British, WW1, No22 Newton Pippin Rifle Grenade, Inert

*British, WW1, No22 Newton Pippin Rifle Grenade, Inert*

Complete with steel rod and modern replacement top cap. Approx 16.5cm, 4.5cm diameter.

In 1915, Captain Henry Newton (1880-1959) of the the 5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters, conceived the Newton Pippin rifle grenades, manufactured in Armentieres, France. Named after the apple, these grenades were vicious and had a range of 400 yards.

Made from cast iron and scrap brass, the Newton Pippin cost two shillings each, far less than the Hales grenade at 25 shillings. The Newton Pippin addressed the limited availability of the complex Number 3 rodded rifle grenade in French service. Newton’s design, featuring a ‘carrot-shaped’ hollow casting and a simplified fuse, gained popularity for its simplicity, accessibility and extended range. More lethal due to its shallower penetration depth and top-heavy design, it had only one moving part in its fuse.

Despite its simplicity, production remained lower than the Hale’s grenade, with 10 million Hales grenades used during the war, probably due to the risk of premature detonation; a safety measure involved pulling a cord, attached to the rifle trigger, from behind a sandbag barricade.

*Condition*
Please see photographs as part of the condition report.

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