Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. Totally inert and demilitarized according to BATF guidelines with hollow body and inert fuse. This grenade cannot be converted to an explosive device and is not available for export.

This is a very interesting variation of the M26 Grenade, marked with an old sticker on the spoon as being a US M26A2 PR. The M26A2 is similar to the M26A1 but wider and shorter, without tetryl booster pellets, instead containing 6.3 ounces of Composition B filler (0.8 ounces more than the M26A1) and a larger 5⁄8-inch (16 mm) fuze well capable of accepting either the M215 delay fuze or the M217 impact fuze. The M215 delay fuze is functionally interchangeable with the M213 Fuze used on the M33 series grenades except with a curved safety lever like the M204A2 fuze rather than the angular lever of the M213. The M217 impact fuze has the word "IMPACT" embossed on the safety lever. Earlier models had a red-painted lever with the word "IMPACT" painted on with black paint.

This example was converted into a sort of trainer grenade, with small holes being drilled across the entire body. The fuze is marked:

FUZE M205A2
10P-5-15
3-68

There appears to be a bag of some on the interior, which could be chalk or paint/dye. The M26 trainer did emit something like this originally. The body also appears to be in two pieces connected together as seen on the central seam. The bottom of the grenade is a separate piece but we could not get it unscrewed. A really tremendous experimental grenade which requires further research!

Comes ready for further research and display.

The M26 is a fragmentation hand grenade made by the United States. The M26 is a fragmentation grenade developed by the United States military. It entered service around 1952 and was used in combat during the Korean War. Its distinct lemon shape led it to being nicknamed the "lemon grenade".

Fragmentation is enhanced by a special pre-notched fragmentation coil that lies along the inside of the grenade's body. This coil had a circular cross-section in the M26 grenade and an improved square cross-section in the M26A1 and later designs.

The M26 was developed as a result of studies on the Mk 2. Unlike its previous counterpart, its M204A1 fuse[3] creates no tell-tale smoke or sparks when ignited and its powder train is almost silent while it burns down.[4] Its Composition B filler was considered safer than the flaked or granular TNT filling used in the Mk 2.

The M26 series was created after World War II to meet criticisms of the Mk 2. The original M26 replaced the Mk 2 Fragmentation Grenade as Army standard issue in Korea. Massive World War II production left the Mk 2 as limited standard issue with the US Army and US Marines throughout the 1960s and the US Navy until the 1970s. The M26A1 / M61 was the primary fragmentation grenade used by American forces in the Vietnam War.

The M26 series (M26/M61/M57) was replaced by the M33 series grenade (M33/M67) at the end of the Vietnam War.