20mm Oerlikon

[henry r]

thanks for the informitave posts gents.

today i was in a customers house when i turned around and there was a no36 mills.

sometimes i wonder how i have gotten so stupid in my old age (the fact that i made it to 40 says i couldn't have always been this dumb). darwin's theory says you don't say "gee, i hope this thing isn't live" as you pick up a vintage grenade.

it has been a bone of contention in thier family if it was safe or not, so they were rather pleased when i told them it the whole firing mech had been removed. i couldn't tell if there was any explosive in it as i didn't take the filler cap out. for you geeky types the body has a casting mark possibly JP#? the bottom cap was a cast pale metal with a 1941 date and the fuse tube thingy was aluminium looking material. it had the remains of a tropical red x on it.

the husband came in, saw me looking at it and said "do you want it". of course i said "yes, but i couldn't take it, you know these are worth 3 to 500 dollars... so, do you still want to offer it" it is always fun to watch peoples faces when you do that. no it is still in thier house.

they were rather surprised that the blokes delivering thier washing machine, could name it as a no36 mills grenade (they didn't know), tell, explain why (me) and confirm (my colleague was in the reserves for 5 years) it wouldn't go bang if the pin was pulled. plus were so excited to see it.