Original German WWII Inert 1938 dated M24 Stick Grenade by Richard Rinker – 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”. This example, acquired from the family of a WWII veteran, has been demilitarized according to specifications by the BATF. The warhead still unscrews. It still retains some of the original paint, and the original markings can be seen on the head of the grenade.

The warhead is in very nice condition and easily unscrews from the shaft. It was originally painted blue over a red primer, much of which is still present. It also still has the white stencil that reads VOR GEBRAUCH SPRENGKAPSEL EINSETZEN (Before use insert detonator). The top of the grade is missing most of the paint, and is marked with ЯR 90 1938, which corresponds to the manufacturer Richard Rinker G.m.b.H. in Menden/Iserlohn, the original designer of the M24 grenade. This company had many factories and subcontractors, which is what the number “90” corresponds to. In this case the factory is identified as Bergmann Elektrizitätswerke AG, located in the Wilhelmsruhe locality of Berlin. Even with the missing paint, there is very little oxidation on the warhead, except for one hole on the side. The metal almost looks galvanized.

The wood shaft of the grenade is relatively worn, and unfortunately has no markings that we can see. It has some staining and deformation towards the bottom, which is now more of an oval shape than round. The screw cap and fitting are both missing. The shaft is correctly hollow to allow the internal components and porcelain “donut” bead with pull string.

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.