Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good original British WWI No. 23 Mills Bomb hand and rifle grenade, fitted with a base plug now too worn to read the markings. The grenade retains its original pull pin and internal spring-loaded striker components, all of which are completely inert. The cast-iron body and fittings display a heavy service-worn patina, with what looks to be a sort of oil finish across the grenade. Not Available for Export.

The Mills Bomb was adopted by the British Army in 1915 as the No. 5, becoming the first standard model in the famous Mills grenade family. The subsequent No. 23 developed the design into a combination hand and rifle grenade through the use of a base arrangement capable of accepting a launching rod. The Imperial War Museums identifies the No. 5 as the predecessor from which the No. 23 and later No. 36 were developed.

The bomb retains markings that are now too faded to read, possibly from the oil finish. The body is marked with a 10. The bottom plug is marked:

….
….
No 23 III

Due to this wear, we cannot see when this was made or by whom. The grenade is in overall good service-worn shape with a heavy patina across. The plug still screws all the way into the bottom, and has a good look.

The grenade remains in good service-worn condition with a dark, heavy patina across the cast-iron body and metal components. The original pull pin remains present, along with the internal striker and spring assembly. These components are completely inert and the grenade contains no functional explosive charge.

The No. 23 was developed from the earlier No. 5 to provide a grenade that could be employed either by hand or launched from a rifle. The No. 23 Mk II was introduced during 1916 and incorporated improvements over the earlier form. Contemporary development continued rapidly, eventually producing the substantially revised No. 23 Mk III and, later, the No. 36 series.

The familiar externally segmented cast-iron body gave the Mills Bomb its distinctive appearance. Although the grooves are often assumed to have been intended to dictate fragmentation, the body did not reliably break along those external divisions when detonated. The segmented exterior primarily provided a secure gripping surface, while the heavy cast-iron body produced the fragmentation that made the Mills a defensive grenade.

This is a particularly interesting surviving WWI Mills Bomb because of its surviving original pull pin, and retained internal inert components. The heavy service patina and loss of markings are the principal condition considerations, but it will fit well into any ordnance collection.

Totally inert, cannot be converted to an explosive device, not available for export. This item is completely legal within the USA. International Military Antiques, Inc observes all Federal, State and Local laws. Everything for sale on ima-usa.com is completely legal to own, trade, transport and sell within the United States of America.

All deactivated ordnance sold by IMA, Inc is engineered to be inoperable according to guidelines provided by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF).