Mike_H Posted 5 May , 2010 Share Posted 5 May , 2010 SW Photo of a July 1915 plug attached. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tootrock Posted 5 May , 2010 Share Posted 5 May , 2010 According to one of the documents in the Virtual Library on this Forum, "Hand Grenades" by Major Graham M. Ainslie the following procedure should be used with a No.5 Grenade Mk. 1. The italics are mine. To fire: 1. Hold grenade in right hand, base plug up, the fingers holding the striker lever firmly against the body of the grenade, the ring of the safety pin towards the left hand. 2. Pull out safety pin with the left hand, keeping the pressure on the striker lever. 3. Throw the grenade. Have we been doing it incorrectly all these years? Regards, Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 5 May , 2010 Share Posted 5 May , 2010 Martin Instructions changed and there were plugs ups and plugs down, but they settled on down in the end. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 5 May , 2010 Share Posted 5 May , 2010 Should have pointed out my comment about safety pins refers to the first two bombs shown - not the later posts. The first bomb is dated November 1915 - the absence of a month date on these grenades I believe indicates early production when there was a shortages in stamps and machine tools generally - but I could be wrong! The earliest in my own collection is a alloy base plug dated August 1915 - I would be interested if anyone can post pictures of any earlier. SW Things varied from maker to maker. For example James Cycle Co made all their plugs with a year date added and then the month was hand stamped in. Often the month was missed off. Elmbank rarely added years at all from 1916 onwards. Most people who collect Mills plugs will have August 1915 as their oldest plug, I have two and they are the oldest I've been able to acquire. This is because it was only in August and September 1915 production started to ramp up and also that more brass plugs started to appear then. Certainly the early aluminium plugs have not lasted in the ground as well as the brass. As far as I know plugs from Feb 1915 - April are non existent. I think I've seen one from May 1915 and a couple from June / July. The period Feb to July 15 is the Mills collectors dream period! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tocemma Posted 5 May , 2010 Share Posted 5 May , 2010 John and Co, Could you cast your eye over this one, at which point I will have exhausted my stock of 'earlier' No5's. This is a sidecast from Nov 15. I assume it is as it should be? Is it OK for the filler plug to brass rather than alloy like the other one? It has an alloy base plug, an alloy interior, but a brass filler?? I also note having looked at it (for the first time in years!) that it has also had a coat of black paint. It seems many of the Mills from 1915 were finished in black? Again the small ring and the same type of lever. Thanks Tocemma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 6 May , 2010 Share Posted 6 May , 2010 John and Co, Could you cast your eye over this one, at which point I will have exhausted my stock of 'earlier' No5's. This is a sidecast from Nov 15. I assume it is as it should be? Is it OK for the filler plug to brass rather than alloy like the other one? It has an alloy base plug, an alloy interior, but a brass filler?? I also note having looked at it (for the first time in years!) that it has also had a coat of black paint. It seems many of the Mills from 1915 were finished in black? Again the small ring and the same type of lever. Thanks Tocemma That's a nice grenade. The lever, small ring and the filler plug are fine, the base plug could have been issued with the rest of it but I suspect the plug may not be original to the grenade, though it could be. I have found No 5's with alloy filler plugs and brass baseplugs and vice versa. It's not a point I'd worry over, just enjoy it in your collection. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calibre792x57.y Posted 7 May , 2010 Share Posted 7 May , 2010 Thanks for the picture of the 7/15 baseplug Mike. Black varnish on Mills certainly seems to be one of the finishes used in the factories, but it is not confined to 1915. I have a No.5 with quite a lot of black varnish, overpainted with the remains of the 'filled' red band and the pink 'filling' band. Baseplug is 10/16. It somewhat amuses me to see in collections these carefully and neatly painted as both paints have run down the segmentation grooves on mine and I have had No 23s and WW1 No 36s with similarly roughly applied bands - all original. Instructions to Grenadiers 1917 shows the grenades gripped as I described and I believe the 1915 edition is the same, the illustrations always show the pins running from left to right when viewing the bomb from the rear - however I could be wrong! - SW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 7 May , 2010 Share Posted 7 May , 2010 The rings are on the left with the lever torwards you. Heres a relic centre cast from my collection. