Walther Model 1926 Flare Pistol
Carl Walther GmbH · Pistol · Discontinued · 1926
Also known as: Leuchtpistole 26, LP 26, Model Heer 26, Walther Long Barrel Signal Pistol, Signalpistole 1926
Overview
The Walther Model 1926 is a single-shot, break-action signal pistol designed by Fritz Walther and patented in 1926, entering German service around 1928 as the Leuchtpistole 26 (Model Heer 26). Chambered for the 26.5mm signal cartridge, it fired colored star and illumination flares for battlefield signalling, position marking, and night illumination. Built entirely of steel with wooden grip panels, it featured a long round barrel forward of an octagonal chamber and a tip-down break action that exposed the breech for single-round loading. Its comparatively long 230mm barrel made the pistol cumbersome in the trenches, and from the mid-1930s Walther replaced it with the lighter duralumin-framed, short-barreled Leuchtpistole 34, which halved the weight and became the standard Wehrmacht signal pistol. Surviving long-barrel guns were often shortened by armory gunsmiths to the newer pattern.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1400 g (49.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 324 mm (12.76") |
| Barrel Length | 230 mm (9.06") |
| 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 | Wood |
| Finish | Blued Steel |
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, Long Barrel, Octagonal Chamber
Service history
Operators
- Reichswehr · adopted 1928 · as Leuchtpistole 26
- German Army (Heer) · as Model Heer 26
Production
Production years: 1926-1935
Long-barrel steel version manufactured by Waffenfabrik Walther at Zella-Mehlis until roughly 1935, when it was superseded by the duralumin Leuchtpistole 34
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Fritz Walther
Discontinued: 1935
Notes
The steel-bodied Model 1926 was the first flare pistol of Fritz Walther's new patented design and the direct ancestor of the ubiquitous WWII Leuchtpistole 34. Walther ceased manufacturing the long-barrel version around 1935; many were later cut down to the short-barrel configuration by Reichswehr gunsmiths. Sometimes cataloged by collectors as the 'Walther Long Barrel Signal Pistol'.
Background
The Model 1926 introduced Fritz Walther's patented break-action flare pistol that would define German signal pistols for two decades. Its long steel barrel proved awkward for soldiers in cramped trenches and vehicles, a lesson that drove the lighter, short-barreled aluminum Leuchtpistole 34 that armed the Wehrmacht through World War II.