Schermuly Pistol Rocket Firing Apparatus

[wilhelm]

I've had a look and have not found anything on the site, apart from an oblique reference from Britboy.

I have recently come into possession of the pistol, along with 3 tins of unfired rounds dating from 1939 to 1960. Unfortunately I do not have the carry case nor the rocket with it's associated line. The pistol is in good working condition. I have tried to get a rough value on the internet but have struggled. Anybody know what it's worth? I'm not selling ....... just interested. I bought it from my brother-in-law who is down on his luck.

For those who don't know, AFAIK the apparatus was used to fire a line from ship to ship so that a stronger, heavier cable could be passed between ships so as to facilitate the emergency transferral of goods or injured persons.

I will endeavor to photograph it tonight and post a picture tomorrow.

[LineDoggie]

You mean this?

http://www.landandseacollection.com/id364.html

or

http://www.swanseaheritage.net/article/full.asp?ARTICLE_ID=628

First one looks like a std Very pistol thats been modified

[Britboy]

Interesting, the pistols are called Verey to the best of my knowledge, for signalling, whereas Schermuly is what we call the rocket flare on a parachute, for illum.

It sounds like you are describing the set up of a jackstay, for RASing and such. While a line does have to be passed between two ships, a projectile (kinda like a rifle grenade) is used on the L85 for that, no flares.

I know this probably doesn't help much, and I'm no expert on pyro, but I'd be really interested to see the piccies.

Regards
BB

[wilhelm]

Thanks for the feedback gents....

The pistol indeed looks like a converted Very (Verey) Pistol, albeit with a longer barrel with an angled handgrip above the elongated barrel. It is a break-open.

The pistol in your first link shows it, Linedoggie. The one I have is not brass, but steel, with a more angular trigger guard ala some of the Very Pistols I've seen. The furniture appears to be bakelite, not wood.

I'll post some pics tomorrow morning.

[tercio67]

Intersting guy,

http://www.cyber-heritage.co.uk/schermuly/

The only Schermuly I used was the parachute illum flare, as mentioned by Britboy.

[PUG]

Hahaha ohhh Shermuly fights.

[Red-Phos]

Hahaha ohhh Shermuly fights.
Always fun until somebody gets hurt...............They make a Mega sound when you pull them though rofl

[HK-UK-]

Hahaha ohhh Shermuly fights.

Really? Miniflare fights are just standard but Shermuly fights?

Perhaps im not hardcore...

[wilhelm]

As promised, I took some photos last night. The 3rd one isnt that clear.

[PUG]

Really? Miniflare fights are just standard but Shermuly fights?

Perhaps im not hardcore...

It really is best for the recipient not to get hit.

[DeltaWhisky58]

Schermuly is neither the name of the pistol or of the parachute flares so well known to British forces. Schermuly is the name of the company which manufactures various pyrotechnics in the UK, and thus it is the name of the manufacturer which has been applied to the well known flare which no doubt has a military designation. It would appear the Schermuly's origins were in Germany.

As far as I know, Schermuly is/was a division of Pains Wessex, the firework manufacturers.

It's quite amazing what you can discover by the simple use of Google.

Pains Wessex Schermuly (http://www.pwss.com/Default.aspx)

Schermuly and his rockets (http://www.cyber-heritage.co.uk/schermuly)

[PUG]

Schermuly is neither the name of the pistol or of the parachute flares so well known to British forces. Schermuly is the name of the company which manufactures various pyrotechnics in the UK.

I suppose the name has just been adopted and known as that one product. Similar maybe to a 'hoover'.

[HK-UK-]

It really is best for the recipient not to get hit.

TBH its best to not get hit in miniflare fights either. Survival of the fittest.

[DeltaWhisky58]

That is exactly the case - I'm not sure of the status of the company now, but they certainly used to make most of the 26mm & 37mm flare rounds and most of the other pyrotechnics used by HM Forces, and also made such items as CS gas canisters, baton rounds, mini-flares etc.

[wilhelm]

That is exactly the case - I'm not sure of the status of the company now, but they certainly used to make most of the 26mm & 37mm flare rounds and most of the other pyrotechnics used by HM Forces, and also made such items as CS gas canisters, baton rounds, mini-flares etc.

I did roughly measure the chamber bore last night and found that it was around 27mm, so I take it that 26mm is the correct calibre. I used more modern pencil flares and throw-away plastic 1000 footers in my day! This is my first contact with this device.

Interestingly, I suspected the actual pistol to be a Very (or Verey) Pistol when I first saw it this week-end, but it does have a sticker (the red diamond on my posted pictures) on the top of the barrel calling it the Schermuly Pistol Rocket Apparatus, which confused me slightly. I had gone to the 2nd link before, DW58. It certainly is a fascinating website.

I paid the equivalent of 20 US dollars for the items I posted.

[DeltaWhisky58]

With the exception of the barrel, this is the same as a bog-standard British military 1" Very Pistol from the WW2 period. I'm guessing the conversion was done by Schermuly for their line throwing device.

I've taken a bit of a liberty with your photo - Herewith your line throwing gun compared to a Molins Mk.1 Flare Pistol which is what it is based on, presumably by fixing a barrel extension over the existing 1" barrel.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b212/HighlandSniper58/Album%20No2/Album%20No3/molins-mk1.jpg

N.B. Schermuly would have been the manufacturer of the line throwing device and flare cartridges, I'm not aware if they actually manufactured the pistols, I suspect not, although this Mk.1 Flare Pistol was probably a generic military issue item put out to contract manufacture during wartime. These pistols were certainly in use as recently as the 1980s and possibly later.

[Red-Phos]

TBH its best to not get hit in miniflare fights either. Survival of the fittest.
It is fun as **** firework fights just do not cut it using a Shermuly is like going back to the old Bolt Action days. p-)

[LineDoggie]

I was given years ago a Very Pistol quite similar to the Molins Mk 1 the difference being the barrel is longer and has the Classic Bell mouth to it. Came with a thick Leather holster with attached shoulder strap and 200 flares.

Most of them US 1944 issue aluminum cased(Cork sealed) with Ordnance flaming bomb mark, some with a Broad Arrow that I presume is UK Ordnance. Tried about a dozen once, 3 fired. knocking around in my garage somewhere.

The Pistol has no markings other than an etched serial number on the Chamber side and above the trigger guard

found it:

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h222/linedoggie/th_DSCF0137.jpg (http://s65.photobucket.com/albums/h222/linedoggie/?action=view&current=DSCF0137.jpg)
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h222/linedoggie/th_DSCF0138.jpg (http://s65.photobucket.com/albums/h222/linedoggie/?action=view&current=DSCF0138.jpg)

[DeltaWhisky58]

Linedoggie, my guess is that the flare pistol I have pictured has a barrel cut back to fit through an aperture in an aircraft fuselage, whereas yours is the original unmodified version. Later on, larger 37mm flare pistols had a bayonet fitting to lock them into special mounts for firing flares out of an aircraft.

[Britboy]

LD you are right, a broad arrow, or the 'crow's footprint' as we call it, is the mark of Armed Forces/Govt property here.

[wilhelm]

Thanks DW58, that picture comparison of yours makes perfect sense.