Very Pistol
Various Gunsmiths · Pistol · Discontinued · 1877
Also known as: Very Light Pistol, Very Signal Pistol, Flare Pistol
Overview
The Very pistol is a single-shot, break-action signal pistol named after US Navy officer Edward Wilson Very, who in 1877 patented the colored flare cartridge that the gun fires. Chambered for a large-bore signal cartridge (variously rendered as 1-inch, 25mm, or 26.5mm), it launches a pyrotechnic star projectile high into the sky for distress signalling, position marking, battlefield illumination, and radio-silent communication. Period US examples used a brass barrel and frame with steel internals and wooden grips. The break-action signal pistol pattern it established remains the basis of marine and military flare guns to this day.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 520 g (18.3 oz) |
| Overall Length | 220 mm (8.66") |
| Barrel Length | 152 mm (5.98") |
| Action Type | Recoil Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Brass |
| Barrel Material | Brass |
| Stock Material | Wood |
Calibers
- 26.5mm Flare · primary — also known as 1-inch flare, 25mm signal, 26.5x83mm
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Features: Break Action, Single Shot, Breech Loading, Large Bore Signal
Service history
Operators
- United States Navy · adopted 1882 · as Very Pistol Mark IV
- Royal Navy
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1877-1945
Made in large numbers by many arsenals and contractors during both World Wars; the pattern remains in production as modern marine flare pistols
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Edward Wilson Very
Notes
The 'Very pistol' became a generic term for break-action flare pistols. Caliber is labelled inconsistently across sources (1-inch / 25mm / 26.5mm); the modern marine standard is 26.5mm. Physical specs are drawn from equivalent contemporary 26.5mm signal pistols, as no canonical figures exist for the original US gun.
Background
Edward Very reportedly received his patent for the colored flare cartridge rather than the pistol itself, yet the gun forever carries his name. In the trenches and skies of both World Wars, troops fired pre-arranged red, green, and white star sequences as a primitive but vital radio-silent code between aircraft and ground forces.