Webley & Scott No1 Mk1 Signal Pistol.

[ron3350]

I show a scarce W&S No1 Mk1 1 1/2" signal pistol with 10" barrel and shoulder stock.
Two WW1 vintage cartridges. Parachute signal 217mm case and a green and white banded 100mm case.

My question is related to the stock markings.
Can somebody tell if it is English and which unit?

 

[ron3350]

I sent an e-mail to Ian Skennerton and got an interesting reply.
The stock markings are Indian arsenal marks.
Ishapore and Quetta Arsenal where manufacture, repair or upgrades were done. No reference to a unit.

 

[Edwardc]

werent some of these flare pistol converted to fire 1.5 inch (38mm?) rubber bullets for riot control, by lengthening the barrel and adding a stock?

 

[ron3350]

The W&S No1 Mk1 is original and was made with the 10" barrel and shoulder stock. All matching numbers on pistol and stock.
All British 1 1/2" signal pistols can chamber and fire the 38mm riot ammo. Chamber is the same without any alterations.
The only other shoulder stocked pistols I have seen were USA made for riot control such as H&R and S&W.
I have no idea what was done in India to this example but thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Edwardc]

The W&S No1 Mk1 is original and was made with the 10" barrel and shoulder stock. All matching numbers on pistol and stock.
All British 1 1/2" signal pistols can chamber and fire the 38mm riot ammo. Chamber is the same without any alterations.
The only other shoulder stocked pistols I have seen were USA made for riot control such as H&R and S&W.
I have no idea what was done in India to this example but thanks for your thoughts.

cool, very interesting flare gun you have.

This thread on another forum has some photo of the converted-to-riot-guns flare guns. It was the no4 mk1 i think

https://www.planetfigure.com/threads/northern-ireland-1980s-baton-gun.60366/

 

[reccetrooper]

The Webley & Scott No.1 Mk.1 flare gun was introduced during WW1 and was used for firing signals and illuminating cartridges. The attached shoulder stock and long barrel are original features of the gun. The first guns were delivered in 1915.


After WW1, Federal Laboratories Inc., Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, USA., purchased a quantity of surplus Webley & Scott No.1 Mk.1 flare guns and a quantity of surplus signalling cartridges.
The cartridges had the pyrotechnic composition removed, and this was replaced with a CN tear gas composition.
The Webley & Scott No.1 Mk.1 flare guns purchased by Federal Laboratories Inc., had the metalwork chromium plated and the stock stamped ‘FEDERAL LABORATORIES INC. PITTSBURG. PENNA’. Some sources say the Webley & Scott markings were removed. They might have been polished off as part of the preparation process for the chromium plating.
These refinished Webley & Scott No.1 Mk.1 flare guns were then sold by Federal Laboratories Inc. as the ‘FEDERAL 1 ½” CAL. GAS RIOT GUN’.
(In the 1930’s Federal introduced their own design of riot gun that replaced the refinished Webley & Scotts)


In 1969 when the Royal Ulster Constabulary fired tear gas at demonstrators in what became known as the ‘battle of the Bogside’, the RUC were equipped with Webley & Scott No.1 Mk.1 flare guns.


The British Army also used Webley & Scott No.1 Mk.1 flare guns (as well as No.4 Mk.1* flare pistols) to fire CS and rubber bullets in the early years of the troubles in Northern Ireland.

In the Star Wars movies, the Webley & Scott No.1 Mk.1 flare gun was used as the base gun upon which Boba Fett’s blaster was built.

(Photos through Google images showing copyright details where known. The Federal gun is from a thread on machinegunboards)