Fake Mills gren bodies

[gothica7]

Here are a few pics of a fake No 36 bought at a boot fair earlier this year.

All the components were repro apart from the base plug.

Firstly, the chanels for the lever lugs were too shallow, the markings, JH W not clear enough and the big giveaway as per Dave Sampson's website is that there is a lip to the threads for the centre tube. The tube was just a bodge made from ally and the ringpull, pin, striker and spring were of very poor standard.
Ile do a pic of the filler, marked W D, again, just not right.


Andy

 

[paul the grenade]

makes you wonder why anyone would go to all that bother of faking something that is very common??:tinysmile_cry_t2:

 

[gothica7]

makes you wonder why anyone would go to all that bother of faking something that is very common??:tinysmile_cry_t2:

Financial gain bud. If someone can knock 20 of these out at say a tenner each then sell them on for upwards of 50 [there's one on a website for 80 at the moment] there will be close on 800 profit, there's why.

Andy

 

[dano1917]

I embarassingly admit that this one would have fooled me. My education is non-stop and I just love it when someone points out the fakes...Dano

 

[gothica7]

Hi Dano,

its quite obvious when you look closely but it helps if you are a Mills 'nutter' like me.


Andy

 

[gothica7]

Here is the filler as promised, again, like me, just not quite right.

Andy

 

[gothica7]

All the current batch of fake No 36s are marked J H W. John Harper, Willenhall, Staffs. The marks are not quite like the original, which should look like this, barring a bloody great hole.

Andy

 

[dano1917]

Fake '17 eggs

There is a fake m1917 German egg grenade. Only one problem. It is an exact copy of the grenade. The fake has the shorter close to the body grip band lugs. The base has no marking. There are real eggs with no base markings. Suspect any without base markings and get to know the telltale signs (feel, paint and patina). Again it is a low value piece but like Andy said if you turn out a number of them could be profitable. I was surprised when I learned of this. Anyway if your egg has a makers mark on the base it's pretty for sure good....Dano

 

[Grenademan2005]

What? Have you any pic of this?

 

[dano1917]

What? Have you any pic of this?

No Miguel, Unfortunately not. I did hold one once and it is good. The attached picture shows the grip ring style of the fake (grenade in picture is original). The one I held had an original transport plug and no fuze. Again, the fake has no makers mark on base. Another to keep an eye out for is the earlier smooth bodied egg. Many have been made by taking an egg and grinding down the lugs. Some are very good. This one you just need to hold it at different angles while eying the center of the body. Not fail safe by any means. There are alot of these buggers going around. I for one am all for a repro/fake ID spot on the forum...Dano

 

[Grenademan2005]

Yes, I already know about the custom M17 smooth ones. They are more valuable than the second model. Bu8t had no idea about the fake second model.

 

[dano1917]

Yes, I already know about the custom M17 smooth ones. They are more valuable than the second model. Bu8t had no idea about the fake second model.

On the smooth ones , the ones with ground off lugs can be a bit tough to spot as some of the originals have a sort of seam line running around app. the middle of the body, making some originals appear fake. I got burned one time on a made up smooth bodied egg. It was a re-paint that I decided to strip. When the paint came off it was obvious. The ground off area readily showed itself. Those that I hate the worst are the out and out fakes made only for the purpose of deception to rip somebody off. I may be able to obtain one of the 2nd model (m1917 n/A) fakes. If I can get it I will post some close up shots. Dano

 

[Dronic69]

So what's this one then?????

Hi All,

This one I had for well over 20+ years (now I really starting to show my age!!) LOL.

I would be interested on any thoughts?

Enjoy!

Cheers
Drew

 

[navyman]

Hello Drew,
It looks to me to be a practice throwing grenade, but don't take my word for that.
There are many more experts on the site who I'm sure will be able to positively identify it for you. Looks as though it has been made extra strong for re use after being thrown around a lot.
My training grens are painted white and have holes in them, but have operational mechanisms. Perhaps yours may be WW2 Home Guard when the real ones were needed for the actual fighting?
This is all supposition on my part, and I will be interested to find out if my guess is right?
regards,
navyman.

 

[gothica7]

Hi All,

This one I had for well over 20+ years (now I really starting to show my age!!) LOL.

I would be interested on any thoughts?

Enjoy!

Cheers
Drew

Hi Drew,

looks fine to me. Its a casting blank, all Mills started like this and where then machined into the end product. Just hasnt got that far and may have been used as a throwing dummy or just taken by a worker as a momento.

Andy

 

[Dronic69]

Hi Navyman / Andy,

Thank you both for your replies!

I was always under the impression that it was a 1st stage "casting blank", ready to be transformed into the finished product. And yes probably "escaped" before that could happened.
It may perhaps be a defective manufacturing blank? (not sure what part would be "defective" - there's certainly no cracks in the body that I can see?)
Thanks
Cheers
Drew

 

[Grenademan2005]

I think it was "liberated" before its next step on the production chain, it is a very nice cast. Also, surelly more scarce than the finished production grenades I think, Im right?

 

[Dronic69]

HI Miguel A.J,

I was also wondering about the "scarcity" of this as well?
Would be more idea & suited for a Mills Grenade Collector than Moi who now just focuses on fuses!!!

{Any interested members just PM me as I'm still downsizing the non-fuse residue of the Collection....perhaps I should just cough up the 10 quid and advertise in the Classifies...}
Cheers
Drew