M24 Stielhandgranate Green – Inert Replica

The Stielhandgranate 24, commonly known as the M24, was one of the principal German stick grenades of the Second World War and remains one of the most recognizable pieces of German military equipment from the period.

Its origins can be traced to the German stick grenades developed from 1915 during the First World War. The basic concept underwent successive improvements before being standardized as the Model 1924, from which the M24 designation correctly derives.

This replica reproduces the classic configuration with a green/olive painted metal head and long wooden handle.

The green finish is historically significant rather than simply decorative. Surviving Second World War examples are documented with olive-drab and field-green grenade heads, making this one of the characteristic finishes associated with wartime M24 production.

The original grenade consisted of a thin cylindrical steel head attached to a hollow wooden handle containing the pull-ignition arrangement.

The grenade head frequently carried the well-known instruction:

“Vor Gebrauch Sprengkapsel einsetzen”

meaning “Insert detonator before use.”

This was a practical logistical warning, as detonating capsules could be transported separately from the grenades and fitted before use.

The M24 was primarily classified as an offensive hand grenade. Its relatively thin casing produced less fragmentation than purpose-designed defensive fragmentation grenades.

Where greater fragmentation was required, an additional fragmentation sleeve could be fitted around the head.

The M24 remained in widespread service throughout the Second World War. From 1943 it was supplemented by the simplified Stielhandgranate 43, designed to reduce manufacturing complexity.

Its distinctive shape led British troops to nickname German stick grenades the “potato masher”, a name that remains associated with the design today.

This replica measures 35 cm overall and weighs 543 g. Its combination of wooden handle and metal head closely follows the basic material configuration of the historical design.

A lesser-known detail concerns the colour itself: original examples dated to the late 1930s survive with olive-drab or field-green painted heads, confirming that this green version represents a historically documented wartime appearance rather than a purely modern colour variation.