Original British WWII 1942 Dated No. 68 AT Mk IIII Anti-Tank Grenade Cutaway with Retained Tag - Inert

Original Item: Only One Available. Totally inert per guidelines provided by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) this is a rare WWII 1942-dated British No. 68 MkIIII AT (Anti-Tank) Grenade cutaway. Not Available for Export.

When it comes to designing a training program for military personnel, instructors are faced with several challenges. First, unlike athletes there is no off-season, most units are either preparing for deployment, deployed, or refitting from deployment. Secondly, training facilities vary from location to location and often focus on a single task. These tasks may include muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance, field craft or marksmanship. Each of the above contribute to the success of an operation, however there is one area of training that is deficient. This deficiency is visual training; visual ability plays a larger role in achieving optimum performance than most military personnel realize. The goal of integrating visual training into an already packed curriculum is not to dilute it but to improve tactical performance.

To help users better understand the equipment they are using, examples like this cutaway were made. These were intended to give the users a look at the internal structure of the explosives, showing the different layers as well as where they connect or thread into each other.

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.

The grenade is crisply marked on the fins : No 68. A.T. IIII / G.T.L. 42. G.T.L. is believed to denote manufacture by Gestetner of London, England. The cutaway shows the interior including the blue-colored cone shaped charge.

Overall condition is very good to excellent, and it even has the original "TO BE WITHDRAWN FROM GRENADE BEFORE FIRING" warning tag which is now attached via a modern clip. Disassembles correctly to show the interior structure. A wonderful rare World War Two manufactured example of this grenade type made into a cutaway for training!