Czech repro of M24 stick grenade.......

[Willi Z.]

Though not FJ, many here have an interest in ordnance. One of the great things about the flea market at the recent "Battle of the Bugle" re-enactment, is being able to see some of the newest repros on the market. Here are a few photos of a recent Czech release.....a M24 stick grenade......sells for $45, or 10% of what a real one in this condition would bring.

Willi

[Willi Z.]

Closeup of the head stamps.

[Willi Z.]

And a blurred ( ) closeup of the handle stamp. Viewing all of these photos, who can tell me what they did wrong???

[david w]

I'm not into grenades,but I bought 2 of these for display.They are very good copies and the price is so right if you don't want to invest in an original.Highly recommended.Watch,in 10 years they will be pedaled as real.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Guys, I saw two of these at the weekend at a big show here in the UK. A Dutch friend of mine had bought them as real, only to find out later that they were repro. He had them on his stall and was selling them as fake for £35 each. They fooled at lot of people who asked to look at them.
There is also a company called "World Wide Arms" here in the UK who have repro grenades in stock at £39 each. These again look ok at first glance but the wood has been heavily antiqued. Also the ceramic pulls are very fat and have a "glass like" quaility to them. I am not sure where theirs come from, but like much of their stock, but I suspect India? They are, of course, to be found on E bay UK as real. moremad
Cheers, Ade.

[Douglas Jr.]

copies from India

Hi,

One friend of mine had a couple of M24 stick grenades made in India sometime ago. Fortunately, he was honest to sale them as copies .

Well, they are very well made, at least for display or reenacting puporses. It was told me that these copies are made with original machines, what would explain their similarity with the originals, but I have no real evidence of that.

At the same ocasion, my friend told that a lot of these copies were being sold as originals, after have been aged.

Regards,

Douglas.

[Brian M]

I saw these At FIG as well, and agree with Willi, they are very very nice. Willi, I can't recall, who was the dealer that had the large quantity of these? Didn't get a chance to pick one up.
Bri

[Doug See]

These were turning up on eBay pretty frequently a few months ago, for sale by UK sellers. Most were "aged" and being sold as originals. The give-away was when they showed photos of the inside of the can---a 60 year old stick grenade is not going to have bright fresh paint INSIDE the can.............

[Matt L]

Hi Willi,

The mistake is that the "RR" marking should have one 'R' facing either direction- the first one backwards, the second forwards. That makes this an OBVIOUS reproduction- albeit a good one otherwise

Matt

[Steve in Florida]

On the stick.....

I've never seen the Waffen Amt between the date and the maker code. I concur on the "RR" marking not being correct.

[JensF.]

There is no stamp with the time of the fuse (5 1/2 or 3 1/3 sek) on the stick.