I’ve had these Polish 7.62x25 Tear Gas rounds for a while, and I always assumed they were used in some single-barrel device or modified TT pistol.
A few days ago I got this drawing from Tony Rauch and discovered my mistake. It’s interesting that they were made for use in a modified Nagant revolver.
Jon, nice variations!
I have never seen green laquered cardboard and also not the natural cardboard color variant.
What are the headstamps?
I’ll add those later.
Were these used in modified revolvers as they wouldn’t cycle a Tokarev?
Possible, but why didn’t they just modify 7.62 Nagant cases?
Poland did not make any after 1945 so using the 7.62x25 is quite intelligent.
Was the revolver modified in such a way that it wouldn’t accept a live round, so it was a “non-lethal only” gas discharger?
Were these intended for police use?
True, but a lot of machining work. And I’m not sure if they actually made any post-1939, but plenty of surplus Soviet ammo and brass would have been available.
Of course this is just a theory.
Soviet or any imported material came at a high cost like anything the WAPA states were trading back and forth amongst them.
All of those states were very tight on budgets (well, on anything) and really took some odd measures in order to save money. Also the revolver was not front line armament (maybe police, guard organizations or civilian defence forces) and was not under standardization rules then. As Poland made the TT cartridge this would be an easy thing to just ream the chambers.
Of course it would be good to have something from official Polish sources on this issue rather than just having an opinion.
Pic. I thought it was clearer…the factory codes (they used recycled cases, I believe) are 54, 343, and 21.
Your hs are making the selection even better!
Is the left one with a factory code only - no year?
Yes, ‘54’ only. I was happy to get that one.
Indeed! This is the first I see.
Regarding the headstamp where the arsenal model “54” stands alone, my only green ullet Tokarev round has the same headstamp. The case shows no signs of being recycled. I have a hunch that the ones with this headstamp were specifically for that loading. Two reasons for my gut feeling on it - I have only seen or heard of the headstamp on these special rounds; I doubl the headstamp would have met Polish Military regulations for tactical ball ammunition.
Just a theory, yet to be confirmed OR denied by any Polish collector, and no documentation on the subject at all that I have found so far. Of course, I can’t read the polish book on ammunition, a very good source for those that can, so I don’t know what it says on the subject, if anything at all.
Partial headstamps on rounds made by primarily military factories but for police use are not unknown, or for special-purpose cartridges for agencies other than the military. There is a frangible 9 mm made in England with a partial HS, and I have seen others. One of the .30 Pedersen rounds made at RA has only RA on it, but for what reason, I don’t know. I am sure there are dozens of other examples.
This is not to be confused with headstamps that have only dates, or caliber or information other than the manufacturer’s designator, which are generally made to conceal or confuse the identifiy of the factory making the ammo, or who it was made for, or both. That is a different topic altogether, of course.