Item Description
Original item: Only One Available. This is a very nice brass US Mk IV "Very" flare pistol from the First World War. The original caliber was 25 millimeters, but the bore has been arsenal enlarged slightly to take 1" / 26.5mm flares. This is not to be confused with the 37-millimeter U.S. Navy Mk IV Sedgley signal pistol of the Second World War. Except for the caliber, this pistol is nearly identical to the French M1917 all-brass 25-millimeter flare pistol.
The barrel and frame are brass; the trigger, hammer, opening lever, internal parts, and lanyard ring are steel. The serial number 3-671 is marked on the side of the barrel and under the frame, and the barrel lug is marked with the U.S. Ordnance Department "flaming bomb". This is also seen on the left side of the barrel and the breech. The grip panels are wood with vertical lines for the gripping surface, and have had a red line added to indicate the conversion.
The top chamber flat on this example is marked:
1" CONV
VERY PISTOL 25mm MARK IV
SCOTT-FETZER MACH. CO. CLEVE. O.
The use of the term "Very Pistol" comes from Edward Wilson Very, the U.S. Navy Officer who developed and patented the "Very Light" flare cartridge. He then helped popularize the single-shot breech-loading snub-nosed pistol design that is still in use today.
This example is in good shape, with a lovely patina on the brass. The lanyard ring is still present, and the flare pistol breaks correctly, and dry fires. A very nice early U.S. flare gun from "The Great War", ready to display!
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