M24 grenades for opinion

[avenger]

Hi everyone!

A couple of potato mashers have popped up in the condition I've been searching for, for some time now. However, I think I'm pretty sure one of them is a reproduction.

The first one I think has a chance, but has no date stamp on the canister or stick as far as I can tell and I thought they all would, and the second one has a 1939 date stamped on the canister with a 1943 stamp on the handle and is errily similar to this one here:

Hand grenade. genuine or repro?

Potato masher #1, which I'm not sure about. Maybe there's a stamp that's not showing up, as I know some stamps were not very hard strikes:















#2, which I'm pretty sure is a very nice reproduction:

[Rossi]

Hello Avenger,

I am not liking the look of them and believe them to be post war reproductions. I am no expert as I only have one which has the WaA stamp and an RR backwards with date in wood handle. A small eagle on mine is also faintly stamped into end cap where ceramic ball and string go. I would give them the old sniff test somewhat like a armband. I know reproductions I have handled smell of briwax. See what the gang thinks as well. Agree that the first one has a better chance though. I am not an expert on these so just my thoughts. Good luck bud

[MrPotts]

Repro

[avenger]

Gentlemen, much appreciated! All is as I feared. No big deal, part of the fun is in the hunt.

[TimmyMac]

Your pretty much correct, from what I can see on -#1 (#2 is complete fake) would like to see ends of of handle but it sure looks like the real deal! The only glitch I can see is this: while both the can & stick look genuine, they're not original to each other. The connector collar you have here is held to wooden handle by tabs, which means it was a later production, and later production M24's ( with this type connector, didn't have the white "INSERT DETONATOR BEFORE USE....." marking.