No5 and No23 levers..

[Nismosonic]

Hi al, been a while since I last posted, was cleaning and oiling my grenades on display and noticed that the no5 grenades after around 9/16 mostly had the slotted levers, those before plain, and those 1915 drilled. Im aware that 5 and 23 mk1 and II bodies are identical, and its just a case of a different numbered base plug, but wondered when the slotted lever came in as it looks like a step back as its harder to manufacture than the smooth levers from earlier in 1916. im thinking that 1915 no5s have drilled levers, early and mid 1916 levers smoth, and late 1616 and early 1917 levers slotted. Anyone else? :tinysmile_eyebrow_t

 

[Millsman]

Difficult question my personal view is that the order of levers is thus:-

1.Drilled (Slab sided)
2. Flat
3. Convex (stronger than flat)
4.Ridged (slotted - stronger than 2 and 3)
5. Flat (23 Mk III and No 36)

The drilled levers were custom fitted to each grenade so were expensive to produce and fit.
Flat levers came in with the pin over the top but there were complaints of levers bending.
Convex levers introduced for a short while before the ridged No 23 Lever came in.

Note, however that I have seen no 23's from the Somme still fitted with the drilled lever and that all the first 4 types of levers seemed to overlap in usage during 1916.

1916 seems to have been a year of fast design evolution.

John