Have you Fired an Converted Flare Gun?

[hellosailor]

minaret-
"After all these are commercially made parts designed specifically for this application. Any lawsuits? Any accounts of people actually blowing themselves up this way?"
Given that "commercial" could mean judgement-proof Bubba bought a drill press. And that the buyer might be in violation of numerous weapons laws (felony counts). And that nooze accounts skip a lot of bigger more important things?
I wouldn't be surprised to hear nothing even if there was something to hear. Coupla scuba tanks blow up every year, often with serious injuries or a fatality. They don't make the nooze. Coupla smokers blow up gas stations, they usually don't make the nooze. Guy with an illegal firearm? Depends on how busy a nooze day it is.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by cal40john

Yes invariably lethal at point blank range

Note to self: Don't try and kill a zombie with a flare gun.

[Nicholson58]

The only sleeve conversion that is shown to work without seperating the barrel and handle is the 22 Long sleeve. Anything larger is known to blow the launcer apart. Various sources for other sleeves I researched say you should not use conventional 12 ga shells in a converted heavy metal flare launcher such as GECO or the Polish launchers. The claim is not that it would damage the gun but that you would likely break your wrist from recoil. The GECO and Polish guns had clamp on stock extensions although I have only seen them as collectable antiques. This would let you handle recoil but you would be better off buying a real gun. The 410 shot-shell conversion works in these launchers. The 12 ga conversion lets you launch Dragon's breath and mayby a few of the other low recoil rounds.

There are many YouTube videos showing firing of these devices. Some additional videos can be found on the retailing sites for the sleeves. Before you get an insert, I would discuss with the seller (use a real gun distrubitor with sharp people).

The short of it is that I would not use a sleeve in a plastic launcher - period. If you plan to get an insert then get the heavy built military surplus launcher. I have the Polish one. It is impressivly well built, tight, heavy. I do not have any inserts but I am considering the paper-work necessary to legally posess the parts. I would use the 12 insert for 12 ga flares only. The 410 insert with buck at close range would be OK for bad guys that don't belong on the boat. The 22L insert is rifled and reasonably acurate to around 30 yards with practice.

I figure if you are nuts enough to sail near Somalia you should get a (cheap) real gun for the transit and let it be confiscated on port of call or toss it over the side. You could always pass it to a sailor headed the other way. I suggest a 12 ga pump or semi-auto with 00 buck. Get a flame-thrower round for their gas tank. You can also get percussion cap exploding rounds from a class III dealer. In many places, these are sold for scaring birds away from crops. I fired them at appliances at at tac-training outing. They easily blow the door off a front-loader dryer at 150 yards.

Some poetic license was taken composing this photo. I took the bird at 45 yards with a Browning BPS 10/12 with 28" barrel, recoil supressor, full turkey choke and 3-1/2 inch #4 turkey magnum. 78# recoil. It makes a delightful boom. The echo off the surrounding hills resonated for several seconds. Don't fire this round in your flare launcher.

[Caracal]

Originally Posted by Blue Stocking

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

LOL, me too!

[sww914]

If toy plastic that's weaker than Lego plastic was good enough to make pistols, I'm sure that some gun manufacturer would be doing it.

[sabray]

http://www.atf.gov/press/releases/20...e-inserts.html shows pictures of failed flare guns. No go for me.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

...
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.

I do know someone who used an unmodified flare gun as a weapon once. It did not do any serious damage but the pest who was shot never came back again (multiple petty thefts prior).

Did not occur in the USA so no lawyers needed.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

I do know someone who used an unmodified flare gun as a weapon once. It did not do any serious damage but the pest who was shot never came back again (multiple petty thefts prior).

Did not occur in the USA so no lawyers needed.

Back in the early 80's on the gulf coast, when tons of Vietnamese had been relocated to the area, and had started shrimping, we had lots of altercations between the natives and the new shrimpers.

One incident that always was remembered was when a local shrimper decided to let the Vietnamese shrimper who had cut across his trawl know how unhappy he was, by firing a flare gun at the Viet's wheelhouse.

The Viet, responded by bringing out his souvenier from the late Vietnam War, his M-16, and lighting the local guys boat up. The local guys were a lot more careful around the Viet shrimpers after that.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Group9

Back in the early 80's on the gulf coast, when tons of Vietnamese had been relocated to the area, and had started shrimping, we had lots of altercations between the natives and the new shrimpers.

One incident that always was remembered was when a local shrimper decided to let the Vietnamese shrimper who had cut across his trawl know how unhappy he was, by firing a flare gun at the Viet's wheelhouse.

The Viet, responded by bringing out his souvenier from the late Vietnam War, his M-16, and lighting the local guys boat up. The local guys were a lot more careful around the Viet shrimpers after that.

Yeah, dont fire a toy gun at someone who used to live in a war zone.

[sageofsalem]

That was a shame the US government gave free shrimp boats to those fortunate enough to be relocated from South Vietnam after that war. The "Coonasses" could not compete with the low "overhead" the Viets enjoyed.

You're right Belizesailor, those are some tough folks. And any idiot who fired a flare gun at somebody's boat because he was mad was "Darwin" stupid. And you cain't fix stupid!

[Caracal]

Originally Posted by sageofsalem

That was a shame the US government gave free shrimp boats to those fortunate enough to be relocated from South Vietnam after that war. The "Coonasses" could not compete with the low "overhead" the Viets enjoyed.

You're right Belizesailor, those are some tough folks. And any idiot who fired a flare gun at somebody's boat because he was mad was "Darwin" stupid. And you cain't fix stupid!

Well, you can. With an M16

[s/v Jedi]

I never fired standard 12ga shells in any flare gun... they do better in the Mossberg Mariner which is made for this stuff.

But... there are modified shells for standard flare guns, so no modification to the gun needed. They (ex-pat cruisers) were selling these in Venezuela when we still went there even though people were getting shot at etc. The ones I saw were based on crowd control shells that shoot plastic pellets. They emptied it, cut it shorter, put less powder back, then half the pellets, then hot pepper then closed it up. Shots went an inch into a phonebook and they even fired from the orange plastic flare guns.

At 10 meters (30') direct shot almost everything is lethal .he rounds with plastic pellets are supposed to be fired at the ground in front of a crowd (indirect).

[K_V_B]

In some countries you need a permit for a flare gun, so trying to use a modified one as a way of getting around firearm restrictions might get you in a lot of trouble... Wonder if it's really worth it.

[scoobert]

so what countries do not allow a long barrel shotgun to be kept on your boat?
are they being more slack since the whole pirate invasion of the seas?

[sww914]

Noonsite has the most comprehensive information that I'm aware of. Certainly not allowed in Mexico and several Caribbean countries. I went to Mexico first, we have no guns aboard and we haven't needed any.