Have you Fired an Converted Flare Gun?

[sageofsalem]

Rabid Rabbit,

Maybe the guy was trying to sell you a 40mm grenade launcher.Who knows? His price was ridiculous. And a rocket launcher!? C'mon.

[Capt Phil]

About 100 years ago after sharing a fifth of scotch with a boating friend, we loaded a plastic flare gun with a 12 gauge 00 buck round, put it in a vise with a string on the trigger and pulled. If either of had been within 10 feet we would have been either killed or permanently maimed. The whole flare gun blew apart into godknows how many pieces. Never mucked with that sort of thing again! Phil

[sageofsalem]

good idea. the string.

[RabidRabbit]

So I just found the launcher online and its a 37mm, and to my suprise you can get it a pump action 6 shot drum. That is one awesum flare gun, the price is three times as much so I'll probably stick to the single shot. Super quality WWII surplus store in mechanicville NY, on the canal. Lots of jap and german stuff, massive collection and very exspensive, tons of guns as well. 48 hours free dockage, power, water and pump out.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by RabidRabbit

So I just found the launcher online and its a 37mm, and to my suprise you can get it a pump action 6 shot drum. That is one awesum flare gun, the price is three times as much so I'll probably stick to the single shot. Super quality WWII surplus store in mechanicville NY, on the canal. Lots of jap and german stuff, massive collection and very exspensive, tons of guns as well. 48 hours free dockage, power, water and pump out.

Link please?

[Capt Phil]

We used a lot of string, thank goodness. We are both on the right side of the grass despite a lifetime of risky foolishness... cheers, Phil

[sailorboy1]

I'm getting that "should be scared of boaters" thing ............... again!

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Ed-
"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."
Please don't spread myths and lies. The truth is that guns sold without background checks "at" gun shows are guns sold by provate parties, not merchants, not show vendors, and they are typically sold in the parking lot and NOT on the premises.
So they are not actually sold at gun shows. Because so many newspapers have banned private forearms sales from their classified listings in an attempt to ban firearms, private sellers have gone to where they can expect to find potential buyers: The parking lots of guns shows. If they go inside the venue, they'll be thrown out, because private sales at gun shows are usually BANNED and the merchants have to do the same background check that they would run in their stores. Same waiting periods, same everything.

Only a fool who'd never fired a 12-gauge would try firing the same shells from a plastic gun. You'd get more answers from folks who have actually done that by asking in the TramuaticFistAmputations forum.

Maybe it works, once. Maybe then, you throw it away because the plastic is stressed. And what, gamble that the next one won't blow itself apart? Or, hope the stressed one will hold one more time? They won't even give out Darwin Awards for blowing just your hand off.

Before this thread gets shut down I want to say, Finally someone points out the myth and lie so often repeated there are those that think it truth.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by minaret

The Webley also has more cool factor, it's the same gun Peter O'Toole used in Lawrence of Arabia, everyone recognizes it immediately.

Sherlock Holmes uses a Webley Mk VI in The Hound of the Baskervilles.

[Capt Phil]

Hey, Tellie... it ain't just the barrel that explodes... the whole bloody flare gun disintegrated, including the grip! Made one hellofa bang in the garage and we were picking orange plastic out of the drywall for a week! Mind you, it was all in the spirit of good natured, alcohol fueled research... cheers, Phil

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by captainKJ

Sweet Jesus didn't that boy's momma teach him how to use a knife? I can't watch any more. I would never take advice from someone who was dumb enough to use his quad as a cutting board.

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by Capt Phil

About 100 years ago after sharing a fifth of scotch with a boating friend, we loaded a plastic flare gun with a 12 gauge 00 buck round, put it in a vise with a string on the trigger and pulled. If either of had been within 10 feet we would have been either killed or permanently maimed. The whole flare gun blew apart into godknows how many pieces. Never mucked with that sort of thing again! Phil

Here, hold my beer and watch THIS...

[GrowleyMonster]

But seriously, if you want or need or think you need a gun, get one. Gun manufacturers spend millions of dollars getting it right. Plenty of used guns of all sizes, types and flavors, for sale cheap.

OTOH an ordinary unmodified flare gun shooting regular unmodified flares is probably a pretty good improvised weapon if the bad guy doesn't have a real gun. It would suck to be shot with one, I'm sure, and since I'm sure, I wouldn't be arguing much with you if you were pointing it at me. The average criminal probably also would have similar sentiments.

Of course, you do know that if you shot someone with your flare gun, your lawyer would LOVE you.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Capt Phil

Hey, Tellie... it ain't just the barrel that explodes... the whole bloody flare gun disintegrated, including the grip! Made one hellofa bang in the garage and we were picking orange plastic out of the drywall for a week! Mind you, it was all in the spirit of good natured, alcohol fueled research... cheers, Phil

Take a look at the pics in the link in the OP. it's very unlikely a sleeved barrel will explode, because the sleeve would have to explode first and it's very thick. It took numerous shots to achieve failure in their testing (note the caption says "eventually all four guns failed"). Personally I would never do this, but I doubt it's as dangerous as they are trying to make it out to be. After all these are commercially made parts designed specifically for this application. Any lawsuits? Any accounts of people actually blowing themselves up this way? There are still numerous models on the market, I would think it would only take one incident to shut them down...

[Dexterbase]

Come on guys... 37mm : Spikes Tactical