

Hmmmm

Well being over here across the pond as youd say,and Im no expert by far,but Ive seen a number of screw bottoms in original trim,as lighters,converted to practice and they all go for $75 and up.

 

[MissingSomething]

OK... so I have a couple of others.... are they M21's as well.....

They both have repro fuzed and have the M10a3 type threads....
The one on the left is marked "RFX" and has a "2" on a segment.
The one on the right is also marked "RFX" and has a "3" on a segment. It also has some traces of blue as well.

Right grenade bottom:

Left grenade bottom

 

[MissingSomething]

couple of pics

Right grenade:

Left Grenade:

 

[Grenademan2005]

Hi:
All your grenades are original. The blue one is a WWII practice, not a M21. Why the threaded hole? I dont know. But Im sure that it is not original. These grenades have always a smooth hole. The two others are both M21 original cast repainted in green for customize them as a combat gear. The fuses are not right. All the functional practice grenades have always a cork plug. The M21 is always marked RFX with a number in another segment. I cant now, but later I will post some pics for you can see mint examples.

 

[Grenademan2005]

The Red overpainted Blue was an original practice grenade post WWI made from an HE grenade, for this the threaded hole. The Red colour was the standard colour for practice before WWI and a little after. In WWII the practice colour already changed to blue. In the safety levels/spoons of the WWII practice grenades you can find a black tip, this indicates reuse of the spoons, for this the M201A1 spoon on a standard M10 series fuse.

 

[Grenademan2005]

Now the M21 series. Look the already evolutioned fuse bouchon or head. Never in WWII this bouchon was used. These grenades are from the 50s and the 60s. Be carefull with the "souvenir" RFX bodies.

 

[sgtlynn]

The simplest way of telling the Mk.II practice from the M21 is the shape of the "fragments", the flat ones are Mk. II practice, the nice round ones are M21 grenades

RFX= Richmond foundry

 

[MissingSomething]

Thanks guys... I feel smarter already :bigsmile:

I appreciate the input. Now I need to find a couple of the proper fuzes and I will make the M21's back to original.....

Anyone know what type of "blue" was used?

 

[Grenademan2005]

The simplest way of telling the Mk.II practice from the M21 is the shape of the "fragments", the flat ones are Mk. II practice, the nice round ones are M21 grenades

RFX= Richmond foundry

Right, the fragments and that the M21 are always marked RFX.

 

[MissingSomething]

Just an update.....

I was asking another "expert" on this grenade and asked him about the threaded hole..... here is his response...

Threaded bases were the result of using standard grenade bodies for practice. After the threaded bases were eliminated from HE grenades, new molds were made with the unthreaded hole just for the M21 practice grenade.

The grenade in your photo would be a WWII era Mk.II practice. I'm not aware of any special designation for the threaded hole version, except "Mk.II Practice".

 

[Grenademan2005]

Hi:
This man is right, but not totally. The only practice that I have seen with threaded hole is the one made from the WWI after red painted grenade, yes, the one that I show in the pics. I have never seen a standard WWII grenade body converted in a practice one, except the ones converted into lamps, lighters, etc. Also your body, (MissingSomething), is the same body and paint that the standard WWII MKII practice that always came with smooth hole and plug cork, for this yours has remains of the green sealing liquid. You can see it in my pics too. I add a pic with a grenade bought by me at the Dead Mans Corner museum in Carentan, Normandy in 2006. You can see that has the same markings "G" and overpainted green over red, the same than the WWI after practice grenade, only that this one was converted in an HE grenade and sealed with a lead plug. Also you can see a darker blue practice made from a very early or between wars body. This body, when you can find one, is always painted in the early yellow colour for mark it as an HE grenade and usually this yellow is overpainted over the between wars grey colour. You can find more info here:
http://www.inert-ord.net/usa03a/usa2/index.html