German Inert Model M13 Klugel Grenade Antiques & Militaria

~ German Inert Model M13 Klugel Grenade ~

Careful observers of the Russo-japanese 1904 war, several European armies including France and Germany recognized the need to pay some interest again to this 400 years old weapon almost forgotten. The 'Kugelhandgranate 1913' is a first development (dated 1913) of the previous centuries ball grenades.

These cast iron spheres were machined with outside deep fragmentation grooves (for the production of 70 to 80 pieces), drilled with a threaded hole made to receive a transportation plug, then an igniter in fighting conditions.

This traction igniter was a hollow bronze tube, filled with compressed black powder (giving a 7 seconds delay, or 5 seconds for the red-painted igniters), and triggered by pulling a brass wire attached to a friction block dipped in a mixture of glass, manganese bioxyde and potassium chlorate.

The German troops entered the war in 1914 with reasonable quantities of such grenades, relatively modern thanks to their fragmentation design and their igniter quite insensible to the humidity.

~ Condition ~

All in good antique order.

~ Dimensions ~

With the fuse, the grenade stands at 12 cm (4.75 inches) tall.

~ Postage ~

UK postage is £12, international at cost and it can be viewed in our shop.

#7861