{"product_id":"original-japanese-wwii-inert-type-99-kiska-hand-grenade-with-fuze-pull-string-1","title":"Original Japanese WWII Inert Type 99 “Kiska” Hand Grenade with Fuze \u0026 Pull String","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is an exceptionally scarce original Japanese WWII Type 99 hand grenade, commonly known to American collectors as the “Kiska” grenade. This example has been completely deactivated and is totally inert, while retaining its fuze, safety pin, and original pull string. The detonator tube and all explosive contents have been removed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Type 99 is readily identified by its distinctive smooth cylindrical body with flanged upper and lower edges, a marked departure from the more heavily segmented bodies of earlier Japanese grenade patterns. This example exhibits substantial exterior wear, oxidation, and age-related surface deterioration, giving it the well-used appearance expected of an original wartime grenade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe safety pin remains in place, and remarkably, its original pull string is still attached. This is an especially desirable feature, as these cords are frequently missing from surviving examples. The underside of the fuze is not dated, which is not unusual for Type 99 grenades.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Type 99 Hand Grenade, officially designated \u003cb\u003e九九式手榴弾 (Kyūkyū-shiki Teryūdan)\u003c\/b\u003e, was developed as an improved successor to the earlier Type 97 grenade. The Type 97 had revealed shortcomings in its fuze system and, unlike some earlier Japanese grenade designs, was not readily adaptable to all available grenade-launching systems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIntroduced in 1939, the Type 99 incorporated a revised fuze arrangement and a smooth-sided body. It could be thrown by hand or used with the Type 100 grenade discharger, giving Japanese infantrymen greater flexibility than some earlier grenade patterns.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor hand-thrown use, the soldier first removed the safety pin by pulling the attached cord. The head of the fuze was then struck against a hard surface to activate the delay mechanism before the grenade was thrown. Unlike earlier Japanese designs, the firing pin was incorporated directly into the fuze assembly and did not require a separate firing-pin holder to be screwed into place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Type 99 was issued to personnel of both the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy Special Naval Landing Forces during WWII. Examples captured by American forces during operations in the Aleutian Islands became associated with the name “Kiska grenade,” a collector and Allied wartime nickname derived from the campaign there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eType 99 grenades are considerably less commonly encountered than many other Japanese WWII grenade patterns, particularly when retaining surviving fuze components, safety pin, and pull cord. With its original body, fuze, pin, and string still present, this is a very desirable inert example of a distinctive and comparatively scarce Japanese WWII hand grenade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis inert ordnance item has been fully deactivated in accordance with ATF guidelines. It cannot be converted into a functional explosive device and is strictly restricted from international export.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45598246764613,"sku":"ONSV26WSV032","price":450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/C4D5E2F0-3979-4569-BC7D-07DC1BBC596C.jpg?v=1787597216","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-japanese-wwii-inert-type-99-kiska-hand-grenade-with-fuze-pull-string-1","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}