Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of a WW1 era Italian S.I.P.E. style grenade body, which is a variant that we have not seen before. Unlike most, it is open at both ends. It is however definitely well made, and shows modern casting techniques. The grenade body itself looks fairly modern in design, looking similar to the French F1 and US Mk II grenades, but larger at about 3 3/8"long x 2 1/2"wide. S.I.P.E. is an acronym for Società Italiana Prodotti Esplondenti (Italian Society of Explosive Products), the company that designed the grenade and made explosives and other ordinance for the military. However, not much else is known about these grenades.

There are several variants to the body shape and style of manufacture, but all have the same basic shape, with variations on the style of fragmentation grooves. The fuzes are another matter altogether, with a wide variety of types, as with most countries during WWI. There were some percussion fuses, some timed fuzes, and materials such as zinc, brass, and lead were used.

A very nice example of a rare WWI Italian grenade, ready to display!