Original Item: Only One Available. Totally inert per guidelines provided by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) this is a rare WW2 1941 dated British No. 68 MkIII AT (Anti-Tank) Grenade.

The No. 68 was an early form of shaped charge grenade, and has some claim to have been the first High Explosive, Anti Tank (HEAT) device in use. The design of the warhead was simple and was capable of penetrating 52mm (2 inches) of armor in 1940.

The fuze of the grenade was armed by removing a pin in the tail which prevented the firing pin from flying forward. The grenade was launched from a rifle cup. The simple fins gave it some stability in the air and, provided the grenade hit the target at the proper angle (90 degrees), the charge would be effective. Detonation occurred on impact, when a striker in the tail of the grenade overcame the resistance of a creep spring and was thrown forward into a stab detonator.

Construction is main body, cap, fin, inner tube, inner cup cast metal cup main body, open and threaded top with threaded hole in base; solid flat cap screwed on to top; four fins (with lateral gas check plate screwed on to bottom) screwed in to grenade base; split pin inserted through fin shaft with warning plate; rubber inner tube inserted into main body; cast flat cup on top of inner under cap; painted green. L 6.5in x 2.5in diameter.

Nicely marked on the fins : No 68 AT III and 1941 with Broad Arrows.

There is also has a small pdc mark in an oval near the base of one of the fins (A and F Pears Limited, Die Casting Co, Peterborough).

Overall condition is very good to excellent. Disassembles correctly to show the interior structure.