Mills reproduction items.

**SG500** · 5th January 2011, 10:37 PM

I do feel sorry for you guys who are into Mills grenades, there's just so many reproduction items around.
I'm not passing judgement on this guy (or indeed any of the others who make reproduction mills items) on specialist auctions, he's got some nicely made stuff on there - but why is there a market for this sort of thing when you can just go and get the real deal easily enough for in some cases the same price?
http://www.specialistauctions.com/au...php?id=1450761
Dave.

**tigbrand** · 5th January 2011, 11:54 PM

Just what you need to fit in a repro body! I find it hard to believe that some of the "Mint" original grenades sold are not repro,with prices so high for gc items its more than viable to get exact copies made in india or china and with careful ageing and variation of manufacturers marks i think it would be hard to tell. I used to collect german ww2 awards,paperwork etc but realised that if not sold my collection would in the future be worthless as the whole scene is flooded with fake and repro items of very high quality

If I collected mills i would be looking at the mint items and i would wonder if they were 1945 or 2005! Luckily i dont and thats why.good luck guys.

**gothica7** · 6th January 2011, 05:38 AM

Repro parts are onething but repro Mills bodies are another. Its very difficult to get it zackly right with a body, there is usually something not quite right and they are often quite easy to spot.WW1s are usually better [No 5s/23s] but there is always something that give them away.
However, there are fakes all over the place, shoes, handbags, ipods/phones etc, in fact where there is a good product out there, someone will be trying to reproduce it and Militaria is no different. At least the guy on SA is selling the stuff as repro and a lot of it is marked as such. Its a few years down the line that worries me when a person who has bought the stuff sells his collection.

Andy

**Alan Alfred** · 27th January 2011, 01:01 AM

Hi there SG500. I can not get the original parts for my Mills No5 any where? So repos are the only alternative. I have checked for hours on the web to no avail. If you can find me an original good condition spoon, inner core (aluminum) brass base and small ring and pin, I am prepared to pay the earth, and a commission to you. Regards Alan

**butterfly** · 27th January 2011, 11:29 AM

Hi there SG500. I can not get the original parts for my Mills No5 any where? So repos are the only alternative. I have checked for hours on the web to no avail. If you can find me an original good condition spoon, inner core (aluminum) brass base and small ring and pin, I am prepared to pay the earth, and a commission to you. Regards Alan

Hi Alan,

I understand what you are saying, however, if you are prepared to 'pay the earth' for the fittings, why don't you buy a nice complete one all original? If you buy repro items it will never substitute the original......much better in my opinion to have something you can say is 100% right.
Its not as though Mills are particularily scarce.......yes the price appears to have shot up on them, but they are still out there.

I think by the time you add up all the items on your wants list, even to buy reproduction it will add up to a fair bit. Much better in my opinion to put that money into a complete item. Or if the body you have is so good, look for one that isnt quite so nice bodywise and switch the bits??

Whatever you decide, I wish you well
regards Kev

**SG500** · 27th January 2011, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by Alan Alfred

Hi there SG500. I can not get the original parts for my Mills No5 any where? So repos are the only alternative. I have checked for hours on the web to no avail. If you can find me an original good condition spoon, inner core (aluminum) brass base and small ring and pin, I am prepared to pay the earth, and a commission to you. Regards Alan

Hi Alan, you may have hit the nail in the head here. With the internet there are loads of people looking for the same thing as you. If I were you i'd get around a few of the militaria fairs and rummage around in boxes, get to know the people who collect these things and then all of a sudden the stuff just pops out of the woodwork. Stoneleigh is on next weekend, it would be a good place to start.
http://www.militariashows.com/
Yes the internet can be good, as can for the many arms fairs around the country but there is no substitute for good contacts who look out for you as you look out for them.
Good luck with your quest to find number 5 parts. Why not put a request in the "wanted" section?
Dave.

**SG500** · 30th January 2011, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by Alan Alfred

Hi there SG500. I can not get the original parts for my Mills No5 any where? So repos are the only alternative. I have checked for hours on the web to no avail. If you can find me an original good condition spoon, inner core (aluminum) brass base and small ring and pin, I am prepared to pay the earth, and a commission to you. Regards Alan

Hi Alan I went to Stoneleigh show today and educated myself on Mills base plugs, well enough to spot a real one.
There was one stall with about 4 boxes of beautifully made reproductions ones for about a fiver each. On another stall there was a guy with one box with about fifteen real ones for between £5 and £8 each. I bought a couple if you're interested in them send me a PM otherwise I'll sell them.
Dave.

**SG500** · 30th January 2011, 06:49 PM

Oops forgot the photos.
Dave.

**gothica7** · 30th January 2011, 07:26 PM

Nice plugs Dave,

the lead antimony ones are a bit more rare as during 1916 there was a brass shortage, however this isnt generally known by a lot of Mills collectors.
Great find.

Andy