Maxence C. using our OD MK2 :

Sherman Mannequins using our OD MK2 on his museum-grade displays :

HISTORY :

The Mk.II (a.k.a Mk.2) is arguably the most recognized hand grenade design used by the U.S. Army from 1918 up through the 1960's.

Early WW2 MKII were painted yellow. It was the color code for high explosive ordnance at this time and HE grenades were painted accordingly. Understandably this was found to be an impractical color due to its high visibility to the enemy.

In 1942 the the color was changed to "olive drab" (OD) with a small yellow band. With many thousands of yellow grenade bodies in inventory they were repainted, green over the yellow.
In this picture you can see the yellow paint showing through chips and wear spots on the OD bodies :

BODY & FUSE SHAPE :

The body and fuse of our MKII repros are made of metal through a cold-casting process.

They are casted from an original MKII grenade. Therefore all the dimensions and details are faithfully reproduced. Even the original markings on the body are visible !

On original MKII grenades, body and fuse are 2 separate parts screwed together. Our repros body + fuse are casted in 1 solid piece for durability and production convenience. Also, we consider it is not necessary to unscrew fuse from body for reenactment purposes. Solidity first!

BODY & FUSE COLOR :

The body/fuse main piece is made of dark grey cold-casted metal. The body is then painted OD green, with a yellow band around the neck of the body to indicate this is a HE (high explosive) device.

When using your grenade, the OD paint will slowly wear off and scratch over time, revealing the grey/steel aspect underneath (just like the real deal, which is a plus regarding authenticity).

SPOON :

• long handle with mechanically stamped long ‘Y’ stiffener
• cups over the top of the fuse head
• OD green colored, with black tip (optional)

Reference (WW2) :

RING & PIN :

Surprisingly, reproduction rings with correct WW2 specs are very hard to find. So here again, we make our own rings. And they look just perfect!

OVERALL WEIGHT :

Our repro metal MKII weights between 200g & 300g depending on production batch, vs. 540g for an original MKII.

PRICE :

We sometimes hear that our products are "too expensive" compared to other reproductions available on the market. Keep in mind that these other reproductions are often Made in China (example), and do not meet WW2 standards, unlike ours. Also, our reproductions are 100% handcrafted.

The price you see is not our margin, but our turnover. We then have to deduct :

• The price of resin and other compounds (which are expensive and always increasing)
• The price of molds and their depreciation (they wear out and must be replaced often)
• The price of steel parts
• Paints and other consumables
• Tools and their depreciation (brushes, pliers, drills, etc.)
• Protection equipments to cast resin (masks, gloves, etc.)
• Packagings
• Website and payment systems expenses
• Workshop rent and variable costs (electricity, etc.)
• Legal taxes and social security contributions, insurances, etc.
• Other incidental expenses regarding production or shipping

ATTENTION :

⚠️ This product is made on demand. Allow 10-15 business days before shipment. If you order several pieces, please allow additional time. There may be additional production delays during sales period, due to high volume of orders. Do not hesitate to contact us to know when your order will be shipped.

⚠️ There are a few other manufacturers making MKII grenades and parts. We cannot guarantee that our parts (body+fuse, spoon, ring+pin) are compatible with original or repro MKII parts available on the market.

⚠️ Please be aware that the spoon, safety pin and ring are not made to be used on real grenades, and do not meet any real weapon safety criteria. These are reproductions for dummy props.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE :

https://ww2gear.shop/pages/terms