Keith Posted December 10, 2019 Share #1 Posted December 10, 2019 These were found in an antique mall in Eastern Missouri. No idea how they got there but, they are interesting and wanted to share them and perhaps get feedback on them...such as what are they worth! Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted December 17, 2019 Author Share #2 Posted December 17, 2019 Doing research on these I find they may be Russian and utilized by the NVA and VC. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted January 7, 2020 Author Share #3 Posted January 7, 2020 Researching some more, I find WW1 French grenade looks simular. That seems likely as they were in Vietname earlier. VC/NVA would utilize what was available. Anyone able to ID what grenade body was used to make thses grenades? Thanjs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap Camouflage Pattern I Posted January 8, 2020 Share #4 Posted January 8, 2020 Sorry I cannot be much help with these, they are not the standard Vietnamese made cast grenades. I have not seen this exact shape in wartime photographs yet, but I have seen a couple like yours in Vietnam collections except for the number of nail holes. I am not familiar with French grenades, but googled French WW1 grenades and they do look identical. I think the first step would be to ask WW1 French grenade collectors if it is one because French grenades are likely more uniform and documented than Vietnamese made grenades. Was there anything with them at the antique mall that said they came from Vietnam, or could they have come from France? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted January 8, 2020 Author Share #5 Posted January 8, 2020 No, nothing with them, bought just as shown. Internet searches is where I am trying to nail them down. I am pretty sure they are stick grenades as used by the NVA or VC. I just can't ID the source of the body. I find Russian and French having similar shapes. Thanks for trying! Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap Camouflage Pattern I Posted January 8, 2020 Share #6 Posted January 8, 2020 I know LKMilitary has a couple like yours in his collection that were brought back from Vietnam, and I have seen another one somewhere else but I can't remember where. I think the two likely options are either unmodified French grenades captured and used by the Vietnamese or Vietnamese made stick grenades with Vietnamese made heads. I am not aware of any widespread practice of making grenades from existing grenades, the two major methods were casting their own grenade heads in small foundries, or the cruder method of using food or drink cans packed with shrapnel and explosives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted January 9, 2020 Author Share #7 Posted January 9, 2020 Thanks. That was my thinking, left over from when the French were there. If Russian perhaps supplied through the Chinese. Regards keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwb123 Posted January 9, 2020 Share #8 Posted January 9, 2020 Here's a thought... you mentioned buying these in an antique mall. Is it possible they are WWI French grenades that have been misidentified as Vietnamese? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted January 9, 2020 Author Share #9 Posted January 9, 2020 Yes, that is possible. The rusty broken one has remains of wood and cord in it thus the linking to NVA. I would have to do more research on the French idea to see how they were detonated. Thanks, keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap Camouflage Pattern I Posted January 17, 2020 Share #10 Posted January 17, 2020 The "Citron Foug" grenade had a wooden fuze assembly, without any provenance that it came from Vietnam, I see no reason to believe it is not an unmodified French grenade that came from France. Not that they are bad pieces, but I don't think they are Vietnamese. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share #11 Posted January 17, 2020 Thanks. I appreciate your attention to the topic. I will look deeper into the French idea. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share #12 Posted January 17, 2020 I found this letter; probably not much help but...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share #13 Posted January 17, 2020 I think I will repost this in the French section and see the results. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boy Howdy Posted May 14, 2021 Share #14 Posted May 14, 2021 On 1/7/2020 at 10:46 PM, Cap Camouflage Pattern I said: I know LKMilitary has a couple like yours in his collection that were brought back from Vietnam, and I have seen another one somewhere else but I can't remember where. I think the two likely options are either unmodified French grenades captured and used by the Vietnamese or Vietnamese made stick grenades with Vietnamese made heads. I am not aware of any widespread practice of making grenades from existing grenades, the two major methods were casting their own grenade heads in small foundries, or the cruder method of using food or drink cans packed with shrapnel and explosives. I have a very good friend who was with the Special Forces in Vietnam 70-71. He is famous for having a cold one now and again. He was taking about his last meeting of the Purple Heart Association and I jokingly said he probably got hid PH from a beer can. He said"how did you know that?" He was wounded, on his first patrol, buy a VC beer can IED. It wasn't life threatening, thank God, but it was enough for his PH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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