Question on German flare pistol.

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by OpanaPointer, Dec 18, 2009.

  1. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer Pearl Harbor Myth Buster

    Re:
    Walther U.P. Model 1 Signal Starting Pistol

    A friend is asking me how to load the thing. Any clues?
     
  2. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer Pearl Harbor Myth Buster

    Okay, problem solved. The piece didn't have its slide. Makes it hard to load that way.
     
  3. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    OpanaPointer

    Start off by clicking on this link to see both a German flare pistol and it's British counterpart:
    Flare (Verey) Pistols & Signal Pistols of the World

    Next, see the story I posted on the BBC WW2 People's War Archives:

    The time was late 1946.
    My current position was that of Tech Corporal for A Squadron, 4th Queen’s Own Hussars. As such, I was responsible for all the ‘Technical’ stores in the Squadron which included, Tanks, Armoured Cars, Motor Vehicles of all description and the spares included thereof.
    I knew that I was shortly due to be released from the Army under the current Python scheme that enabled men who had served more than 3 years 9 months abroad to be sent home and released from the forces. Understandably, I was concerned that nothing should hinder my release and ‘nothing’ included any shortfalls in the equipment that I had previously signed for.
    For some time now I had been training a young Lance Corporal to take over my place and I’d given him the task of checking the quantities of all the spares held on our Store Truck against the inventory for the same holdings.
    One day he reported to me that we were one verey light pistol short of the six that we were supposed to be holding according to the manifest. The verey light pistols were held as part of a tank’s small arms store and were used, in emergencies, to either send a pre-arranged message or identify the tank’s position to other squadron members. I had even used one myself in front line action some months earlier.
    The short story is that I was one pistol short and I had to do something about it.
    Amongst my ‘un-official’ spares was a German very light pistol, very much the same size as it’s British counterpart but un-mistakeably different to the eye. Some hard and quick thinking was called for.
    I solved the problem by covering all the pistols in axle grease then wrapping them up with strips of oilskin so that only the registration number was visible. The German pistol soon had it’s own number erased and replaced by the ‘correct’ British number and the six pistols were left hanging up on adjacent hooks.
    Not long after this event we had an un-scheduled inspection by a top-brass Brigadier who inspected all of the Regimental stores, including my own stores truck.
    He clambered up the wooden stairs of the truck and with his aide-de-camp sniffed around the stores that were on display. His eyes caught the very light pistols and he demanded to know what these mystery parcels were.
    I explained that experience had taught me that the pistols were soon affected by corrosion and so I had covered them in heavy grease but left the numbers visible for quick inspection.
    “Bloody good idea Corporal !” he said and telling his sidekick to ”make a note of that will you” he soon, to my great relief, clambered back down the stairs.
    Almost sixty years after the event I still wonder whatever happened when the pistols were eventually un-wrapped and the cuckoo in the nest was revealed !
    I also wonder if the rest of the units in the Division ever had to wrap all their Verey light pistols in grease !!


    If I can trust my memory, you had to "break" the gun to drop the cartridge in, then cock the hammer, point the pistol skyward and squeeze the trigger to fire it. The hammer would then ignite the cartridge and "whoosh" it would fly !!!!!!!

    Regards

    Ron
     
  4. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer Pearl Harbor Myth Buster

    OpanaPointer

    Start off by clicking on this link to see both a German flare pistol and it's British counterpart:
    Flare (Verey) Pistols & Signal Pistols of the World

    Next, see the story I posted on the BBC WW2 People's War Archives:



    If I can trust my memory, you had to "break" the gun to drop the cartridge in, then cock the hammer, point the pistol skyward and squeeze the trigger to fire it. The hammer would then ignite the cartridge and "whoosh" it would fly !!!!!!!

    Regards

    Ron
    Well done, that man!

    And thanks from my friend.
     
  5. Erich

    Erich Senior Member

    ah O you and your friend are really not wishing to fire this thing are you ? hate to hear of anyone turning into a candle when this thing backfires with WW2 dated flare ammo, and even after war Czech stuff.
     
  6. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer Pearl Harbor Myth Buster

    ah O you and your friend are really not wishing to fire this thing are you ? hate to hear of anyone turning into a candle when this thing backfires with WW2 dated flare ammo, and even after war Czech stuff.
    It can't even be loaded, so firing is out of the question. But I'll let him know about the hazard.
     
  7. Erich

    Erich Senior Member

    ok am assuming the barrel has other drilling in it or barrel pierced and or blocked by steel plug ?
     
  8. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer Pearl Harbor Myth Buster

    ok am assuming the barrel has other drilling in it or barrel pierced and or blocked by steel plug ?
    No clue. Just a friend on another forum. We swap questions on this kind of thing and the Walther is a new acquisition for him.
     
  9. Erich

    Erich Senior Member

    understood, tell him congrats I have the original German flares from thew ar but have not made the big purchase of the flare pistol as promised myself many years ago, of course they are now harder to come by. say is ww2f still attacked ...... no joy
     
  10. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer Pearl Harbor Myth Buster

    understood, tell him congrats I have the original German flares from thew ar but have not made the big purchase of the flare pistol as promised myself many years ago, of course they are now harder to come by. say is ww2f still attacked ...... no joy
    He might let this one go as it's missing the slide.
     

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