Brass Grenade Centre Piece.

[ron3350]

I finally cleaned this detector find? from Europe with HCl and it fizzed for about 10 seconds. I thought it was made from zinc/mazac ? but on cleaning it was brass.
A light clean showed a maker: B & M Ltd. I thought that if the det blew out that the damage would be worse unless it was burnt for destruction.
All Australiam No 36 grenades have a zinc/mazak centre and I have not seen a brass one before. Noted as known on the forums in brass.

Who is this maker B & M Ltd ?

 

[millsbomber]

WW1 Ron

 

[Snufkin]

B&M Ltd - Bailey and Mackey Ltd, Durable Works, B'ham. A pre-war general cast and stamped brass foundry, patentees of "Durable" door furniture.

 

[AMMOTECHXT]

I found one of these, damaged, in the Somme battle area, so no doubt in use in 1916.

 

[Millsman]

Here's one in slightly better condition.

In 2022 I bought a bucket full of centrepieces from a farmer on the Somme, near Pozieres. About 10% were brass. The B&M example was in them.

 

[BMG50]

Funny enough they did a brass base plug found on local ranges WW2 stamped 43 44, the only one i know from WW2 made of brass marked AF