For Sale: Very Rounds, reproduction, set of 12

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

I've sold my spare set and am making a few more to fill requests. Going forward I've bought spare material and will make sets on request if there is interest. Custom dates available.

[Robin Craig]

So I finally found the set that I had made. I cant find, yet, the original spent cartridge that the casting was done from and the colours were based on. The colours of the repros are exactly as per the original, and not the same as Bruce's which doesn't mean his or mine are wrong, they are different.

I didn't have time to fiddle around with the plasticine to make the rounds sit perfectly but you get the idea.Bear in mine, mine have been handled a few too may times and some of the paint has chipped.

Hope they illustrate the point

[universalgrl]

Bruce
This is what I have for flare equipment.
The 2 flares I have are for a WW 2 pilots survival vest.

[Rob Abbott]

Bruce sold me a set of cartridges to fill a gap in my collection.
They really are excellent
Rob

[Robin Craig]

Rob Abbott the box in which your rounds are shown, what can you tell us about it please and what vintage vehicle is it going in please?

[Robin Craig]

Finally I found the specimens I had my replicas based on.

I have no expertise in this subject, I throw myself to the learned ones here.

What I can say is what I see or dont.

I picked these two up a long time ago, over 20 years ago in the UK and they followed me home, don't ask.

What I am showing you is what I have and not neccesarily military issue rounds more rounds that fit, so that may be the reason that these cartridges are different and lack all the exterior markings of others.

I find it interesting that the distinctive rolling marks in the end of the cardboard are gone in the spent round.

Over to you all for examination and comment

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Robin, these things seem to have come in a variety of lengths and the one you have is the same length as the ones I made that exactly fit the height of the bins in WW2 Bren carriers and other AFV's. From the pic of the bin you provided earlier (from a Ferret?) it looks like it may have been designed for shorter rounds. Does that make sense? If you used these taller rounds would they rattle around too much?

Originally Posted by Robin Craig

Finally I found the specimens I had my replicas based on.

I have no expertise in this subject, I throw myself to the learned ones here.

What I can say is what I see or dont.

I picked these two up a long time ago, over 20 years ago in the UK and they followed me home, don't ask.

What I am showing you is what I have and not neccesarily military issue rounds more rounds that fit, so that may be the reason that these cartridges are different and lack all the exterior markings of others.

I find it interesting that the distinctive rolling marks in the end of the cardboard are gone in the spent round.

Over to you all for examination and comment

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by Robin Craig

Finally I found the specimens I had my replicas based on.

I have no expertise in this subject, I throw myself to the learned ones here.

What I can say is what I see or dont.

I picked these two up a long time ago, over 20 years ago in the UK and they followed me home, don't ask.

What I am showing you is what I have and not neccesarily military issue rounds more rounds that fit, so that may be the reason that these cartridges are different and lack all the exterior markings of others.

I find it interesting that the distinctive rolling marks in the end of the cardboard are gone in the spent round.

Over to you all for examination and comment

"James Pain & Sons of 9, St Mary Axe, London, EC3" Company founded 1850, Firework & ships' signal makers of Mitcham.

1960 - Acquired by Bryant & May.
1964 - amalgamated with Waeco as Pains-Wessex and production moved to Salisbury.
By 1985 was owned by Allegheny International.
1986 Chemring owned them.
Currently owned by Wescom.

So it's a pre-1964 (and probably commercial) signal cartridge, with a rolled crimp like a traditional shotgun cartridge.

I think the cartridge length depends on the number of stars it contains. The standard military sizes were 1-inch and 1.5 inch diameter (and I think are now obsolete, being replaced by 26.5mm). Early cartridges may have been full length brass cases (like early shotgun cartridges), then cardboard with a brass head up to probably the late 1960s and drawn aluminium ones after that. The modern 26.5mm 'Comet' ones seem to be an all-plastic casing.

The Very pistols are illegal to possess in the U.K., being prohibited under section 5 (pistol or short-barreled shotgun) of the Firearms Act.

These days everyone has apparently moved to single-use launchers for distress flares.

https://talesfromthesupplydepot.blog...y/flare-pistol may be of interest.

Chris.