Just for Fun

[glowe]

I ran across this S&W abomination and had to share. Hope I didn't offend a fine member who might own this one, but there must have been a gunsmith out there with too much time on his hands.

Workmanship is excellent, but the sights are not up to par for S&W.

 

[H Richard]

It's a pretty short barrel, but I don't think it will work for concealed carry.

 

[slfree]

Ammo is hard to find too. All I could find were these cheap tracers that all blew apart shortly after being fired.

 

[opoefc]

Gary, Interesting. There is some archival evidence that S&W submitted a sample flare gun to the Gov't, circa late 1800s, so maybe this is a test piece. Granted it appears to be well made, comparable to a factory effort, other wise, as you suggest, some gunsmith had more time on his hands than needed. Surplus flare guns have always been on the market since the Civil War at prices much cheaper than it would cost to fashion something like this on your own, so it would really have to be an effort of love more than common sense. I doubt this was made in America, it looks European to me, probably Ludwig Leowe. Ed.

 

[DWalt]

Looks a lot like the Russian Model 3 frame modified into a flare gun. I wouldn't discount its being a factory gun, maybe a prototype.

 

[glowe]

I ran across the flare gun on another forum. Here is the link to the Wehrmacht-Awards.com Militaria Forums. The owner is apparantly in Finnland?? There are lots of thoughts on how it came to be.

S&W No 3 flare gun? - Wehrmacht-Awards.com Militaria Forums

 

[rsl]

S&W

I like it ... Is it for sale?

 

[opoefc]

Apparently flare guns made from modified S&W, Ludwig Leowe & Tula frames are not that rare in Europe. This particular example has Ludwig Leowe stampings on the frame but the barrel is probably Turkish origin and is chambered for an obsolete flare round. The late Fred Datig, who worked at Ludwig Leowe after WW2 had data on these flare guns in his massive research files on S&W and the European copies made in Berlin and at Tula Arsenal in Russia. Ed.