solid aluminum #36 Mills, what is it?

[Gustaf]

Hello all,
I recently acquired a few new Mills bambs, among them a #36 solid cast aluminum dummy, is is a practice grenade, or a fantasy peice, it is the one on the right in the photo, the other is a 1942 dated inert #36M MKI

Best wishes
Gus

 

[Millsman]

I've never seen a mills in Aluminium, so it may have been a film prop minus the paint. In WW2 various dummy Mills Bombs were made for throwing practice. Some hollow iron, that would have been filled with sand, simple 'Mills shape' but not detailed iron 36's and even concrete versions. The 36 on the left has a made up lever. Not the real thing. Both are nice pieces for a collection.

John

 

[gothica7]

Hi there,

here are a few of my training dumies. First on the left is what i think is a WW1 throwing practice dummy, still with some white paint. Could be a WW2 Home Guard but is in my view of far to good quality. The second on the left is an unfinished No 5/23 body with holes drilled for a pin, in the wrong place and probably a Home Guard modification. No room for a lever though. The third gren looks like its a No 36 made probably by a local farrier/blacksmith for again Home Guard use, its a very rough copy of a Mills and the last is a No 36 of some alloy or other and filled with lead, again, probably Home Guard.
All are interesting in their own right, the first one is my favourite.

Andy

 

[CampX]

I work in the film industry here in Ontario Canada, and as a Set Dec driver have access to all the prop and set dec rental places ( I have picked up some interesting original Mlitary items from them!!!)
I have even taken Brad ( Staples57 into 2 of them)

All the old prop grenades I have seen are made of zinc..not alm.
The new made ones are of resin..and man you cannot tell they are not real until you pick them up..Brad got fooled last month at one of the prop shops.

I have to talk to the fellow that makes the M36s here...his are great
Good for displays at schools to allow the kids to handle them as we can no longer take the real thing in

I have never seen an alm "prop" movie grenade.

Just my thoughts

 

[Bonnex]

1. Aluminium Mills 2. Dummies

I've never seen a mills in Aluminium, so it may have been a film prop minus the paint. In WW2 various dummy Mills Bombs were made for throwing practice. Some hollow iron, that would have been filled with sand, simple 'Mills shape' but not detailed iron 36's and even concrete versions. The 36 on the left has a made up lever. Not the real thing. Both are nice pieces for a collection.

John

A photograph of a couple of aluminium Mills (both complete with centre piece etc., ie these are not solid bodies).

From a research angle I would be pleased to see pictures of dummy grenades representing Mills types. There must be a substantial number of models in various materials.

 

[Gustaf]

Thanks for the information, the fellow I bought it from told me he bought it at a boot sale in Blighty, so I suspect it is British in origin, and come to think of it, I suspect that it is zinc rther than aluminum, I had not looked that close, but the weight is too much for aluminum (sometimes I am not the sharpest tool in the shed)
So I think it would be safe to assume that it is a movie prop, I hope it is inert, as I can not get the base plug out, oddly enough, this dummy grenade is banned in California, while it is still allowed to have inert grenades from WWII or earlier.
Best wishes
Gus