{"product_id":"original-u-s-wwii-inert-mkii-pineapple-grenade-with-early-screwbottom-body-m10a3-fuze","title":"Original U.S. WWII Inert MkII Pineapple Grenade with Early Screwbottom Body \u0026 M10A3 Fuze","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is a very good original U.S. WWII inert \u003cb\u003eearly-pattern Mk II “Pineapple” fragmentation grenade\u003c\/b\u003e, fitted with an \u003cb\u003eM10A3 igniting fuze\u003c\/b\u003e and retaining the earlier separate screw-in filling plug at the base. The cast-iron body bears a distinctive \u003cb\u003esquare-form “G” maker’s mark\u003c\/b\u003e, commonly attributed by advanced grenade collectors to the \u003cb\u003eGrabler Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio\u003c\/b\u003e. The grenade is completely inert, with no explosive filling remaining, and is \u003cb\u003eNot Available For Export\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 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).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis example uses the earlier body construction with a \u003cb\u003eseparate threaded filling opening in the bottom\u003c\/b\u003e, 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 \u003cb\u003eearlier-production body\u003c\/b\u003e, although such bodies could remain in inventory and receive later fuzes during their service lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis 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 \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGrabler Manufacturing Company\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e. The fuze is faintly ink-stamped:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFUZE M10A3\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDEC 101 74\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fuze is unscrewable and retains the leather washer underneath. It also retains part of the original detonator tube.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis example is particularly noteworthy for the combination of its \u003cb\u003eearly screw-bottom Mk II body, square-G foundry marking, removable M10A3 fuze, surviving leather washer, partial fuze tube, and retained original finish\u003c\/b\u003e. 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45909306802245,"sku":"ONJR24YM057","price":595.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/901A8F0C-14F2-44BF-AD8E-BB074DFA91B6.jpg?v=1790796228","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-wwii-inert-mkii-pineapple-grenade-with-early-screwbottom-body-m10a3-fuze","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}