Original German WWII 1943 dated M24 Stick Grenade by Richard Rinker with Fragmentation Sleeve – Stielhandgranate Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is an extremely rare M1924, M24,  or “Stielhandgranate (stalk hand grenade) 24” German Stick Grenade, often called a “potato masher”. Purportedly recovered in the Ardennes Region of Belgium, this piece has been demilitarized according to specifications by the BATF. Original markings can be seen on the  shaft of the grenade. It also comes with a very rare steel fragmentation sleeve, which is clipped around the warhead. This is one of the more simple versions, just being a sleeve of spring steel.

The warhead is in relic condition, with rust corrosion evident on the head and sleeve, the leading edge of the can has rust holes through the metal. The head does not unscrew from the handle, but if one pulls the handle carefully out of the threaded coupling, one can observe the inside of the can.  The handle is marked “43 brb”  which corresponds to the manufacturer Richard Rinker G.m.b.H. in Menden/Iserlohn, the original designer of the M24 grenade. The wood shaft handle is is dried out relic condition, with stress cracks, and significant loss of mass from being dry. The lower screw cap does not unscrew, as the other side of the screw cap is missing.

In WWII the stick of the German M24 (Model 24) grenade provided a lever, significantly improving the throwing distance. The Model 24 could be thrown approximately 30 to 40 yards, whereas the British Mills bomb could only be thrown about 15 yards. The design also minimized the risk of the grenade rolling downhill back towards the thrower when used in hilly terrain or in urban areas. These grenades were extremely useful for clearing out entrenched infantry positions.

As grenades were disposable, encountering them on the market is very rare, especially with the original pull string and weight, making this an excellent opportunity to acquire one to complete a WWII ordnance collection.