Original Austro-Hungarian WWI Rohrhandgranate Hand Grenade Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a totally inert BATF complaint Austro-Hungarian  Rohrhandgranate used during WWI.

Many of the early hand grenades in use during the first few months of the war, across all the combatant nations, were improvised explosive devices, tins full of bits of metal or anything likely to cause damage, often attached to handles for easier throwing.  The Austro-Hungarian Army was no different, but by the spring of 1915, these improvised hand grenades were being replaced by not only the German Stielhandgranate, which the Austrians soon began importing in large quantities, but by other Austrian-manufactured stick grenades, and in particular the Rohr hand grenade.

The Rohr hand grenade was a cast-iron cylinder concussion grenade filled with explosive, and generally attached to a cardboard handle, again as opposed to the German Stielhandgranate with its wooden stick. We say generally because some photos we have seen appear to be Rohr grenades with wooden sticks, so we wouldn’t rule that out completely.   Nonetheless, because the handles were generally made of cardboard, you simply don’t find many (any?) around today.

The ignition system was similar to the German Stielhandgranate, with a seven second delay fuse, and, other than the Stielhandgranate the Rohr grenade would become the standard Austro-Hungarian grenade of the Great War.

This example was recovered from a glacier in Italy at the northern part of the Austro-Italian front, hence its remarkable condition, It retains its iron head with belt hook, original; carboard handle with 1917 dated paper instruction label and original twine ignition cord to the interior. It is offered in near mint totally inert condition.