Red Devil Posted August 26, 2014 Share #1 Posted August 26, 2014 I picked this one up this weekend. It's what I believe to be a Mk.I body with a WWII or later fuze/spoon. I had no idea what it was but the tapered bottom intrigued me, and I was in for a surprise when I got home and started researching. The bottom is threaded and not plugged. Perhaps a post-WWI training item? I read up on the original arming systems on these and it proved very interesting! For comparison is a Mk.II that came with a short spoon (though the pin is a long cotter pin). I am thinking of swapping the two fuzes for display. All feedback welcomed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Devil Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share #2 Posted August 26, 2014 Fuze removed...is it WWII era? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Devil Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share #3 Posted August 26, 2014 Side by side with the Mk.II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hink441 Posted August 26, 2014 Share #4 Posted August 26, 2014 That is definitely a MK1 body. Very nice. I would leave your MK2 as it is. Is the MK2 painted gray? If so, that is an early MK2 with it's original cut-back short spoon fuze. If it is gray, then it is worth a good sum of cash-ola just the way it is. Now comes the fun part, trying to find an original MK1 fuze to complement your MK1 body. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Devil Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share #5 Posted August 26, 2014 That is definitely a MK1 body. Very nice. I would leave your MK2 as it is. Is the MK2 painted gray? If so, that is an early MK2 with it's original cut-back short spoon fuze. If it is gray, then it is worth a good sum of cash-ola just the way it is. Now comes the fun part, trying to find an original MK1 fuze to complement your MK1 body. Chris Thank you for the feedback Chris! I realize it will be a monumental challenge to find an original MK.I fuze. The MK.II is a sort of gray-green, I'd say more green though. What is the background on gray ones? -Johannes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmymac Posted August 26, 2014 Share #6 Posted August 26, 2014 I concur with Chris on the MKII. & especially on the MKI fuse!! Good luck with finding one. The only one I've sen that wasn't on a MKI body was about a year ago & it was on a MKII KJ Gas body. I think I stopped bidding at about $450 or so. If MKII is NOT grey, I think I would swap fuses as the MKII fuse (cutback @ short spoon) were issued on remaining in stock MKI bodies. Just my opinion though. Nice find brother! Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Devil Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share #7 Posted August 26, 2014 Thanks Tim! Here is a little better shot of the MKII. Sort of a lighter green shade and doesn't appear to be repainted. Johannes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hink441 Posted August 26, 2014 Share #8 Posted August 26, 2014 Johannes, I would leave the MK2 alone. It appears to be gray and that would date it around to the early 1920s. Very nice!! I have seen these early gray MK2's with original fuzes sell for $200-300 range. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmymac Posted August 26, 2014 Share #9 Posted August 26, 2014 By all means, let that grenade be! Very nice piece. The early grey ONE is about the only one of the MKII ser. I'm missing from my collection. So, if you ever want to sell it..... Congrats on a good find! Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmymac Posted August 26, 2014 Share #10 Posted August 26, 2014 Oh.... Sorry but I have to say this. PLEASE PUT PULL RING ON THE CORRECT SIDE. I'm kind of OCD about certain things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Devil Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share #11 Posted August 27, 2014 Chris and Tim, thank you for the feedback! I didn't realize that it is an early color and will keep the fuze as is...except I'll move the pin! It is a long cotter pin so I don't think it is correct at all for this model grenade. When were MkII's started to be painted yellow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coconut Harry Posted February 2, 2015 Share #12 Posted February 2, 2015 Chris and Tim, thank you for the feedback! I didn't realize that it is an early color and will keep the fuze as is...except I'll move the pin! It is a long cotter pin so I don't think it is correct at all for this model grenade. When were MkII's started to be painted yellow? Red Devil.... Nice grey grenade you have..... The Change from grey to yellow for HE was About 1932 +\- If I can find minutes report about color change I'll post it sometime Regards, Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rldarmstr Posted February 5, 2015 Share #13 Posted February 5, 2015 There seems to be a bit of light blue paint showing through. I picked up a MK-I body last year with a WWII fuse. It's pictured below. It appears that they used any and all bodies as practice grenades. Whatever was in the bin so to speak. I would suspect that yours was used as a practice grenade and someone over painted it with OD green. That would also explain the later period fuse. Original MK-I bodies, as far as I know, were not painted but the metal bodies were a black or almost black. (second pic) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D_Funk Posted February 7, 2015 Share #14 Posted February 7, 2015 Mk1's are tough to find and I don't believe I have ever seen a loose fuse. Many people don't know the difference in the body's so one may show up once in a while! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stretch Posted February 11, 2015 Share #15 Posted February 11, 2015 One thing to always keep in mind is t some MK1 bodies do exist with The later fuzes. Once the MK1 grenades were discontinued, they had to shift over to MK2 production, but they still had a LOT of MK1 grenades on hand - and existing MK1 contracts still being filled. So they used the Mk 1 inventory for a variety of purposes, including as practice grenades and as throwing bodies (with the MK 1 fuse removed). Some MK 1 grenades were even re-fuzed with the mk 2 M10 fuzes. So it is entirely possible to find a 100% original Mk 1 with a very early M10 fuze on it. This one above is almost certainly a "put together" though, since that M10 fuze is so much later. not sure when the blue paint went on. It could have remained a throwing body till post WW2, when someone slapped the blue training paint on it. That's all guessing though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rldarmstr Posted February 11, 2015 Share #16 Posted February 11, 2015 Stretch, I recently read something that stated the blue practice grenades were post WWII. The red color was used before and throughout WWII. Don't remember where I read that. Maybe someone else can add to this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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