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Mills No5 Grenade

A

Alan Alfred

Active Member
Hi everyone my first Post! I have a really good example of a No5 Mills Grenade. It has a Capital 'B' on it. Can anyone advise me on how to remove the zinc core without damageing the threads on the outer cast? Also has anyone a good condition original core for Sale? Any info would be most welcome
 
Alan Alfred said:
Hi everyone my first Post! I have a really good example of a No5 Mills Grenade. It has a Capital 'B' on it. Can anyone advise me on how to remove the zinc core without damageing the threads on the outer cast? Also has anyone a good condition original core for Sale? Any info would be most welcome
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Welcome to the forum, you ideally will need a specially made tool to remove the centre tube. If then it doesn't come out easily probably best left in there as they can break.

I'm no expert on grenades but other members are and will be able to give you much more info.

Darren
 
Hi Alan,

are you sure its not an aluminium centre tube as opposed to zinc?
A zinc tube will be marked with a Z, the aluminium tube will not but it will have a raised area or ring around the central hole. If this is the case, dont try and remove it, otherwise as Darren says, you will need a specific tool.

Welcome to the forum by the way, you will learn and i hope contribute a lot here.

Andy
 
Thanks Andy... Oops already tried... and failed to remove inner cre. Wished I had researced more before I tried. It is indeed Aluminium not Zinc. Now I have the problem of removeing it. It is stuck fast. Any ideas.
 
Alan Alfred said:
Thanks Andy... Oops already tried... and failed to remove inner cre. Wished I had researced more before I tried. It is indeed Aluminium not Zinc. Now I have the problem of removeing it. It is stuck fast. Any ideas.
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Hi mate and welcome. Why do you need to remove the centre tube? I would leave it personaly, but if it really has to come out and you dont have the tool, I have done so before using two screw drivers, one in each hole (as tight fitting as possible), then turned them using a grip wrench. You do risk damaging the tube though, but the threads should be ok. Soak it overnight with WD40 or something. Also, if you don't mind wrecking the centre tube, you can heat the entire grenade with a propane torch and then try unscrewing it.
 
Thanks. The problem is the outer shell still has its original covering. Its still shiney. I have not seen one better heating it would damage it. Had the grenade for thirty odd years (given it by my Dad from the QM stores). Like a fool I have polished the hammer and spring, the filler screw even unscrews. Years ago the inner core would come out with my finger in the hole. Tried to take it out today and it would not budge. Tried the screwdriver trick and hey presto one damaged core. Now I would like to restore it
 
Mike will probably have one, or you can get one made up by a local engineering company, either way will probably cost you close to 30 quid or if you are ok with the old 'hot' spanner, make one up yourself.
I would suggest that if you can put it back to where it was, leave it and replace the base plug. A replacement centre tube could be 20 quid or more for a No5.
Please ask us first and we will try and tell you how to remove one cos aluminium and iron after time react together and the corrosion just sets them solid. Aluminium filler screws are a prime example of this, never ever try and remove them, you will just bugger it royally.

Andy
 
I have had another thought[musnt do this at this time of night lol]. You could try soaking the gren in boiling water, shouldnt remove any paint, then place an ice cube on the centre tube which should cause it to contract and may help its unscrewing from the gren body which will be hot. This has helped me in the past.
Now back to the beer.

Andy
 
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