The No 19 Percussion Grenade 1916

The No 19 was a serated fragmentation grenade with a nose percussion fuze and a wooden handle with 3 streamers to make it land nose first. It is a very simple grenade to use. simply unwind the 3 tail streamers, pull out the pin and throw. The mushroom striker is held off the .380 eley cartridge by the copper shear wire. Upon landing the mushroom head would be driven inside the fuze body, shearing through the copper wire and striking the percussion cap on the cartridge. This would flash through to the detonator and explode the grenade. It was found that the grenade could be detonated if dropped nose first from a hight of only a few feet as the weight would be enough to shear the pin and the copper wire together with dire results for the thrower. It also suffered from the same problem as the No1 & No2, It was very easy for the thrower to accidentaly strike the side of the trench in the act of throwing thus detonating the grenade in his hand.(ouch)

Here are the fuze components stripped. The cartridge is an ordinary .380 which has been shortened slightly.

Here is the grenade stripped to its major components

The tail tapes unwound. They are approx  18 inches long.

Inside the top of the grenade body is a brass plug which holds the detonator well