What is this grenade and what fuse should be on it??

[silkysean]

Hello all. I'm hoping the experts amongst you can assist me with this object of mine. I basically want to know...

1. What type and year MkII grenade is this?
2. What fuse should it have on it?
3. Why is it chromed?



Now I have done my own research but I'm not sure if I'm correct.

1. I think it's a 1920's to 1930's MkII grenade. As it has flat shoulders with lines that don't go all the way through the neck and body. And it has a lead plug on the base. However, contrary to what I've read elsewhere, this plug is about 11mm across not 9mm as they are supposed to be? I believe this is a live grenade as opposed to a training one as it has the lead base rather than cork. And it's definitely lead as I have scraped it with a blade.

2. The fuse I have on it is obviously not the right one. It reads M6A3 and is straight and not curved. I THINK it should have an original "MkII fuze" with the short cut off lever. Or if not that, some type of M6 detonating fuse as it was a TNT filled device. Any ideas????

3. I guess it was chromed at some point as a souvenir? But what colour would it have been originally? Would it have been painted yellow or green?

4, Lastly, any ideas what the faded letters or numbers are. Is it maybe an 8 and a bit of an A?? I think somebody has engraved the "h" at a later date so ignore that

Any help or insight into anything surrounding my grenade would be fascinating to hear. Thank you.

[silkysean]

Some closer images of the lettering

[Teck 147]

I agree it is the pre WW2 Design but I wouldn't get too Hung up on the plug Diameter if I were you. They were all manufactured to tolerance.
It probably was live due to the fact pracs generally didn't have a threaded base.
The Fuze used could quite rightly be any one of many. Starting from the original Bouchon Fuze for MkII through to the M10 and every Variant in between but didn't the grenades with the original Bouchon have a shorter Neck?. Pre M10 fuzed grenades were delivered without fuzes fitted and continued to be issued in whatever combination until used up.
Depending on when it was issued it was most likely painted Grey (very early) or yellow like all other HE munitions pre WW2.
As to the markings I'm not really sure about the old ones but there is normally only the manufacturers initials stamped on the Body and the inspectors on the neck

[Danmark]

I'd love to see the look on the plater's face when the owner showed up with this gem ......."here you go, chrome this!!! "

[silkysean]

Thank you. That's very interesting. I'm now trying to get hold of an original fuse to fit the era of this grenade. I'm emailing every militaria shop I can find online. Just to confirm, ideally I should be looking for a curved lever M5 or M6 detonatiing fuze? Would the M10, M10A1 and M10A2 be too late for my grenade as well??? I know that the M10A3 came at the very end of WWII.

[Teck 147]

Thank you. That's very interesting. I'm now trying to get hold of an original fuse to fit the era of this grenade. I'm emailing every militaria shop I can find online. Just to confirm, ideally I should be looking for a curved lever M5 or M6 detonatiing fuze? Would the M10, M10A1 and M10A2 be too late for my grenade as well??? I know that the M10A3 came at the very end of WWII.

The external parts of the M5, M6, M7 and M10 all look basically the same. The differences we're in the igniters/detinators so anyone of them would fit the era.
The subsequent M6 A# and M10 A# Versions and quite a few other optically same/similar Models were as far as I'm aware adaptions to counter manufacturing, usage and reliability problems at the start of, during and eventually after WW2