Article about: by Cannonman17 Here we go, full length picture. Also, this little screw cap thingy came in the box with the grenade but doesn't seem like it belongs... anybody know what it's to? Also, I tri
Indeed, this is an inert 'practice grenade'.
Never meant to have a charge and never did.
Smoke grenades are solely for masking/signalling, and are non lethal,
There is no need of a 'practice smoke grenade'...
Two types of practice grenades :
Practice grenades for tactical training have a hole and a charge inside,
which emits a puff of smoke and a report to signal a detonation
has occured.
Your US 'red' grenade is inert and was used for throwing practice
- ie: it would not or ever have contained a charge. This is what the
red paint signifies.
Therefore, the WWI German grenade we are discussing is the same.
Painted red and used for throwing practice - No charge inside
it whatsoever. This is exactly what this grenade was used for.
Throwing practice.
No charges and no smoke !
Regards, Steve.
Hi Steve, thanks for your input, but you are incorrect. Did you read the link I posted to Lex's site above? As for the German trainer that started this thread, wrong .......Yes it did have a charge in it. It was a small charge attached directly after the delay. They used a regular friction fuze/delay of about 5.5 seconds, just like in a HE stick grenade. The German stick practice grenades were made to be used over, and over again, with the addition of a fresh fuze and charge each time.
If you want more detailed info, and want to learn about all kinds of grenades, and other ordnance, you can visit this site I also post on, and visit regularly.
My main interest is pre 45 grenades. I am a INERT grenade collector, historian, and researcher. I am addicted to this hobby unfortunately.
First, my Red trainer was not just used for throwing. Before WW2 (and the "Blue trainers") training grenades were Red with a lead plug in the bottom, just like a standard HE grenade, but no explosive filling. A standard igniting fuze (just like in a HE grenade) was used in an empty body to make a small report, and a small amount (puff) of white-ish smoke. Either the fuze or lead plug would blow out, and sometimes they broke in 2 or 3 pieces, and then obviously could not be reused again!
Here is pics of the type they used just for "Throwing" I show a WW1 throwing practice type, and a WW2 type. You will see a slight difference in the way the "handle" or what is supposed to be the "spoon" is shaped.
The WW1 simulates the shape of the original side-swing MkI grenade fuze. The WWII throwing practice is shaped like a WWII era grenade, with the longer spoon M10 or M6 series fuzes.
When soldiers were being trained they would have the new recruits throw these hollow cast dummies just to get the feel of throwing a grenade.
Once they have mastered this, THEN they would have let the soldier throw a few (red or blue later) trainers like I have shown, with a real fuze, pull pin etc.
This would ready them for the next step in training...........When they would let you throw a few live HE grenades.
wow, good info. I can tell you it's a beast, much larger and heavier than I would've thought they would be. I will post a picture of the entire thing so you can see the whole handle later on when I get home.
wow, good info. I can tell you it's a beast, much larger and heavier than I would've thought they would be. I will post a picture of the entire thing so you can see the whole handle later on when I get home.
Ok, great, I would like to see the complete grenade and stick. Maybe you can unscrew the head off it also. If you can not get it off, you can spray some penetrating oil, and let it soak for a while, and it should unscrew.
The reason it is heavy, and made of thicker metal than a standard HE grenade, is so they could be re used many times, and also it gave it a similar weight to a live filled grenade.
Steve....all soldiers practice before using high explosive versions. The Germans used Red for their practice grenades in WWI and WWII. They are not supposed lethal, they are for I have already described.......to perfect your throw.
Yes we (the US) used Red for a period of time in the 1920's. They say we copied it from the French, as their trainer F1's were Red. We switched to Blue color trainers in the late 1930's. The earliest blue trainer that I have seen that can verify is 1939, because the original black cardboard can it is in is dated this '39.
Here is a pic of my early US red trainer.......
Regards, Steve
P.S. Cannonman's is a Practice grenade, not a Smoke grenade.
This is where I'm getting confused, in my old age.................
It is as you say Steve, a 'Practice Grenade' and NOT a 'Smoke Grenade' !
I've edited some posts to correct my errors.
Here we go, full length picture. Also, this little screw cap thingy came in the box with the grenade but doesn't seem like it belongs... anybody know what it's to? Also, I tried to twist the head of the grenade off the stick, no luck. I didn't try spraying it with anything because I don't want to run through the snow out to the garage to get some..
Re: WW1 smoke grenade perhaps? Need help-
by Walkwolf
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