Original German Second World War M43 Stielhandgranate, retaining its wooden haft and cylindrical sheet-steel grenade head. This example displays the correct late-war simplified construction, with rolled-seam canister head, screw-base attachment, and integral pull-ring striker cap assembly. The wooden throwing handle is of solid wartime form and features the correct drilled vent hole near the base, with surface wear and patination consistent with age and service use.
The steel grenade head exhibits heavy oxidation overall, with scattered remnants of original factory-applied paint visible beneath corrosion. Manufacturing features correspond with the M43 pattern introduced during the latter stages of the war, reflecting Germany’s material shortages and simplified production methods from 1943 onwards. A strong, untouched example of this iconic German infantry grenade.
Approx. Measurements – Overall length: approx. 35.5 cm.
Historical Note:
The M43 Stielhandgranate was introduced during the latter part of the Second World War as a simplified successor to earlier models such as the M24. It consisted of an explosive-filled sheet-metal can affixed to a solid wooden throwing handle and employed a combined detonator and fuse system housed within the head.
The grenade head could be unscrewed from the handle and used independently, most commonly for booby-trap applications. The M43 could also be adapted into an anti-personnel fragmentation grenade through the use of an external fragmentation sleeve or improvised materials. Issued widely from 1943 until the end of the war, it saw service across all branches of the German armed forces. Its distinctive profile earned it the well-known Allied nickname “potato masher,” and it remains one of the most recognisable infantry weapons of the Second World War.
*Condition*
Inert and safe for display. The steel grenade head shows heavy surface corrosion and oxidation throughout, with pitting and wear consistent with age, wartime manufacture, and prolonged storage. The pull-ring and striker cap assembly are present but seized with corrosion and not operational. The wooden handle displays age-related cracking, longitudinal splits, surface abrasions, shrinkage, and darkening, all commensurate with wartime production and long-term storage. No restoration or cleaning has been undertaken. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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