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Why are US Lemons so rare?

GTR003121

GTR003121

Well-Known Member
I'd like to get some of our member's input and opinions as to why the US M26 through M61 series are such a rarity. For a grenade who's production spanned some 20 years or so, there sure don't seem to be many around. Even their cans are a tough proposition!

I am always hearing about the rarity of other items such as the T13 Beano for example, but I know of three that are available(4 as of last week), excluding the "Pawn Stars" example. How can T13's be(relatively speaking) almost common in comparison?

For you long time collectors, has it always been this way, or has the supply simply dried up post 9/11 and with Ebay having turned into what it is now? Or was it simply the Vietnam war that has left so few?

I have heard people on this forum say that they have never had an opportunity to add one to their collection. What gives?
 
My take on the "rarity" issue is the guys that are in possession have an emotional attachment to the piece they've kept; in memory of some experience they encountered in the war. The quantity of WW2 stuff, in the U.S., is a direct result of those from that era passing on. The families are scared of and want to get rid of those types of items when clearing out the house. Another 20 years, it'll be Viet Nam stuff. Another 20, Iraq, etc. etc.
SO, hang in the hobby for another twenty years. There'll be lots of them floating around. WATCH OUT FOR THE FAKES!!!
That's my opinion. I could be wrong.
 
Justin you have more than anyone I know.
I thought you caused the drought.
grinning-smiley-018.gif

I'm still hoping there's one in MY future someday.
 
Jolly Green said:
Justin you have more than anyone I know.
I thought you caused the drought.
grinning-smiley-018.gif

I'm still hoping there's one in MY future someday.
Click to expand...


Hey Jolly, how's that M202?! I admit I have been incredibly lucky with Lemons. But it was no easy feat tracking them down! I have only seen one that simply popped up for sale, which was here on BOCN. All the others either came by referrals from other collectors after sending out hundreds of emails or by backtracking for sale section ads on whatever militaria forums I could find. It was a hell of a lot of work which paid off luckily.

But so much effort for grenades that were our primary type for two decades, it doesn't make much sense to me. Slick made a good point though, one which hadn't occured to me.

Anyway, I hope some of you guys post your thoughts on the subject! Thanks!
 
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My thought on the scarcity of the M61, etc. has been that they are difficult to inert. I doubt we will see many more than are already out there.
 

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this is probably the very same reason you very rarely see an inert L2A2 with its original live markings. most are repainted drill grens.:tinysmile_cry_t4:
paul.
 
You are all great thinkers and it is this way somebody will learn something.



My take on it is that like EOD guy says. You'd be suprised at homes that were built during WWII and after that how many grenades would be found in the attics.

We have a bomb squad that will handle allot of hand grenade problems. They will call in the Air Force out of Wright-Patteron AF base. There the EOD team. for all of Ohio. There EOD team is one of the best around. They get the hand grenades and usually either wrap them up with Gorilla tape or they use big thick different sizes rubber band and there for they are rendered safe and it is placed in cells of foam to further keep each grenade from moving around too much.


Now here is a question for all EOD members. In Ohio where are most of the grenades found and what model number are these??? I'll give out clues if need be.

By the way this will also pertain to the M26A1 frag.

My apoligies if you all of you think I hijacked you thread.



Mark
 
Perhaps they have been 'squeezed' too much. :)
What year was it accepted for service use?
John
 
John,

Accepted for service in The Early 1950's, I am not sure of the exact year?


I agree that the scarcity of Inert Examples of US M26 Series Grenades retained as souvenirs lays in the fact that they were difficult to properly render Inert. It has never been common to find Inert Examples in any quantity on the collectors market.

Stay safe,

Frank
 
The US government never has made up a large number of inert items of any ordnance for training or display so that option is slim. Even when they did, they are normally drilled with inerting holes and handled roughly so that in a short time they are really in bad condition. They are a very difficult grenade to find and I think will stay that way.
 
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Early 50s put them in the Korean followed by Vietnam. Another reason is no one is doing relic hunting in those two countries.
That I know of.
Regards,
John
 
It is a real challenge to locate Inert Examples of US M26's with Korean War Era production date(s), I have only observed approx. 2 -3 examples in the past 25 years. Most vets that I have spoken with were being issued Mk2A1's during their tours in Korea.
 

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EODGUY said:
My thought on the scarcity of the M61, etc. has been that they are difficult to inert. I doubt we will see many more than are already out there.
Click to expand...


Sorry to see your post got edited Bob, but I saw it last night/this morning before I knocked out.

This is a good point too. I have a couple that are missing the basecaps, but the bodies are perfect, no evidence of them being taken off. I guess maybe the caps were sacrificed in order to spare the bodies.

Thanks for the input!
 
Btw Bob and Frank, beautiful examples! I always enjoy seeing other's Lemons!

My earliest is a 6-53 dated M26.
 
I do not have a fielding date for the M26, but my guess is that it may have been around 1949 or 1950. The T1012 impact fuze was developed for the M26A2 in a program that began in June of 1951, and was rolled into the T1012E1 program in February of 1959. No one ever said US development programs were fast!!! The T1012E1 was adopted as the M217, Standard A, in September of 1960. My point is that the M26 (originally the T38E1) had reached the point of having an "A2" version produced by the beginning of this fuze program in 1951. I know it was common to have several mods of the same ordnance item in development at the same time, so the M26, M26A1 and M26A2 may have all been in the works together.
 
It was adopted during the last year of Korea. The M26 was adopted by most services as a fragmentation grenade, M26. Its performance was much more powerful than any Mk.II"s's ability to do the same damage than any other item that they would of used MK.II's would of been used on.
It also had(s) the tetrol booster around the bottom of the inside of the grenade. What they were using for explosives I have know idea. It was something that required a booster to work. Could I be right?:xd:

Mark
 
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Early M26

Here's a pic of my 6-53 dated M26. I had to use the flash to bring up the markings better. Its a Lone Star piece, LS-14-238. You can see the font/text is of a different variety.
 

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Mark, Do you have something that says the M26 was adopted in 1953? Doesn't make sense to me when the TIR's I have on the fuze development talks of the M26A2 as early as 1951. They would not use the M designation until it was adopted. Prior to adoption it would have been the T38 series. If you have something that pins a date on it then I need to do some more digging. Bob
 
My brother inlaw brought one back from viet nam,he said the EOD guy just through it in some boiling water and bored out the bad stuff.
vinny:tinysmile_shutup_t:
 
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