Part of the fun of owning these historical relics is shooting them, however, extreme caution should be used. Toward the end of the war, production quality and the quality of materials suffered greatly. Many of these guns have been improperly stored, allowing the metals to weaken. Before any vintage weapon is fired, it should be examined by a competent gunsmith. Modern ammunition is frequently manufactured to much Hier pressures that what these guns were intended for.
Modern ammunition can cause a catastrophic failure, with the resulting injuries and even death.
No firm evidence has ever been produced that indicates resistance workers in factories sabotaged larger numbers of guns, however, the rumours persist and it costs little to exercise caution. The Germans made extensive use of flare pistols, much more so than the Allies. Most were based on the 1920's Walther design. The Leuchpistole was used extensively by the German Armed Forces. This version is the Leuchpistole 42 which incorporated pressed steel parts for ease of manufacture.