Japanese Type 99 (A) Q & A

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Q # 1 How can you tell if these are live?

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Q #2 Can you unscrew the top ?

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Q #3 What do the numbers & symbol denote?

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Top

[jawasinger]

truly If your not positive its inert you should turn it over the japanese grenades used picric acid which crystalizes fast and is extremely sensitive just trying to unscrew it could cause enough friction

[juoneen]

KA--------------------BLOO-------EEEEEEE------------!!! (you done been toe Joed)(i clicked my heels together 3 times, and part of me ended up in .....kansas....dot...



BBBBBBRRRRRTTTTT!!!!!!!!........

[1w12tstys7]

Japanese Grenades

I deal with Japanese grenades all the time, mostly the type 97. Nice find but if your not sure if it is live or not then its live. get rid of it. It would be a nice relic except like the other poster stated that the Japanese used picric acid in their explosives. Picric acid crystalizes trying to unscrew the top cover may well be enough to detonate it maybe not. Is you life worth something you can buy on Ebay for $100 bucks.

[Alan Smith]

My understanding is that the EOD guys weigh such questionable grenades on a good scale (as a live one weighs more than an empty one).

I believe that the exact weight of a live Type 99 grenade can be found in the WWII-era U.S. military manuals. I've got a reprint of one such manual (TM 9-1985-5 "Japanese Explosive Ordnance (Army Ammunition Navy Ammunition)", but it does not cover handgrenades. My understanding is that there is a companion manual that covers the handgrenades and rifle caliber ammuntion, but I do not have a copy.

Assuming the main explosive filler is gone, really the only other thing you have to worry about is the detonator (i.e. the brass extension of the fuze assembly that extends down into the grenade's caseing). Once you get the top screwed off the grenade, a visual inspection will show you whether the detonator is intact (i.e. live).

[Gimpy117]

looks like a good way to get blown up!!

i agree with above...get rid of it...could you call the local bomb squad and say you found it without getting arrested?

[Bill Grist]

The numbers are for when it was fuzed and loaded 19.9 September 1944.....BILL

[MikeP]

A dilemma for sure.
That thing has been lying about for a long time.

Good luck.