For sale is a WWII era United States Military M11A3 rifle GRENADE CRATE repurposed as a cabinet or chest. The body of this cabinet or chest is an original WII shipping crate for M11A3 practice grenades. When fully packed, the crate would have held 50 grenades and weighed about 90 pounds. The crate has rope carry handles. The short ends of the crate are marked with the symbol for explosives and the following text: “50 GRENADES – A.T. PRACTICE – M11A3 – A1C S4NTA LOT”. One of the long sides has the following text: “50 PRACTICE – A1C S4NTA – GRENADES – A.T. M11A3 – 91 LBS – 3.3 CU. FT. LOADED”. The wooden door of features a carved relief of two Bavarian Dancers and a musician at the base of a mountain range. Portions of the thick door are stained and other portions are painted. The sturdy wood cabinet has an installed cherry wood center shelf. The cabinet measures 27 inches tall, 13 1/4 inches wide and 13 1/2 inches deep. The cabinet would work well as a night stand or a blanket chest. This military collectible represents a rare opportunity to incorporate a rocket propelled case into your home furnishings.
The UA Army employed several different rifle grenades during WWII. The grenades were mounted by slipping the hollow tail onto a tubular spigot clamped to the muzzle of a rifle. A special blank launching cartridge was loaded into the rifle as a means to propel the grenade. The M11A3 was training version the M9A1 grenade, an anti-tank grenade. The M9A1 was the standard High Explosive Anti Tank rifle grenade. The M9A1 grenade was constructed of steel sheet metal, utilizing a shaped charge with base detonating fuze. The grenade weighed 1.31 lbs and could penetrate over 2 inches of armor
