Mills No5 grenades...

[Nismosonic]

I have a No5 that has a number "24" moulded into the front just below the filler plug, this is the only marking on it, can this be identified ? or is this just a lot type number ? the grenade has an aluminium centre tube, a small type pin the plug is brass and the base plug is marked p p & co 10/16. it has the solid striker and the later type no 5 lever. is this ok ? or has it been made up from bits ??
any help on this would be appreciated. i dont think anyone goes into much detail about when the lever changed from the pin through type to the latter one, and exactly when the solid striker changed to the solid one. I suppose the manufacturers used what they had until they ran out.
So why do some number 5's also have a smaller pin ring than the number 36's ?
sorry, so full of questions, but would like clarification (if this can be had that is!) :tinysmile_fatgrin_t

 

[gothica7]

Hi Nis,
the no 24 on your gren is probably just a foundry mark. you wont be able to tell who made it from that as it wasnt a requirement to put makers marks and dates on the gren bodies till the 23/111. However that not withstanding, some no 5s were marked by the maker, i have one made by CAV, C.A Vandervell. The most common mark was a shield.
P P & Co is probably Pearson-Page & Co Ltd, Ernest Street, Holloway Road, Birmingham. They were brass founders so more than likely the base plug was made by them. Early grens had the much smaller ringpull and as for the lever, well they did stop making the channelled lever quite early but as you said, they used the stocks that they had to hand. I believe the slotted cut striker came into service late 1916 for use in the no 23 but you do find examples in late no 5s.
Your gren could have been made up from parts, we will never know but it sounds ok. I would say the base plug is from a rarer maker.Sounds like a nice gren.

Andy