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Czech 26.5mm signal question
- Thread starter MINENAZ16
- Start date
![1455[8].jpg](https://www.bocn.co.uk/data/attachments/142/142288-03106a7078cdefebbec8e13b02259731.jpg "1455[8].jpg")
Maybe some answers here (but I'm not fluent enough in czech)
https://www.streleckarevue.cz/?s=Signální+pistole
Cheers,
S.
https://www.streleckarevue.cz/?s=Signální+pistole
Cheers,
S.
Bellifortis
Well-Known Member
In civilian use it would be called a "Flashbang" signal. There are also 40mm signal-rockets with this effect on ocean-vessels for emergency use.
šrapnelový is an adjective, noun is šrapnel which is the Czech transcription of shrapnel and means exactly the same as in English.
Round with this name for the signal (flare) pistol existed between the world wars in the Czechoslovak army. In that time shrapnels and grenadeshrapnels were still used by the artillery. After the war these projectiles were no longer used, but the signal round stayed and kept its name. As correctly written above the effect is sound, flash and smoke cloud. When fired from the signal pistol vz. 44 it has to be at minimum height of 65 meters, observed from at least 1,5 km and audible from 5 km distance.
In the times I was in the army it was most often used as a first signal to give the troops "heads up", flare or smoke signal followed.
With some practice it is possible to get the bang just over the ground...which is of couse strictly prohibited
Nowadays it is possible to buy signal pistol ammunition, except the shrapnel round.
The article in strelecka revue magazine linked above states that the shrapnel rounds (in 26,5 and 34,5 mm) were not mentioned in military manuals but blueprints exist.
Round with this name for the signal (flare) pistol existed between the world wars in the Czechoslovak army. In that time shrapnels and grenadeshrapnels were still used by the artillery. After the war these projectiles were no longer used, but the signal round stayed and kept its name. As correctly written above the effect is sound, flash and smoke cloud. When fired from the signal pistol vz. 44 it has to be at minimum height of 65 meters, observed from at least 1,5 km and audible from 5 km distance.
In the times I was in the army it was most often used as a first signal to give the troops "heads up", flare or smoke signal followed.
With some practice it is possible to get the bang just over the ground...which is of couse strictly prohibited
Nowadays it is possible to buy signal pistol ammunition, except the shrapnel round.
The article in strelecka revue magazine linked above states that the shrapnel rounds (in 26,5 and 34,5 mm) were not mentioned in military manuals but blueprints exist.
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Kaptainssurplus
Active Member
Also just to throw some knowledge out. These anti personal, flashbang, crowd control, etc rounds where slightly different than normal 26.5mm/ 4 cal rounds. They could only be fired from the RV85. The rim on these special rounds was different than normal signal/smoke/flare rounds because of the overpressure they would cause do to the special loads. Also they were longer and would fit in the smaller flare guns.
Bellifortis
Well-Known Member
For nearly a 100 years these Flashbang Cal.4 rounds were used, as @nabob rightly explained, as a an attention-getting signal for the "ranging-measurement-troops" that a "Light-streak-round" will be fired now, so that this troops will be ready at their ranging-instruments. Both these rounds were not to be fired out of hand, but the pistol had to be fixed to a tripod or a tree and the triggering done by a rope attached to the trigger. Especially the "Light-Streak-Round" has a much stronger propellant charge so that most soldiers would hurt themselfes when firing the pistol out of their hand. I have never seen the "Light-Streak-round" in action. The effect is a whitish lightstreak burning straight up from the ground. The artillery ranging troops could aim at this vertical light-streak for triangle calculation of distance. This type of historic artillery ranging I believe, is not practiced any more since decades, because modern GPS ranging is so much more easy. So these Cal.4 cartridges are not being produced any more for quite some time already. I'm still looking for a description of this distance-ranging practice, that I can understand. I searched around, but did not find any manual with a description of this practice.
I would translate šrapnelový as airburst in this case.
The post war cartridge had a charge of 15g potassium perchlorate / aluminium - flash powder plus 2,9g black powder as propellant.
Since ca. 2004 / 2005 the design was changed. Czech company Zeveta offers this round in a shorter case (83mm). NEC is now reduced to 6,5 - 7g.
The post war cartridge had a charge of 15g potassium perchlorate / aluminium - flash powder plus 2,9g black powder as propellant.
Since ca. 2004 / 2005 the design was changed. Czech company Zeveta offers this round in a shorter case (83mm). NEC is now reduced to 6,5 - 7g.
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