Webley & Scott No.2 Mk.V Signal Pistol
Webley & Scott Ltd. · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1940
Also known as: No.2 Mk V signal pistol, Molins No.2 Mk.5 signal pistol, 1 inch AFV signal pistol, Very pistol
Overview
The Webley & Scott No.2 Mk.V is a British 1-inch (26.5mm) break-action single-shot signal pistol produced during the Second World War for use in armoured fighting vehicles. It follows the same design as the standard No.1 Mk.V but replaces the long belled barrel with a short, non-flanged barrel carrying a locating stud, so it can be latched into a through-armour signal-port fitting and fired from inside a tank or armoured car. As a flare launcher it lobs a burning Very signal star for illumination and inter-vehicle signalling rather than a ballistic projectile, so muzzle velocity is low and unspecified.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 700 g (24.7 oz) |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Zinc Alloy |
| Barrel Material | Zinc Alloy |
| Stock Material | Plastic |
Calibers
- 1 inch Very signal cartridge (26.5mm) · primary — also known as 1 inch flare, Very light, 26.5mm signal
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot Break Action
- Features: Break Action, Single Shot, Short Barrel, Afv Mounting Stud, Lanyard Ring, Signal Flare Launcher
Service history
Operators
- British Army · adopted 1940 · as No.2 Mk.V
- Royal Armoured Corps
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1940-1945
Produced under wartime contract by Webley & Scott and the Molins Machine Company for issue to armoured fighting vehicle crews.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
Distinguished from the companion No.1 Mk.V by its stubby non-flanged barrel and the stud that latches it into a fixed through-armour port in British WWII tanks and armoured cars. Widely produced under wartime contract by the Molins Machine Company as well as Webley & Scott, typically die-cast in zinc alloy with checkered plastic (bakelite) grips. Weight is an approximation based on comparable 1-inch Mk.V signal pistols; the short barrel gives it a noticeably lower overall length than the long-barrelled No.1 pattern.
Background
Signal pistols of this type are universally nicknamed Very pistols after US Navy ordnance officer Lt. Edward Wilson Very, who patented his snub-nosed single-shot flare pistol in 1877 and gave the burning signal stars their name, Very lights.