BACKGROUND: The high explosive, concussion, M24 stick hand grenade was a modification of the WWI German M1915 stick grenade and was to become the most common grenade used by Germany during WWII. Modifications of the M24 resulted in the longer M39 grenade in 1939 and the M43 grenade with a different fuze insertion configuration in 1943. The M24, M39 and M43 grenades were all armed with TNT with a four to five second time delay fuze and had an effective radius of roughly twelve to fourteen yards. Observations on the Russian front of the effectiveness of the Russian RGD33 grenade with fragmentation sleeve led the Germans to copy the idea and develop their own grenade fragmentation sleeve. The first German fragmentation sleeve was a smooth version introduced by the Waffen-SS, Waffen-und Geräteamtes, (Weapons and Equipment Office), under command of SS-Oberführer Heinrich Gärtner in mid-1942. Shortly afterwards the German army followed suit by developing a serrated version of the fragmentation grenade although both patterns were used by both organizations. The fragmentation sleeves were originally designed to friction fit on the head of the M24 stick grenade altering it from a purely concussion weapon to a more damaging fragmentation weapon. The fragmentation sleeves could be utilized with any of the three stick grenade models, StiGr. M24, M39 and M43. Also Of Note: Regulations of December 9^TH 1943 ordered that one third of all stick grenades be furnished with the fragmentation sleeves.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: First pattern, field-grey painted, tooled steel construction fragmentation sleeve with a smooth surface. The sleeve is roughly, 2 1/2" tall with a 2 1/2" diameter. The sleeve has an opened top and bottom and a vertical, side slash permitting it to slip on the head of the grenade and be secured by friction. The sleeve only retains about 30% of its original field-grey paint with spots of wear to the base steel with light to moderate surface spotting and pitting. The fragmentation sleeve has no visible manufacturer’s markings.

GRADE **3/4                             PRICE $169.00