I just picked up an authentic M24, and I was wondering if anyone knew what the various markings mean. The "pull cord before throwing" warning is obvious, but I couldn't find any other info the the web about it. Here's a description.
Side of head:
"Sk. Do II. 12."
Top of head:
(stamped) "RR564 1939" (1939 part is obvious)
(in ink) Waffenamt with "W a A 564" below it
Handle (stamped):
"odp (Waffenamt) 43"
I'm assuming these identify what arsenal it was produced at, among other things. Any help would be deeply appreciated.
Ken
What do M24 stick grenade markings mean??
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lannister80
- Member
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 10 Apr 2003, 00:06
- Location: Chicago, IL
You are pretty close in your assumption. The whole business of the Waffenamts is very important to mauser collectors. While I have encountered many lists of rifle WaA's on the Internet, I have yet to see one that also has grenade WaA's. I'll keep looking and post if I find anything of interest.
Regards,
-Mike
Regards,
-Mike
Hi Ken,
Actually, the text on the canister doesn't read 'pull cord before throwing'- it states 'Before use, insert detonator'.
The maker code on the stick, 'odp' was 'Gerhard Jaeck vorm. A. Dembinski, Moebelfabrik Werk I: Kattowitz, Holteistr. 37' - a furniture-maker.
Unfortunately, I'm unaware of a comprehensive list of Waffenamt or RR numbers, so I can't help you with the maker of the canister. I'd guess that the 'II. 12.' means that it was produced on February 12th, 1939.
I hope this helps.
Matt
Actually, the text on the canister doesn't read 'pull cord before throwing'- it states 'Before use, insert detonator'.
The maker code on the stick, 'odp' was 'Gerhard Jaeck vorm. A. Dembinski, Moebelfabrik Werk I: Kattowitz, Holteistr. 37' - a furniture-maker.
Unfortunately, I'm unaware of a comprehensive list of Waffenamt or RR numbers, so I can't help you with the maker of the canister. I'd guess that the 'II. 12.' means that it was produced on February 12th, 1939.
I hope this helps.
Matt
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lannister80
- Member
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 10 Apr 2003, 00:06
- Location: Chicago, IL
Well, the "Sk. Do II. 12." is in the same ink as the detonator warning (although different font) and looks "nice", as opposed to the physical stamping of the 1939 and other marks on the canister, like the Waffenamt stamp, which is slightly blurry and wet looking and not "nice". Would they change the ink stamp (or silk screen or however they apply nice, clear letters to the side of the canister) every day to show the date it was produced? What do you surmise the Sk. and Do might mean? I have zero knowledge of the german language, are those short for month or another dating scheme? And, if someone wouldn't mind, what is the significance of the Waffenamt and the RR number in general? Thanks so much for your help, everybody.
Hi Ken,
The Waffenamt was the official ordnance inspection and approval department- each producer of weapons or components had a set of inspectors who indicated their final approval over everything by stamping the part (or, in this case, stenciling it on)- the stamp bearing their section's number. As far as I know the number had no particular meaning, but is consistent with every part from a particular maker at a particular time.
The difference in quality of the stencils is simply because different ones were employed to put on each mark. The messy one(s) could have received too much ink the time they printed the messy stuff, or needed to be cleaned or even to be replaced. Given how messy lettering looks, I actually believe the marks are put on by a stamp rather than a stencil- so, technically, I guess they're printed on rather than stenciled.
I actually retract my suggestion that II.12 might be a date- while the Germans did often use a Roman numeral to signify the month, I just realized the numbers are in the wrong order- by convention, dates are written day. month. year. Unfortunately, I have no idea what the 'Sk. Do.' might stand for- there are only a handful of German words that begin with 'Sk' and none makes sense in this context so it must be the short form of a word in which 'k' is not the second letter- there are LOTS of those. I'll ask some ordnance collector friends and see what I can find out.
As for the 'RR' I honestly don't know what it is either- just that it's a common mark on grenades and since the number varies, I surmised it might be an early ordnance manufacturer code-mine is marked RR217 1939.
Matt
The Waffenamt was the official ordnance inspection and approval department- each producer of weapons or components had a set of inspectors who indicated their final approval over everything by stamping the part (or, in this case, stenciling it on)- the stamp bearing their section's number. As far as I know the number had no particular meaning, but is consistent with every part from a particular maker at a particular time.
The difference in quality of the stencils is simply because different ones were employed to put on each mark. The messy one(s) could have received too much ink the time they printed the messy stuff, or needed to be cleaned or even to be replaced. Given how messy lettering looks, I actually believe the marks are put on by a stamp rather than a stencil- so, technically, I guess they're printed on rather than stenciled.
I actually retract my suggestion that II.12 might be a date- while the Germans did often use a Roman numeral to signify the month, I just realized the numbers are in the wrong order- by convention, dates are written day. month. year. Unfortunately, I have no idea what the 'Sk. Do.' might stand for- there are only a handful of German words that begin with 'Sk' and none makes sense in this context so it must be the short form of a word in which 'k' is not the second letter- there are LOTS of those. I'll ask some ordnance collector friends and see what I can find out.
As for the 'RR' I honestly don't know what it is either- just that it's a common mark on grenades and since the number varies, I surmised it might be an early ordnance manufacturer code-mine is marked RR217 1939.
Matt