Help Needed - WW2 Pineapple Grenade

[ww2collector1944]

Hey everyone,

 

I purchased this from the vets grandson and wanted to reach out about its safety. I know this is a practice grenade and has had all of its internal contents removed.

 

I have also noticed that the internal fuse has been clipped with wire cutters as well.

 

My concern is the pin is still in the grenade and I am unable to unscrew the fuse from the grenade itself. It won’t budge.

 

I wanted to double check that everything looked safe here.

[917601]

It is safe. The M10 series fuze ignitor is long, it extends almost down to the where the hole is. Your pictured example shows it has been discharged.Do a search here for an actual picture of a live M10 series fuze.

[917601]

Here is one. I posted it years ago.

[ww2collector1944]

3 minutes ago, 917601 said:

It is safe. The M10 series fuze ignitor is long, it extends almost down to the where the hole is. Your pictured example shows it has been discharged.Do a search here for an actual picture of a live M10 series fuze.

awesome, thank you! Is something like this shippable? I am moving cross country and trying to figure out how I can transfer a de-milled piece. 

[ww2collector1944]

Just now, 917601 said:

Here is one. I posted it years ago.

thanks for the photo! The long tube on mine has definitely been broken with any contents removed

[VMI88]

4 minutes ago, ww2collector1944 said:

awesome, thank you! Is something like this shippable? I am moving cross country and trying to figure out how I can transfer a de-milled piece. 

Depends on the state - check to see if it's legal where you're going.  Some states outlaw even demilled grenades.

[917601]

For info: Your fuze appears to have been “ deactivated “ the old GI way. I can see remnants of the lower fuze train. As an M10 series grenade was loaded with flash powder, a GI would unscrew the fuze assembly, pour out the powder, then screw it back in a few turns.
 

They would pull the pin and toss it, the fuze would ignite, the lower fuze portion would fragment inside the grenade body, pressure would vent out the loosened threading. That is why we find some grenades “ blackened” around the upper most neck, usually covering the yellow band at the neck top, and they rattled when you shake them.

 

That said, do NOT attempt that with a late war TNT filled grenade. Those fuze assemblies ( M6 series) were detonators, detonation was required to set off the TNT filling. 
 

M10 fuzes are ignitors, M6 fuzes are detonators.

 

[917601]

If you can unscrew the fuze assembly, ship the grenade body and fuze in seperate packages.

[ww2collector1944]

5 minutes ago, 917601 said:

If you can unscrew the fuze assembly, ship the grenade body and fuze in seperate packages.

thanks a bunch for the clarification. The problem is I am unable to unscrew the fuze assembly from the grenade. It doesn't move easily when I try. Is there any harm in putting alot of pressure on it? 

[Inertord]

20 hours ago, ww2collector1944 said:

thanks a bunch for the clarification. The problem is I am unable to unscrew the fuze assembly from the grenade. It doesn't move easily when I try. Is there any harm in putting alot of pressure on it? 

I have seen tight fuzes cracked from removal so slow is better. Apply a generous amount of penetrating oil into the body and let it set bottom up for a few days to soak into the Fuze/body threads. PB B'laster Penetrant Catalyst is a good choice and available almost everywhere.

 

[917601]

Good advice. PB blaster a favorite, but use hot/ cold in conjunction. Soak with PB, place in sun ( or heat up with hair dryer, then put in freezer, repeat. Much success.