Pics flaregun holsters

[breakeyp]

Beerhunter asked for pictures of British flaregun holsters.

Shown are two holsters, one British leather and one Canadian 1942 web. Some where in a box is a leather British Navy leather holster with rivets instead of stiches.

Shown for scale is an Israeli copy of the British No.1 MkIII * flare pistol.

Information

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[Beerhunter]

Based on my experience of using the Pistols, No1 MK 5 (rather than the brass type) from time to time, in the late fifties through to the early eighties, leather cases were always issued. In fact, as I may have said earlier I haven't seen web case before. So thank you for that. I would be interested if anyone with British Army experience has ever seen web cases in use. Alternatively any British made web cases in anyone's collection.

Here is a picture of the type that I used. Still wrapped in Ordnance packaging and dated 1984. (My thinking is that, just like 'mummified' No4s, it may be more valuables wrapped.)

[Badger]

Now all you need is ammo for it Paul ...

Regards,
Doug (Badger)

[Peter Laidler]

The last time I saw 1" flares issued for our old No1 signal pistols was in the mid 70's. At this time we started to get the miniflares. I did see some 1" flares dated 77 a few years ago awaiting demolition and the ammo tech told me that they were very sell-by-date sensitive.

I did suggest the squaddie answer of '....well they're not if you just keep clicking it until they do fire' but he didn't see the irony in such sound sense so they burned them!

[stencollector]

The web style holster was still in the Canadian Forces supply system until the mid 90s. Perhaps that was why they are uncommon on the collectors market. I have routinely seen the holster sell for more than the pistols.

I have always had pretty good luck with the wartime Canadian flares. They are sometimes found at the gun shows, usually in the $5 to $15 range. I had a number of US made 1" flares, and while they would fire off, they would not usually ignite.

[Beerhunter]

The web style holster was still in the Canadian Forces supply system until the mid 90s. Perhaps that was why they are uncommon on the collectors market. I have routinely seen the holster sell for more than the pistols.

It is starting to look as though the web cases were uniquely Canadian then.

[stencollector]

There were also Canadian ones in leather, although I believe they are earlier than the web version.