Very rare First World War Russian gas stick-grenade. The weapon contained 500g of Chloropicrin a powerful tear-gas/lachrymator agent that could penetrate most gas mask filters and forced troops to remove their masks. The chemical payload would have been enough to kill or incapacitate all the troops in a small dug-out or bunker. The grenade has a triangular tin plate bearing a skull and cross-bones with the word Chemical embossed on it in Cyrillic lettering. The tin body is soldered shut to provide an air-tight seal and has a double-safety to avoid mishaps. The item is in very good condition for it’s age and still has all of its mechanism and original paint. Since they contained chemical agents very few of these grenades have survived as most were simply dumped or destroyed after the war to avoid contamination, it is therefore a very rare item. A must-have for the WW1 Eastern Front/gas-warfare collector.