Original German WWII 1943 Dated Model 39 Egg Hand Grenade with Original Fuze & Wings – Inert Eierhandgranate Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of the extremely rare M1939, M39 or Eierhandgranate (egg hand grenade), offered in very good condition. The grenade has been deactivated according to specifications provided by the BATF. It is totally inert, and cannot be converted to an explosive device.

Unloaded or dummy grenades, artillery shell casings, and similar devices, which are cut or drilled in an BATF-approved manner so that they cannot be used as ammunition components for destructive devices, are not considered NFA weapons. This example is in total compliance and is NOT AVAILABLE FOR EXPORT.

This example is in great, semi-excavated condition, with a good amount of the paint retained on the body. The grenade still has the original screw off “wings” as well as the fuze top. The base of the grenade body and sides do have small rust holes present. The blue (4.5 delay) fuse still retains little of the original paint and is stamped with “lqa” and 44., for 1944 manufacture by Hermann Oppermann of Schroda.

A totally honest original German Egg Grenade, in very nice display condition. This would make a worthy addition to any grenade collection.

The Model 39 Eihandgranate (or Eierhandgranate, “egg hand grenade”) was a German hand grenade introduced in 1939 and produced until the end of World War II. The Eihandgranate used the same fuse assembly (the BZE 39) as the Model 43 Stielhandgranate (“Stick Grenade”), which was screwed into the top of the sheet-metal body. To activate, the domed cap was unscrewed, and the pull-cord that had been coiled inside it was tugged sharply before throwing at the target.

The color of the cap indicated the burning time of the type of fuze fitted. Typically, a delay of around 4 seconds was used. However, if a grenade was to be used as a fixed booby-trap then an instantaneous fuse would be fitted. Enemy soldiers who found seemingly discarded grenades would attempt to use them (expecting a standard time delay) only to be blown up the moment they tugged on the pull-cord. Another scenario was to wire an instantaneously fuzed grenade to a door-frame in an abandoned building. Then the pull-cord would be attached to the door. When the door was kicked open by opposing troops the grenade would detonate.

Fuze Cap Colors:
Grey – zero delay (used exclusively for booby-traps and fuse igniters)
Red – 1 second delay (for coloured smoke, but also booby-traps)
Blue – 4.5 second delay (this was the standard fuze and the one most commonly issued)
Yellow – 7.5 seconds

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