Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is likely the most scarce piece of WWII ordnance we have offered, and one that we have found very little information about. 

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 M2A1 equipment destroying incendiary is similar in construction to the M1A1 safe destroying incendiary but is smaller and has only two fuzes. It is designed solely for the purpose of destroying a single item of classified cryptographic equipment which is made of plastic and wire and is housed in a special container. It is issued only for the purpose for which it is designed and only as directed by the Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence.

This incendiary is a metal box, 16 inches long by 8 1/2 inches wide by 1 inch deep, filled with 8 1/2 pounds of TH1 thermite and fitted with an M210 incendiary fuze and an M209 electric floating smoke pot fuze. (Early production models contained an electric squib and an M201A1 igniting fuze instead of the M209 and M210 fuzes.) Two cellulose acetate cups filled with first-fire mixture are embedded in the filling, one directly under each fuze.

This example is complete with both fuzes and the wiring connected to them. There is also a very old tag which identifies the destroyer attached to one of the fuzes. One side of the destroyer is marked in purple:

CRYPTOGRAPHIC
EQUIPMENT DESTROYER
INCENDIARY, M2A1
TH1

AL-746-4

The other side of the piece is stenciled INERT.

This is an incredibly scarce piece of ordnance, likely the rarest we have offered. We don’t think we will ever see another one, let alone one as complete as this. Comes ready for further research and display.