Leuchtpistole 42
Hugo Schneider AG (HASAG) · Pistol · Discontinued · 1943
Also known as: LP 42, LP-42, Leuchtpistole 42, Signalpistole 42
Overview
The Leuchtpistole 42 (LP 42) is a single-shot, break-action smoothbore signal pistol adopted by the German Wehrmacht in 1943 as a wartime-simplified successor to the aluminum-framed Leuchtpistole 34. Chambered for the standard 26.5mm signal cartridge, it launched colored star, illumination, smoke, and marker flares for distress signalling, battlefield illumination, target marking, and radio-silent communication. Where the LP 34 relied on machined light-alloy components, the LP 42 was built almost entirely from stamped mild-steel pressings, then galvanized or painted to resist corrosion from powder residue. This substitution conserved scarce aluminum, eliminated slow machining operations, and cut production time and cost, at the expense of roughly 50 percent more weight. It retained ribbed bakelite grip panels, an ejector for spent cases, and a loaded-chamber indicator on the breech. Produced by a wide range of contractors under a standardized government pattern, the LP 42 became one of the most common German signal pistols of the later war.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1120 g (39.5 oz) |
| Overall Length | 220 mm (8.66") |
| Barrel Length | 155 mm (6.10") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Bakelite |
| Finish | Galvanized Zinc Or Black Paint |
Calibers
- 26.5mm Flare · primary — also known as 1-inch flare, 26.5mm signal, 26.5x83mm
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Features: Break Action, Single Shot, Breech Loading, Large Bore Signal, Stamped Steel Construction, Loaded Chamber Indicator, Extractor
Service history
Operators
- German Army (Heer) · adopted 1943
- Kriegsmarine · as LP 42
- Luftwaffe
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1943-1945
Produced under a standardized government pattern by many contractors (HASAG, C. & W. Meinel-Scholer, and others) during the later years of WWII
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
A government-pattern design manufactured by numerous contractors identified by two- or three-letter ordnance codes, including HASAG (Hugo Schneider AG), C. & W. Meinel-Scholer, and firms coded 'euh' and 'wa'. Steel construction made it heavier but far cheaper and faster to produce than the earlier all-aluminum LP 34.
Background
Introduced when Germany's aluminum was being funneled into aircraft production, the LP 42 traded the sleek machined lines of the LP 34 for crude stamped steel that any general-engineering firm could turn out. Soldiers fired its red, green, and white star sequences as a battlefield code between aircraft, ground units, and ships operating under radio silence.