Original Austro-Hungarian WWI 1st Model M15 Zeitzünder Handgranate “Corn” Hand Grenade – Inert Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice totally inert BATF complaint example Austro-Hungarian 1st Model M15 Zeitzünder (“time fuze”) hand grenade, known as Handgranate, used during WWI. It is totally inert, cannot be converted to an explosive devise. These are very similar to the Gewehrgranate (Rifle Grenade), with the main difference being delivery system. The serrated fragmentation type is the first variant, the smooth bodied grenade is the second variant, the Model 16.

This example is a bit different than most we have seen, and seems to have a very interesting variant. It has the usual wire handle / belt hanger, however instead of there being a pull fuse there, it is on the other end of the grenade. Thick fabric as been stretched over that end, waxed in place. Then at the end there is a friction pull fuze, which still has the pull string.

There is no hole in the bottom plug where the handle is, as there would normally be, so this was not a last ditch field modification. This was purposely made as a hand grenade, and unlike most M15s, this could not easily be converted to a rifle grenade.

The exterior is very good, with little rust, and a lot of the original clear finish present. The original fuze is great, and the bottom handle unscrews to show the interior.

A very nice example of an interesting variant, ready to add to your collection!

The first variant of this grenade is heavily segmented, both inside and out, one of the most dramatic grenades in this regard. A comparison of the Zeitzünder rifle rod grenade can be made with its hand grenade counterpart, the Rohrhandgranate. The body style is identical, threaded at both ends, allowing different fore and aft pieces to be substituted so the center casting could be configured to be either a rifle or hand grenade.

The hand grenade example is staked across the plug of the wire handle. But this also could have been a configuration made in the field, depending on need. (A useful feature). All things considered, this seems to be a pretty versatile design that was easy to manufacture. One significant drawback however is its extreme weight and cumbersome size.

Apparently the nick-name “Guguruz” was applied to this grenade. There is no translation for this Austrian word. A Guguruz is a type of corn, the shape it somewhat resembles, so they named it that. Much like the American word “pineapple” applied to fragmentation grenades. Curious that hand munitions have had food related nick-names applied to them by solders around the world, (i.e. pineapple, lemon, potato masher, pear, egg … to name a few).