I was given this years ago. It fits on the end of a 12 gauge shotgun barrel perfectly and is used to launch some type of tear gas projectile using a blank cartridge. Is anyone familiar with these? What type of a projectile?

Attached Images

	tear gas launcher pre war PPK mag FS 002.jpg (111.4 KB, 54 views)
	tear gas launcher pre war PPK mag FS 015.JPG (202.5 KB, 47 views)
	tear gas launcher pre war PPK mag FS 005.JPG (180.1 KB, 49 views)
	tear gas launcher pre war PPK mag FS 009.JPG (193.4 KB, 50 views)

Just something I found with a Google search, looks like it would fit the bill, but I have no idea.

This one's 2 5/8ths inch inner diameter, so it's larger than 37/40MM.
Sorry, I should have mentioned that. It fits a beer or pop can perfectly.

When I was sworn in as a rookie police officer in 1975, we still had one of those things attached to a model 870 Remington 12 gauge shotgun. I'm not sure if anyone knew even then what it was for. I think that the hand thrown tear gas grenades fit into it. I know that we also had some black powder blanks, and now that I'm thinking about it after not seeing one for so many years, I think that we may have even tried one out. If I remember correctly, and that's a big if, I think that you pulled the pin on the grenade and held the spoon in place and slid the whole thing into the sleeve of the device you have. Then when the blank was fired, the whole grenade was launched, and as it exited your contraption, the spoon flew off, and the grenade was propelled towards the target, and you hoped it didn't hit anyone on the noggin, or it would probably kill them.

I think that it could be used to fire cans of beer to officers who became 'pinned down', and we're dying of thirst??? (Just kidding).

Wow... That brings back memories. I became a firearms instructor in 1977, and had access to all kinds of stuff that was in the department arsenal. We had m16s, and some really cool smith and wesson model 76 9mm sub machine guns. Had all sorts of now defunct tear gas and 'sickening gas' devices, most of which were obsolete even then.

Here's what probably fit in it. Just found this picture online. Ours looked something like this, but this one is labeled "Smith and Wesson", how cool is that?

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

They launch the larger type canisters of gas, smoke, etc.

Here's a photo of one with the type of can it shoots:

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SWHF #448

Well there you go. I knew I could count on you guys. You know I'm going to have to fire a couple of beer cans out back.

Cool... have fun... That's a real relic of old time law enforcement. Well, for that matter, so am I...... Oh, boy...

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064