Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good original U.S. WWII inert early-pattern Mk II “Pineapple” fragmentation grenade, fitted with an M10A3 igniting fuze and retaining the earlier separate screw-in filling plug at the base. The cast-iron body bears a distinctive square-form “G” maker’s mark, commonly attributed by advanced grenade collectors to the Grabler Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio. The grenade is completely inert, with no explosive filling remaining, and is Not Available For Export.

This is an iconic U.S. fragmentation pineapple grenade issued during WWII. The Mk II was standardized in 1920 replacing the Mk I of 1917. It was phased out gradually, the U.S. Navy being the last users, on 2 April 1945 the Mk II and Mk IIA1 were re-designated the Mk 2 and Mk 2A1.

The Mk II was commonly known as a pineapple grenade, because of its shape and structure. Grooves were cast into the cast iron shell, which was believed at the time to aid in fragmentation and had the side benefit of aiding in gripping the grenade; this provision gave it the appearance of a pineapple fruit. The Mk II was identified with an all yellow body prior to 1943. They were then painted olive drab for camouflage purposes with a narrow yellow band below the fuse.

In the closing years of WWII the Mark II was produced with a solid base and equipped with the M10A3, or M6 series fuze (depending on the explosive filler used).

This example uses the earlier body construction with a separate threaded filling opening in the bottom, closed by a screw-in plug. Early Mk II bodies were loaded through this base opening, whereas later wartime production increasingly eliminated the separate bottom filling port and used solid-bottom bodies loaded through the fuze opening. The survival of the removable base plug therefore identifies this as an earlier-production body, although such bodies could remain in inventory and receive later fuzes during their service lives.

This example is in lovely condition with much of the original paint still present, but there is no visible yellow band around the neck. As this is an early body, this makes sense. This example is complete. It is also marked on the body with a maker’s mark, a “Square G” denoting manufacture by Grabler Manufacturing Company. The fuze is faintly ink-stamped:

FUZE M10A3
DEC 101 74

The fuze is unscrewable and retains the leather washer underneath. It also retains part of the original detonator tube.

This example is particularly noteworthy for the combination of its early screw-bottom Mk II body, square-G foundry marking, removable M10A3 fuze, surviving leather washer, partial fuze tube, and retained original finish. Its configuration illustrates the overlap between earlier grenade-body production and wartime fuze development during the evolution of the U.S. Mk II fragmentation grenade.

Totally inert, cannot be converted to an explosive device, not available for export. This item is completely legal within the USA. International Military Antiques, Inc observes all Federal, State and Local laws. Everything for sale on ima-usa.com is completely legal to own, trade, transport and sell within the United States of America.

All deactivated ordnance sold by IMA, Inc is engineered to be inoperable according to guidelines provided by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF).