Original German WWI Granatenwerfer 16 Grenade Thrower by Gebr. Bing A.G. – Serial Number 2901 with Inert Signal Flare Round Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Totally non-functional and inert having been deactivated according to specifications outlined by the BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives).

This is an exceptionally rare German World War One Granatwerfer 16 (Grenade Thrower 16) “Spigot Mortar” offered in very good condition. The launcher “spigot” and the base plate are marked with the same serial number, 2901.

The launcher still pivots up and down correctly with an intact securing lock, and the safety moves as well. It is however a bit stiff due to oxidation. The data plate is also still fully legible, and gives the model and maker information:

Granatenwerfer 16
Gebr. Bing A.G.
Nürnberg

Also included is a relic condition Original Granatenwerfer 16 Inert Signal Flare Round.

A fantastic example with lots of patina! Ready to display!

An wonderful article by Forgotten Weapons on the Granatenwerfer 16 can be found at this link.

Developed from a weapon originally designed by a priest, of all people, in the Austro-Hungarian army, the Granatenwerfer 16 was a German WWI grenade thrower which bridged the gap between hand-thrown grenades and the light minenwerfers. Throwing a small grenade with a 400g (14oz) high explosive charge to a maximum range of about 300 meters (330 yards) , the Gr.W.16 with a practiced crew could maintain a rate of fire of 4-5 rounds per minute.

The Granatenwerfer 16 was a classic example of the spigot mortar type weapon. Rather than having a hollow barrel into which the projectile fit, it had a simple rod with a firing pin built in. The grenade it fired had a hollow center shaft, which fit onto the firing rod. To fire, a gunner (a 2-man crew, in practice) would first adjust the spigot rod to the correct angle for the desired range, depress the cocking collar until the firing pin was cocked, rotate the safety lever to the “safe” position, insert a fuse into a grenade (they were fairly sensitive impact fuses), slide the grenade onto the launcher, remove the safety pin, and fire the grenade by means of a lanyard pull. The Gr.W.16 was particularly portable because of its light weight – the launcher itself weighted at 31 pounds and the base plate an additional 48 pounds. Thus both parts could be easily carried across areas too confined, muddy, or otherwise impractical to drag a wheeled minenwerfer through.

The grenade itself contained a special blank rifle cartridge (actually just a standard service round with the projectile removed), which provided the energy to launch – the granatenwerfer itself simply struck the cartridge primer to fire it. The Gr.W.16s proved to be popular and very effective weapons for the Germans. They had a high rate of fire, useful range, and reasonably effective detonation. They could be used in either direct or indirect fire applications – direct fire was used to fire at things like sentry posts, gun loopholes, and the like. When fired this way, the grenade fragments would fill an area roughly 5m wide and 50m long, while a round fired in a high angle trajectory would have a bursting radius of about 30 meters. Minimum high-angle range was 50 meters, to avoid endangering the firing crew

In terms of manufacturing, the Gr.W.16 was a very simple device, and easy to produce, with only a few moving parts and nothing requiring the level of precision that a conventional barrel would need.