British Flare gun Caliber??

partsman

January 10, 2011 18:31

A British MK 5 flare gun made in WW 2. Measurements of inside the barrel are 27.9 mm or 1.9". My Father used it in a B-17 '43-45 WW2. He said different colored flares were used for emergancies. He's gone, but I would like to fire it one more time. Thank You

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  mark christian

  January 10, 2011 18:51

  Flares for British signal pistols sell in the $100 range.
  
  These folks have a full range of signal guns as well as some flares:
  
  http://www.collectorfirearms.org/website Images/Signal & Gas Pistols/Signal & Gas Pistols descriptions.htm

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  rufe-snow

  January 10, 2011 18:55

  26.5 mm is the standard size for military flares. It was originally 4 gauge, ( back around the First World War? ). I don't know if the Brits used that designation as late as W W II though? There the same size but the metric designation of 26.5 mm is what all the countries adopted.
  
  EDIT #1, believe your metric measurement is in error, it should be 37mm rather then 27mm. The Webley MK.5's fired a 1.5" flare shell. This would be similar to the one fired in the U.S. 37mm flare pistol. Although I don't know if the U.S. 37mm flare is interchangeable with the Brit 1.5"flare. In any case the flares used in the Mk. 5, is quite a bit larger in diameter then 26.5mm flare.

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