Mills No36...with a difference.

[Missileman]

Hi Guys

Saw this and was curious. Never seen one with rubber plugs in before. Anyways, I bought it. All the threads in the appropriate holes have been cut and its nice and rusty inside.
The base plug has a perfectly formed rubber plug in it also.

What are your thoughts? Cant be a dummy, it's not been knocked about enough, the casing is almost perfect...it has no centre tube, it is totally empty and it doesn't look as if there has ever been any base plug or filler plug screwed in ever.

It also feels very light in the hand.

I quite like it, but was wondering if anyone knows what purpose it would have been manufactured for?

Cheers

Mike

 

[pointblank0]

No idea. I've not seen one with the holes drilled under the lever. My first thoughts were that the rubber bungs were temporary, so someone could spray paint it. There seems to be a white mark beneath where the lever would go? Is this white paint underneath or just from the camera angle?
Looks to be black to me also, Brit ones were never black.

 

[Missileman]

No idea. I've not seen one with the holes drilled under the lever. My first thoughts were that the rubber bungs were temporary, so someone could spray paint it. There seems to be a white mark beneath where the lever would go? Is this white paint underneath or just from the camera angle?
Looks to be black to me also, Brit ones were never black.

Its a brush of silver paint.

Can anyone tell me what the small shield logo means as well? It's just above the drilled hole where the arming lever would rest...below the silver paint mark. It has the number 5 beneath it.

The 'ears' on the top of the casing seem quite thin compared to another No36 I've seen from the same maker which I have, and like a said, it feels very 'light' in the hand, almost as if the casting itself has been made thinner. I'm certain its not a fake. I've got three fakes in my collection by way of comparison.

The rubber plugs fit the holes perfectly....like they were made for that very purpose and the plug whee the striker pin would be has been painted red.

My personal guess is this was supplied as a classroom instructional piece....but thats just a guess.

It doesn't look like its ever been re-painted....I believe the paint finish is the only one its ever had.

Hmmm...curious.

 

[siegfreid]

Have you checked wether it's made of iron ? You can do that with a magnet . There were some around many years ago that were purpose made cigarette lighters where the lever operated the striker & it was pivoted where the hole is behind the lever on yours . From memory , those were made from some sort of alloy but , I suppose , some may have been thin iron . Just a thought.....Mike.

 

[dano1917]

Have you checked wether it's made of iron ? You can do that with a magnet . There were some around many years ago that were purpose made cigarette lighters where the lever operated the striker & it was pivoted where the hole is behind the lever on yours . From memory , those were made from some sort of alloy but , I suppose , some may have been thin iron . Just a thought.....Mike.

I have seen a cigarette lighter sim to this 36 so i'll second that one. Probably alloy of some sort due to lightness of body. Interesting piece..Dano

 

[Missileman]

Have you checked wether it's made of iron ? You can do that with a magnet . There were some around many years ago that were purpose made cigarette lighters where the lever operated the striker & it was pivoted where the hole is behind the lever on yours . From memory , those were made from some sort of alloy but , I suppose , some may have been thin iron . Just a thought.....Mike.

Thanks Mike
That's interesting. I checked it with a magnet and it is indeed made from iron. You can see that anyways from the amount of rust on the inside.
i don't believe it is a fake or reproduction. I'm sure it's the real deal made by JHW. I still don't know what the shield emblem on the back is? I have a CAV no5 with the same shield marking on it.
The frag pattern on it seems very defined, almost like it was given some kind of preparation and judging by the rust which has kept up to the edge of the paint, I'd hazard a guess that it was painted almost as soon as it was made, or shortly thereafter.

Regards

Mike