USN Sedgley Mark IV

[militaria]

Hey everyone, YES I finally get to post something...LOL :-)

 

Here are some photos of what I am pretty sure is a Sedgley Mark 4.

 

My question is was this gun made before 1945? I can not find anything on the internet about this company. I guess because supposedly it only had a couple of small contracts with the Government in WW2. I have also heard that when the U and the N are scratched off so that the only thing there is the S, this is supposed to mean that it is a post war surplus, but to me that does not mean that it was made after the war. This just means that the gun was demilitarized and sold after the war. Thoughts? Opinions?

 

I could use any and all info that you guys might have about this or if you could point me to the right internet site to research myself, that is also ok.

 

 

 

 

[dustin]

What you have there is a 37mm parachute flare signal pistol Sedgley Signal Pistol, Mark-4. As part of consolidated wartime efforts, lifeboats for all sea going Merchant Marine vessels were to have a standard compliment of emergency provisions overseen by the USCG. They in turn had direct coordination with the US Navy. Sedgley made two signals pistols for the US Navy, for the Bureau of Ships they supplied the 10-gage Mark-V and for the Merchant Marine, the Mark-IV as approved by the USCG. Each service had a differing standard flare, the BuShips was 10-gage and for Merchant Marine the 37mm parachute type. So yes it was a US Government procured pistol but for the USCG essentially. US Navy, BuShips allowances do not accommodate the 37mm. This design was developed in the summer of 1941 with a cast barrel and cellulose frame, a much cheaper alternative to brass or bronze which many signal pistols were made from before the war. Manufacture of these pistols would be from 1942 through the duration of the war, your example is dated 3-22-4?. I doubt many if any were made after VJ-day considering the massive downsizing of all wartime activities.

[militaria]

What you have there is a 37mm parachute flare signal pistol Sedgley Signal Pistol, Mark-4. As part of consolidated wartime efforts, lifeboats for all sea going Merchant Marine vessels were to have a standard compliment of emergency provisions overseen by the USCG. They in turn had direct coordination with the US Navy. Sedgley made two signals pistols for the US Navy, for the Bureau of Ships they supplied the 10-gage Mark-V and for the Merchant Marine, the Mark-IV as approved by the USCG. Each service had a differing standard flare, the BuShips was 10-gage and for Merchant Marine the 37mm parachute type. So yes it was a US Government procured pistol but for the USCG essentially. US Navy, BuShips allowances do not accommodate the 37mm. This design was developed in the summer of 1941 with a cast barrel and cellulose frame, a much cheaper alternative to brass or bronze which many signal pistols were made from before the war. Manufacture of these pistols would be from 1942 through the duration of the war, your example is dated 3-22-4?. I doubt many if any were made after VJ-day considering the massive downsizing of all wartime activities.

Hey Dustin,

 

Thanks much for that info. I have tried to research what you have said here and I still find nothing, I dont understand it. I am working with a regulation and I really need some type of proof of this or basically, I need some real proof that these were not made after the war and if they were how to tell the difference between the ones that were made Pre, during and post war.

[dustin]

I am not surprised you couldn't find anything online, no one has done any real histoical research of flare pistols that I know of. We just know they exist, primarily. The internet doesn't have everything, so don't be shocked. I dived into the subject but only orientated towards pyrotechnics for aviation, however in the effort for checks and balances I learned more about Navy types hence my basic explanation here. I cannot provide documentation on when production ended, if you need real proof I'd suggest you make a trip to the National Archives and be the ground breaker of this type of signal pistol.

[militaria]

Ok, thanks for the heads up. I will continue to search.

 

I would love to make that Journey and be the first, but from Germany, thats just a tad bit to much ground to cover...LOL

 

Thanks again!

 

Maybe someone else will chime in with some good info.

[Brian Keith]

Nice item. There is a Flare Gun Forum, but Dustin has given you great info. I also suspect he is quite correct about post war production, just didn't need any more, and tons would be hitting the surplus market. There is a soft cover book "Flare Guns and Signal Pistols" by Robert M. Gaynor, Jr., I think the book was self published.

BKW

[militaria]

Nice item. There is a Flare Gun Forum, but Dustin has given you great info. I also suspect he is quite correct about post war production, just didn't need any more, and tons would be hitting the surplus market. There is a soft cover book "Flare Guns and Signal Pistols" by Robert M. Gaynor, Jr., I think the book was self published.

BKW

Yes indeed the info is more than I had and seems very plausible, however I am working to get the Dutch police data bank updated on this weapon so that it may be sold as a FREE gun, and therefore need hard proof.

 

Thanks for the tip on the book, I will look it up.