factory sectioned mills

[Infanteer]

If you look closely at Dave's, the side cut is in front of the line of fragmentations segments, whereas the others are through the line. There is a difference, though it could be the camera angle. I thought at first Dave's was a 20% cut out, but it seems slightly less than 25%. John

John, I see what you are referring to now... yes, there is a difference although it is very slight. I don't know how these would have been made at the factory.... did they use a jig/fixture that allowed the cuts to be done with high consistency or by some method that allowed for slight variation? Factory made does not necessarily mean that all pieces will be exactly the same, only reasonably the same especially when there is no need for high tolerances. That being said, I honestly don't know if both F&W examples are factory made but I do believe that mine is based on the quality of work and that the cut edges are finished with the same lacquer as the rest of the grenade. Of course this is my opinion and I haven't encountered nearly the number of sectioned examples as the guys in England have. It would seem that most people make sectioned ordnance out of damaged/ground dug pieces. We just don't see ground dug pieces very often in Canada so most Mills Bombs found here are in very nice/excellent condition and few people would be crazy enough to cut them up.

 

[Millsman]

I suspect that many of these factory sectioned Mills were destined as leaving presents for workers. They may have been made on an ad hoc basis which would account for a lack of precision and differences in styles. I assume that armies would have ordered sectioned grenades through to the 1970's for instructional purposes. It seems strange that examples of boxed sectioned Mills grenades seem more frequest from WW1 than later.

john