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WW1 German M17 Eierhandgranate


Gildwiller1918

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Looking really good Gildwiller :thumbsup: Just one final touch, if it was mine I would replace or paint that strap stud, then I think it would look perfect, can't wait to see it on the mannequin. 

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  • Kenny Andrew pinned and featured this topic

Good idea Kenny, I left it bare as the soldier in the video clip shows the studs looking shiny or possibly bare metal. But that is an easy fix as I use press rivets. On the mannequin, I had to put the overcoat away for now, this time of the year moths come out in force. Once things die down I will get it back out. 

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Excellent Gildwiller, look forward to seeing it on the mannequin, when the moth season has gone :thumbsup: 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here is another picture of one being worn. 

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  • 4 months later...

I have this on route. Bought it for the cap traction igniter as I don't have one. As you can see it is pretty rough & incomplete. However it was a really good price & the grenade body is tidy. Is there anyway I can clean up the igniter? Seems to be covered in black paint or something of that ilk. I already have an example of this grenade & display it with an M16 percussion igniter.Any advice appreciated.You are the man to ask being the grenade guru (amongst other things!)

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Nice grenade, the fuse looks to have some corrosion on it, which is probably why the paint in on there in the first place. Does the cap thread on? If so, that is good. If not, it should most likely still fit into place as it was only thin metal. I would suggest lightly sanding the fuse body to see what condition it is in. If the metal is solid, I would sand it smooth and re-coat the metal to protect it, most ones I have seen are black in color, not necessarily paint, but a sealant of some type. The cap can be lightly sanded as well, but it looks like you may some pitting and small holes, these can be filled with metal based putties. The area around the fuse cap head where the notches are at, can be cleaned up with a rounded file that fits in between, just go slow and be patient, restoration can take some time. 

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I don't know if the cap screws on as I haven't got it yet. It does sit on though so I'll have to wait & see. Great resto tips much appreciated. I like doing a bit of amateur restoration I find the results rewarding. 

Could you suggest a sealant?.I find waxoil a little shiny but its a good protector. 

 

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Typically a black tinted shellac would work. I also use automotive based spray sealant, typically satin. However this all comes from trial and error, certain types of sealants don't always react well with paint and may spider crack. I would get all of the paint and coating off the fuse just to be safe. Model paints are another good option, they have washes, for example diluted black in which you apply coats to get the desired darkness. 

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Trying to establish what type of fuse would be associated with an M17 practice grenade which were red in colour on the grenade body as I understand it?

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M17 egg grenade correct? Most training grenades were painted bright colors to help find them easier after throwing. I do not have much information on the training version of this model, but I suspect the Germans did not have a lot of resources to waste at this point in the war, they probably used just the body with a transit plug. 

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I should have been clearer. I'm referring to an M17 Egg grenade. Seen one for sale has a transit plug though.

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No problem, figured as much. The transit plugs are quite easy to get, the leather washer is sometimes missing but can be newly made easily. 

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Roger that I have two repro washers. What should the fuse configuration be for a training egg grenade? Not a transport plug I wouldn't have thought.

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From what I have seen a transit plug was used as well the older bronze traction igniter model of 1913.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 28/01/2020 at 21:25, Gildwiller1918 said:

As with virtually every other grenade in WW1, they were shipped to the front minus the fuse for safety reasons. Below is an example of the M17 with the transport plug, which came with a leather O-ring. Once the grenades were in the forward area, a detail of men would take the grenades to a seperate trench to assemble them, this was done so that if there was an accidental explosion, only they would be killed or wounded. 

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Notably thicker fragmentation belt and hard to find. Is this proper to all M17s & are the more common examples M16s? Obviously the Smooth Body is an earlier version what dates encompass Smooth Body versions?

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From what I have read there were several manufactures of this grenade and no specific criteria for construction, other than get them to the military as fast as possible. I know that the smooth body type was introduced in early 1917, sorry I have no actual date and it was modified sometime afterwards, again no specific date. I would imagine this change would take several months at least. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

16 x 16 cm square, and about 1 mm thick

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  • 3 months later...
  • 8 months later...

Recent addition. Training/ Ubung M17. Replica training fuze to finish the job.

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  • 5 months later...

Recently landed this nice example of an M17 with a heavy fragmentation belt. It is a subject of debate whether Reibzuendschraunbe  (German foot artillery friction primers) were actually used in conjunction with M17s as booby traps with their 1 second delays but I added for effect anyway.

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Nice egg grenade, I have seen many variations of the frag belt as well, some are prominent and some are more recessed. 

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