Nose Pistol No. 33 Mk (Service)

Description: The pistol consists of a body bored centrally to receive a striker, and counterbored an threaded at one end to receive a screwed collar which retains a 0.003-in. thick copper shear washer in position on the bottom of the counterbore. The lower end of the body is threaded to screw into the bomb, and a tab locking device is fitted around the body above the threads to secure the pistol in the bomb. A pressure plate is threaded onto the upper end of the striker, and the shear washer is located between the bottom of the striker sleeve and the striker shoulder. A dome-shaped safety cap is plac-ed over the pressure plate, and is retained by a leaf spring. Two safety blocks project through two slots in the safety cap between the pressure plate and the pistol body. The outer ends of the leaf spring each have a lug attached, through which is inserted a safe-ty pin to retain the leaf spring in position during storage and transit. Located between the pressure plate and the safety cap is a conical, coiled safety cap spring.

Operation: When the bomb is to be loaded on the plane, the arming link of parachute is passed through the inner holes on the lugs. When the bomb is released and the para-chute opens, the arming link is pulled free of the lugs, allowing the leaf spring to fly off. The coiled conical spring under the safety cap forces the safety cap off, arming the pis-tol. On impact, the pressure plate is driven inward. The striker shears the thin shear washer, and strikes the cap in the detonator.

Remarks: The striker of this pistol is of the blunt type. The striker spindle could shear thriugh the pressure plate on impact, even if the leaf spring were still in position.

Figure 129 - Nose Pistol No. 33 Mk I