Mills 23 Mk III - from Russia With Love

[Millsman]

Been after one of these ever since I saw one on Dave Sampson's website.

A Mills 23 Mk III made about 1917 in Russia.

Photos attached. Note the unmarked body, no makers mark or mould marks.No marks on the lever

I can't get the base plug off at present but it has slight movement in the striker so probably does not have a centre piece. I'm not sure if the standard Mills centre piece will fit or perhaps the Israeli one?

 

[gothica7]

Very nice bud. Well done on such a great find. Is it the same size as a British made no 23/111? I came across something similar many years ago and it was noticeably smaller. Had no centre tube, striker spring and pin and the unmarked base plug was rusted in and took a great deal of effort to remove but the whole grenade was much smaller than usual.




Andy

 

[Millsman]

Yes a bit smaller. The body appears to be about 3mm shorter but the biggest difference is the shoulders which are about 5mm smaller front to back, but also they are thicker than the 23 III by 1-1.5 mm.

 

[millsbomber]

Hi every one my example the filler plug is a different thread, center piece is brass and front segments are marked A and 6 base plug plane...... Dave

 

[Millsman]

Hi Dave

Looked at your example and see the A. Same figure in all the Cyrillic languages so little clue as to where it could have been made. Both the Russian base plugs I have are plain, so again little to go on.

John

 

[millsbomber]

apart from my one come from Russia and some years ago some was dug up there

 

[ludokhan]

hello , one on sale on ''DELCAMPE'' nice picture

https://www.delcampe.net/fr/collect...5/russian-mills-from-wwii-rare-761067923.html

 

[Millsman]

That begs the question WW1 or WW2? I've always thought WW1 because its a 23 Mk III rather than a 36.

 

[jvollenberg]

Can you post the measurements? I am curious to bounce them from the different versions we have seen throughout the world.

Joe

 

[Millsman]

Here we go.

Measured by digital vernier caliper.

Body height = 87.63mm
Width of body at centre groove = 57.65 mm
Shoulders front to back = 27.71mm
Shoulder thickness Right Front 7.22mm, Left Front 7.98mm, Right Rear 5.37mm Left Rear 5.82mm
Width if entire shoulders Front = 28.25mm
Width of entire shoulders Rear = 26.95mm
Filler plug 14.21 mm
Striker width 7.95mm
Base plug width 30.26mm

The shoulders are very uneven, clearly a difficult area for the Russians to cast.

Were these a local order for the British Army in Russia 1919- 1920? A bit like the Dunkirk grenades of 1915. Or were they made for Russian Army use? I've never seen anything in writing about them.