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Unknown 1972 No36 Mills Colours

E

EnfieldMills

Well-Known Member
20170107_180201.jpg

1972 No36m Mk1 Mills.
Anyone know what the colours mean? I know purple is normally experimental and blue is drill? A experimental drill?

Cheers, Luke
 
Normal HE for the 1972 Mills had a yellow band around middle with the lever painted as well.
 
Here's one from the 1970 trials. Same paint. I'd not heard of trials in 1972 so it may be that the grenade is from the 1970 trials but fitted with a later plug?

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In 1970 they would have compared the 36 to the L2 and other contemporary grenades to see whether they wanted to continue with the Mills. In 72 the RAF were still using the Mills and I don't know if the RAF regiment had used the L2 by that date. I think the last batch of 36's made in 72 were made because there were still supporters of the Mills that still wanted a heavy weight killing grenade rather than the modern grenades that were more designed to disable. The Mills had little to prove after 57 years in service, it was probably about how it fitted with the modern concept of warfare.
 
Those purple markings indicate a trials grenade . As Millsman stated , it's possible the base plug has been changed . A better bet would be to check the date on the centre tube . They were using No 36 's for trials of all sorts , especially dets as they never really sorted out the L2 fuzes to the satisfaction of everyone & the 36's made ideal test beds for L2 mods. On a separate subject there were reports that the good old 36 was actually used in the Falklands ! Sadly , the L2 never performed adequately right up til it was replaced by the Swiss L109 etc.
 
I know that they used 72 dated mills bombs with the two types of aluminium base plug as we found loads of shrapnel fragments but marked with a very dark brown body and a yellow band, yellow being the Nato HE band marking like the WW2 green band used before.
We found no blue or violet marked shrapnel. The modern L series at the time was also used quite a lot together. May be the blue indicating practice, (its the same colour of practice blue), violet for experiment, both used together was most probably used in trials comparing the throwing functioning and practicality between the two types of grenade, showing how it would work with webbing or uniform as well.
I did notice that some L series levers at the bottom had a small hole at the end for a safety wire, i was told was there just incase a pin was accidentally pull and lever not secured, just as the modern Swiss grenade has with a safety clip which is removed before the pin or after, visa versa. The mills doesn't have this secondary feature and was used to compare. Not sure what the accident rate was with grenades where levers and pins were accidentally removed ie snagging etc.
Not sure if a violet marked grenade or other form of device used on a range to be blown in test experimentaion trials would be marked showing it has an explosive content ie marked in yellow, it would be strange not showing the device had a dangerous content, especially when you know the military are quite strict with safety. I have seen the L series in blue practice with violet markings may be these mills are the same but not completely blue as the practice L series, the mills being short lived at the time and the markings adequate.
 
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BMG50 said:
I did notice that some L series levers at the bottom had a small hole at the end for a safety wire, i was told was there just incase a pin was accidentally pull and lever not secured, just as the modern Swiss grenade has with a safety clip which is removed before the pin or after, visa versa. The mills doesn't have this secondary feature and was used to compare. Not sure what the accident rate was with grenades where levers and pins were accidentally removed ie snagging etc.
Click to expand...

given that the L2 is the British version of the M26, I wonder why British did not adopt the simple 'jungle clip' that the US did with their grenades?

BMG50 said:
I have seen the L series in blue practice with violet markings may be these mills are the same but not completely blue as the practice L series, the mills being short lived at the time and the markings adequate.
Click to expand...

guess the Mills was leaving service just as NATO changed prac colour from white to light blue (so there were no production prac versions in light blue) and the stripe was painted onto empty 'live' bodies to denote no filler when used in trials??
 
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can anyone show me the filler plugs for these late Mills? I did have one of the bagged 'war reserve' ones which are of course without the plug so wondered if they be similar material/finish to the base plug...
 
batonroundcollector said:
can anyone show me the filler plugs for these late Mills? I did have one of the bagged 'war reserve' ones which are of course without the plug so wondered if they be similar material/finish to the base plug...
Click to expand...

received_10154920679709004.jpegMills filler plug
 

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The filler plug was aluminium and anodised in silver and not just plain aluminium
or made of mazak.
 
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