Deactivated WWII RAF Issued No2 MK5 flare pistol

This is a WWII British No2 MK5 1inch flare pistol marked to the R.A.F. (Royal Air Force). The pistol is beleived to have been owned by a WWII British pilot and was still owned live up until recently before being deactivated by us. The pistol has definitely seen active service and still has a very worn lanyard cord that was used to tether the pistol to the pilot or crew member . This pistol was made by I.L. Berridge & Co, who were a commercial knitting machine manufacturer. Berridge made over 200,000 examples of this particular flare pistol during the war. This one is in 8,800 serial range - so fairly early production. During the war they were issued to the RAF pilots and bomber crews. This example has a distinctive lug on the left side of the barrel which is most commonly associated with the RAF who used the lug to lock the pistol into the air crafts fuselage before firing.

 

Deactivated with a working action it can be cocked, stripped and dry fired.