Have you Fired an Converted Flare Gun?

[foolishsailor]

Based on the numerous gun/pirate threads...

...lets skip the fore play...

..it always degenerates into a couple of themes one of which is the conveted flare gun/shot gun shell theme.

I am frankly sick of hearing it so would love to hear actuall first hand experiences of people who have tested this "myth" for themselves.

1. Do you have a flare gun with a steel sleeve?
2. more importantly: Have you fired a shotgun shell from this fconverted flare gun?

I have heard fomr som many sources on this forum about this, yet no one has actually stated thay have fired one. i dont care if you have only tested it or actually fired it at baording pirates with black beards...

...what i would really love to hear is have you fired it more than once without blowing your hand off?

...i am wondering how many posts in this thread will actuially contain people who have fired versus people commentating...my guess is 100-1 which means the thread will get closed down before a single person who has actually fired one gets to comment...

...but living in an irish summer tha tconsists of 10 degree temps and rain one has to live in perpetual hope...

[Blue Stocking]

Not me--those things scare the sh1t out of me.

[nial]

Well, anyone who admits to converting one to fire shotgun shells in the USA is admitting to a federal crime and one that's taken seriously by the Feds.
I guess if you really want to know for sure you will have to live up to your handle.

[foolishsailor]

Originally Posted by nial

Well, anyone who admits to converting one to fire shotgun shells in the USA is admitting to a federal crime and one that's taken seriously by the Feds.
I guess if you really want to know for sure you will have to live up to your handle.

Yea, but i think i made it clear i hadnt fired one nor agreed with the whole concept. One who acknowledges firing one here in this forum doesnt have to also acknowledge that it was fired in US waters as this is, by the way, an international cruising forum...

edit: and surprise surprise surprise - not everyone on the internet lives in the states!

[Boatguy30]

Ok, you are looking for actual experience, but I had carefully considered this and decided it's unsafe. In think that is the actual fact.

I believe to work OK you need an older style flare gun that would have been machined from solid metal not cast from zinc or something similar.
Additionally, I understand that you need a fairly light weight shot, so overall probably not that worthwhile. Probably do more damage with a SOLAS grade rocket flare. I have fired these and they have some major power.

[jeremiason]

A couple of years ago, Practical Sailor actually did a tests on several companies who were manufacutring them... They all failed with cracked barrels or frames, except one and it didn't fire again.

Even if they did work they are very short distance weapons... There are pleanty of alternative legal short range weapons on your boat, without purchasing anything else... Knifes, Winch Handles, Flare Guns, Chains, Knoted Line, Air Horns, Fire Extinguishers, various Chemicals and the list goes on...

Frankly, if you were going to carry a modified "one-shot" flare gun, which is illegal in some countrie, may or may not work and you don't care about the repercushions of shooting someone, especially in a foreign country... Why not jump of the cliff and buy a real gun?

[captainKJ]

Flare gun shotgun shell pt. 3 - YouTube

Flare gun shotgun shell pt. 1 - YouTube

[LoveMyWoodie]

the bosses here deleted my last thread like this....

wait for it....

FLARE PISTOL CONVERTED TO .22 RIMFIRE - YouTube

[foolishsailor]

Originally Posted by captainKJ

I will grant you the fact that that is the first time I have seen someone fire a flare gun not once but twice with a 12 gauge....

...but...

...they are firing less than a tenth of the pellets from a cartridge that is designed for skeet shooting as they say themselves. Please if you used this in a defence situation you would end up dead as it would do exactly the opposite of your intent. Instead of an amazing Mcgiver moment where all the bad guys are dead you would instead have a situation where instead of being spared and only losing your material items you would have pissed them off and end up with a raped partner and dead...

...sorry but I am not going to take ballistics advice from an adolescent who sits in his room filming for YouTube and whispers as he disassembles a shelll cause his parents are chatting in the next room...

...next...

[foolishsailor]

Originally Posted by LoveMyWoodie

the bosses here deleted my last thread like this....

wait for it....

Seen similar before, but as I said in my original post - he does NOT fire it only shows the conversion. I want to see it fired, preferably more than once.

What I would really like to see is a 12guage sheel with good ol fashioned number 1 buckshot with a reasonable powder load that would work as defence, not a reduced load that prevents the gun from exploding...

[lookoutnw]

OK, I will have a disclaimer here.....
BUT, if you mill a plug for it, and put in a 9mm, the firing pin will not fire more than 4 times. it bends/flattens and it wil not dent the primer any more.
3 flare guns were used.
a russian made, 39mm gun, metal, did the best.
All in all, not worth it. get an 870 Mariner and be done, there are many different rounds for this from flares, to buck, to blanks.
BUt of course, since I am a law abiding citizen, I will not say I did it. I had no involvemnet in this illeagal activity and do not remember whom or where or when the said events, did or did not occur.
There, I am done now. Like the man says, either get a real weapon or improvise like most others do. But be ware, the best defense is never to be where you will need to defend yourself, alone...

[Miniyot]

Originally Posted by foolishsailor

I will grant you the fact that that is the first time I have seen someone fire a flare gun not once but twice with a 12 gauge....

...but...

...they are firing less than a tenth of the pellets from a cartridge that is designed for skeet shooting as they say themselves. Please if you used this in a defence situation you would end up dead as it would do exactly the opposite of your intent. Instead of an amazing Mcgiver moment where all the bad guys are dead you would instead have a situation where instead of being spared and only losing your material items you would have pissed them off and end up with a raped partner and dead...

...sorry but I am not going to take ballistics advice from an adolescent who sits in his room filming for YouTube and whispers as he disassembles a shelll cause his parents are chatting in the next room...

...next...

So...are you saying that if YOU were shot with this you wouldn't turn and run?

Dood, within ten feet it could kill you....Blind you....leave you in agony....

If you don't believe it, then show a video of you being shot with one...

Just sayin'!

But, granted, I am not saying there was anything more than a primer being fired, but even if were were only two pellets of (let's say) #8 shot, you could be blind....

[msponer]

Here's a report from the ATF, who did test fire these. I know very little about guns and their laws, and can't tell if it's illegal to have one of these or if it's just illegal to have an unregistered one of these.

[minaret]

All highly illegal, I doubt you'll get actual video from anyone here. About reduced loads, there are lightweight payloads that are plenty lethal at close range (think fiberglass flechettes, they're easy to come by but even more illegal).

[Sailorman Ed]

After reading the ATF report, it is clear that Orion has a design defect. They need to add some ribs to strengthen the body. Does seem the the H&K metal design may be better. Personally, I would look for one of the German manufactured ones.

But reading the report from ATF, they never make the point that there are illegal, only that they need to be registered. So it looks like except for a few states (and Cook Co) that these are in fact legal if registered, just like any other handgun. What is unclear are all the guns sold at gun shows where you do not need any background check and presumably, just buy a gun. How would one of the conversions be any different? And BTW, how many times has any law enforcement ever checked your flare gun?