Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent example of a WWII Japanese Type 97 Fragmentation Grenade turned trench art tabletop lighter. This BATF compliant grenade lighter was completely rendered inert and is without a fuse assembly as it was replaced by a flint striker with fluid reservoir that fits perfectly into the top threaded disc.

Unloaded or dummy grenades, artillery shell casings, and similar devices, which are cut or drilled in an BATF-approved manner so that they cannot be used as ammunition components for destructive devices, are not considered NFA weapons. This example is in total compliance and is NOT AVAILABLE FOR EXPORT.

The grenade body still retains little of the original black paint, with the rest of the body showing light surface rust, and there is also little of the red paint on the cap and on the fuse base. There is no fuse assembly present, so dating this example is rather difficult but is is our belief it dates between 1940-43.

The lighter is no longer functional and repairs would need to be made in securing the striking wheel due to it becoming dislodged while trying to strike the flint (missing). Once a method is figured out to secure the striker in place, a flint and some fluid should bring it back to life.

The Type 97 Hand Grenade was the standard fragmentation hand grenade of the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy SNLF during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II.

A great example of a sought after WWII Japanese grenade turned lighter! Ready to display!

History and Development
The Type 97 was developed from the earlier Type 91 Grenade which could also be used as a fragmentation hand grenade, but was predominately used as munitions for the Type 10, and Type 89 grenade launchers. For this reason, it had less explosive power and a relatively longer delay time than a dedicated manual hand grenade. To address these issues, the Army Technical Bureau developed a new design in 1937.

Design
The Type 97 had the same principles as most of the fragmentation grenades of the period: a grooved 'pineapple-shaped' segmented body which dispersed sharp pieces of shrapnel when it exploded. Operation was accomplished by first screwing down the firing pin, so that it protruded from the base of the striker. Then the safety pin was removed by pulling the cord to which it was attached; the protective cap which covered the striker was removed. A sharp blow against a hard surface, such as a rock or combat helmet would overcome a creep spring and crush a thin brass cap, allowing the pin to hit the primer and initiate the delay sequence before throwing at the target. However, in comparison with Allied hand grenades of the period, the explosive force of the Type 97 was weaker and, due to lack of an automatic ignition mechanism, the grenade in practice was found to be unreliable and even dangerous to use because of its inaccurate fuse.

Physically, the Type 97 was almost indistinguishable from the Type 91, except that it had no attachment on the base for a propellant canister. Paper labels with ink-stamped fill dates warned of the shorter 4-5 second delay.

Combat Record
The Type 97 hand grenade was issued as standard equipment to Japanese infantrymen in the Second Sino-Japanese War and throughout the various campaigns of World War II.