INERT DEACTIVATED. VERY RARE, Early WW1, British Number 1, Mark I Hand Grenade. Sn - 20652 INERT DEACTIVATED. VERY RARE, Early WW1, British Number 1, Mark I Hand Grenade. Sn - 20652 Other Ammunition

INERT DEACTIVATED. This is a very rare British Mark I, Number 1 hand grenade that was in use at the start of World War 1. The Grenade, Hand, No. 1 was the first British hand grenade used in World War I and was designed by Martin Hales at the Royal Laboratories in 1908. The grenade was based on reports and samples of Japanese hand grenades during the Russo-Japanese War provided by General Sir Aylmer Haldane, who was a British observer of that war. The number 1 hand grenade had a brass cylinder body mounted onto a wooden block and had a 21.75” beech wood handle attached that enabled it to be thrown at a target. This block is stamped R L over 1 (Royal Laboratories Mark 1) and a makers mark E&S stamped into it. The grenade weighed 2 lb and had an impact-detonated nose percussion fuse with a safety pin and removable brass safety cap at the nose. When thrown, the grenade had a cloth streamer that enables it to stabilise during flight and land nose down to detonate on the target. This is a complete, early Mark I, Number 1 hand grenade with the long handle and cloth streamer. The body is complete with a brass belt hook and fragmentation ring which has the original buff painted finish to it. The firing cap covering the fuse is complete with its original copper safety pin with a small elongated slot at the straight end which still has part of its original black cloth safety tab which engages with the slot in the safety pin to stop the pin falling out accidentally thus making the grenade easy to arm itself by the cap rotating from the safe to the firing position. The brass safety cap is stamped REMOVE TRAVEL & FIRE and these correspond to a red pointer on the main body to indicate the state of the grenade. This is a superb, difficult to find and original Number 1 mark I hand grenade with the full length throwing handle. See pages 9 - 15 in ‘GRENADE’ British & Commonwealth Hand & Rifle Grenades by Rick Landers. The price includes UK delivery and no licence is required to possess this inert grenade in the UK if retained as part of a collection or display. Sn 20652