Royal Navy Webley & Scott Flare Gun Dated 1917 British Army

Webley & Scott flare pistol dated 1917 used by the British Army Bronze frame with walnut butt plates and a lanyard ring under the butt Evidence of the First World War In working order but with signs of wear Beautiful brass and bronze manufacture by Webley & Scott Ltd London & Birmingham, model Mk III dated 17 (1917), caliber 4 (26.5 mm), numerous punches, serialized on the frame, "flying bullet" punch W & S, corbin beak stock Flare pistols, also called signal pistols, are used to alert, communicate between troops or transmit a message to the rear depending on the color of the flare A similar pistol is in the Fort de la Pompelle museum in Reims under the reference LF10 length: 24.6 cm height: 14 cm width: 4.8 cm For information: Webley & Scott is a weapons manufacturer founded in Birmingham, in England. Webley produced handguns and long guns from 1834 until 1979, when the company ceased manufacturing firearms and turned instead to the production of air pistols and air rifles. In 2010, Webley & Scott restarted production of shotguns for commercial sale. Webley is famous for the revolvers and automatic pistols it supplied to the military of the British Empire, particularly the British Army, from 1887 to the First and Second World Wars. The Webley company was founded in the late 18th century by William Davies, who made bullet moulds. It was taken over in 1834 by his son-in-law, Philip Webley, who began producing percussion sporting weapons. The manufacture of revolvers, for which the company became famous, began twenty years later. In 1897 Webley merged with W & C Scott and Sons to become The Webley & Scott Revolver and Arms Company Ltd of Birmingham. Webley revolvers became the official British sidearm in 1887, remaining in British service until 1964. In 1920, the passing of the Firearms Act in the United Kingdom, which restricted civilian access to handguns, caused sales to plummet. The company adapted by producing pneumatic pistols, the first being the Mark I air pistol. Demand for airguns grew rapidly in the 1920s and Webley's business began to grow again, with an inevitable spike in supplying weapons to the British Army during the Second World War. Declining sales led to the decision to abandon firearms manufacturing altogether in 1979, but airgun production at the Birmingham factory continued until 22 December 2005, when the company closed.