No 5 grenade lever types

[Snufkin]

I'd also say that basing your 'theory'...

Oh the irony

And again, this defies the facts of lever evolution. Slab sided, Flat, Convex ridged, all of which took place after the Belfast Committee contract ended.

Stating it is a fact that the convex lever only came out after the contract completion date implies you have definitive proof. What is that?

 

[Millsman]

Stating it is a fact that the convex lever only came out after the contract completion date implies you have definitive proof. What is that?

My visual observation of many dug up grenades where the convex lever is found in grenades dated Feb/ March to July/August 1916 when they seemed to be superceeded by ridged levers, with the occasional slab sided lever still appearing through to August 1916. Never seen a convex lever on a 1915 grenade from the field. ONLY on mismatched grenades from collections.

Last year I bought around 40 Mills grenades from 3 collectors. 90% of the No.36s and 23Mk IIIs had mismatched or non matching parts, of the No.5s and 23 Mk I & II around 50% had the wrong parts that I had to rectify from my spares.

Also I've never seen a Belfast Mills with signs that it has been filled. I suspect all those in circulation now were assembled from spare parts probably in the Mackie factory. The blank plug shown in King Ratge's post also adds to that suspicion.

 

[king ratgre]

My visual observation of many dug up grenades where the convex lever is found in grenades dated Feb/ March to July/August 1916 when they seemed to be superceeded by ridged levers, with the occasional slab sided lever still appearing through to August 1916. Never seen a convex lever on a 1915 grenade from the field. ONLY on mismatched grenades from collections.

Last year I bought around 40 Mills grenades from 3 collectors. 90% of the No.36s and 23Mk IIIs had mismatched or non matching parts, of the No.5s and 23 Mk I & II around 50% had the wrong parts that I had to rectify from my spares.

Also I've never seen a Belfast Mills with signs that it has been filled. I suspect all those in circulation now were assembled from spare parts probably in the Mackie factory. The blank plug shown in King Ratge's post also adds to that suspicion.

conversely, the grenade with the blank plug wear a slab sided lever...lol

 

[Snufkin]

My visual observation of many dug up grenades where the convex lever is found in grenades dated Feb/ March to July/August 1916 when they seemed to be superceeded by ridged levers, with the occasional slab sided lever still appearing through to August 1916. Never seen a convex lever on a 1915 grenade from the field.

That is not a proof - it is simply an observation - and therefore there is no proven fact.

No amount of wishful thinking makes it anything other than an opinion based on limited information.

I suspect ... probably ...

Again, conjecture.

 

[Snufkin]

Dangerous assumption - There have always been repair programmes. Post WWII there was a repair programme involving battlefield recovered ordnance. One of these certainly included 36Ms. Briefly - the grenades would be unpacked from their boxes and stripped of their component parts. The component parts would be placed in large receptacles. All items were cleaned and inspected, accepted or rejected. Bodies were, where necessary recoated etc. The grenades were then reassembled, proofed, repacked etc. Those engaged in such work were not in the slightest bit concerned with reassembling the grenades with matching (manufacturers) parts.

As early as 4th September 1915, all previous despatches (or at least what had not been expended) of Mills grenades were to be recalled for rectification. The notes mentioned that return was to be to Woolwich, but the facilities in France were able to handle such a task.

 

[Havoc5]

Posting on behalf of Andy A as can't upload photos.