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted 7 May , 2010 Share Posted 7 May , 2010 Hi, I imagine the centre cast ones are even rarer than 1% as most of them would have been thrown by 1918..... whereas later grenades may still have been stockpiled... Best Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tocemma Posted 7 May , 2010 Share Posted 7 May , 2010 All, Thanks for the comments and info. I acquired my grenades some years back and hadn't really looked at them much in recent years, so am approaching them with fresh eyes as it were. I was never a grenade collector as such, but wanted a few examples of the more common types to represent this area of weaponry. I also did a little trading at the time so most of these grenades were the best I could obtain back then (late 80s) Some types have always been difficult and I imagine prices are now rather high. Like rifles and bayonets, they were a necessary evil in my collection, which was primarily uniform and equipment based. Rather than sidetrack the original theme of this thread, I am starting another one and will upload some images. I would appreciate the expertise of the grenade collectors out there in helping with the correct identification of a couple of items I have questions on. I note that there is very little detailed information available either in print or on t'interweb. I have the usual sources, ie the French book on grenades, Skennerton etc but these were not intended to be complete coverage of all marks and variations I would imagine. Thanks for the help so far. Tocemma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 7 May , 2010 Share Posted 7 May , 2010 All, Thanks for the comments and info. I acquired my grenades some years back and hadn't really looked at them much in recent years, so am approaching them with fresh eyes as it were. I was never a grenade collector as such, but wanted a few examples of the more common types to represent this area of weaponry. I also did a little trading at the time so most of these grenades were the best I could obtain back then (late 80s) Some types have always been difficult and I imagine prices are now rather high. Like rifles and bayonets, they were a necessary evil in my collection, which was primarily uniform and equipment based. Rather than sidetrack the original theme of this thread, I am starting another one and will upload some images. I would appreciate the expertise of the grenade collectors out there in helping with the correct identification of a couple of items I have questions on. I note that there is very little detailed information available either in print or on t'interweb. I have the usual sources, ie the French book on grenades, Skennerton etc but these were not intended to be complete coverage of all marks and variations I would imagine. Thanks for the help so far. Tocemma I've seen a good centercast No 5. sell for £350.00. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted 7 May , 2010 Share Posted 7 May , 2010 I've seen a good centercast No 5. sell for £350.00. John I have about 10 mills grenades back home... going to run to them as soon as I go through the door to check.... If only 1% of grenades made were center cast.... how many surviving grenades are centre cast? Anyone have an Idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 7 May , 2010 Share Posted 7 May , 2010 Hi, I imagine the centre cast ones are even rarer than 1% as most of them would have been thrown by 1918..... whereas later grenades may still have been stockpiled... Best Chris Yes Chris I use 1% casually. It's actually about 0.3%. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 7 May , 2010 Share Posted 7 May , 2010 I have about 10 mills grenades back home... going to run to them as soon as I go through the door to check.... If only 1% of grenades made were center cast.... how many surviving grenades are centre cast? Anyone have an Idea? Based on the number that have passed though my hands I'd say still less than 1%. Here's one to add in. This is either a museum prepared display grenade or a factory (salesman's?) sample. It's not a standard training cutaway. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wainfleet Posted 7 May , 2010 Share Posted 7 May , 2010 I've seen a good centercast No 5. sell for £350.00. John I think a standard No. 5 in very good condition is now probably around the £150 mark. Add to this for original paint, early features, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vimyridge Posted 22 November , 2013 Author Share Posted 22 November , 2013 Hello memebrs, since my original post here I Have been told that I should insure my collection, I have no idea what my center cast Mills bomb no 5 is worth and have no idea what to insure it for . I bought it for $350 ( Canadian ) back in 2010...any ideas? I was thinking. 235 British pounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZEF1945 Posted 19 May , 2014 Share Posted 19 May , 2014 This is my first contribution to the forum - I think! The other day a fellow saw an old fishing reel I owned and offered me a couple of old guns for it - one of the guns I had eight of and the other I had ten so didnt need any more. He then offered me a fired but unexploded 1917 18lbr Artillery projectile plus an ammunition box, a small artillery AP projectile WWII and a hand grenade...so I did the swap. The grenade I have discovered is a Center cast - the base plate is dated 7/15 - It has a small ring on the pin - the grooves around the body are obviously lathed No collector in New Zealand to whom I spoke knew of these center cast grenades and it was only through research that I learnt of them. The base plug is stamped No5 MkI 7/15 P PATENTS 2???/15 24?8/15 3559/15 MILLS MUNITIONS Co BIRMINGHAM The lever has stamped on it RDNo646000 Photos of the grenade included and also a side cast to show the comparison. Also my pride and joy - the WWI 18lbr Shrapnell projectile dated 25-11-17! Comments relating to the grenade are most welcome and should anyone have a suitable swap for something more in my line then I might be happy to exchange,. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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