12 guage Flare Pistol......?

batosai117

batosai117

Joined
Jun 5, 2007
Messages
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Hey everybody, I'm back from a family weekend and while I was away I had the opportunity to shop at a local academy that was in the area. I was looking at pistols for future CCW carry and of course the knife displays, and then I had a realization. Why not get a 12 guage flare pistol for camping and if needed, SD situations?

Now, before posting this I did do some research and it's actually quite common for them to be used in this way. They average $40-50 for a gun and 3-4 flares. Extra shots are about $20 for 4 and if they are only used once in a blue moon, then that wouldn't really matter. Please don't think I'm selling these because I DO NOT. I just would like to have a few questions answered by my fellow outdoorsmen.

First of all, do any of you have one of these, and if so, how does it perform?

Is is loud like firing a 12 guage shotgun, or muffled since it's only a flare?

There is a bear story that I found on a review from bass pro shops, kind of funny, but apparently the pistol worked to shoo off a black bear.

Would any of you recommend carrying one of these pistols? I read on wikipedia that there are rumors of rounds designed with pepper spray, I don't know if that is true, but sounds legitimate.

I know a lot of my questions seem to pertain to self defense, that is just an option that it seems it could be used for as a last ditch sort of thing. I really would like to get one as it seems lightweight and effective at what it does, signaling. It could be used for fires, signaling, boating, camping, hunting, etc.... so it seems that a $40-50 pistol would be a nice piece of equipment to have around for multiple situations and a good investment.

Thanks in advance for any responses, J.
 
Seems like a huge risk of fire if you use it to "shoo" a bear. Also shooting flares in non-rescue me scenarios might be illegal.
 
zenheretic said:
Seems like a huge risk of fire if you use it to "shoo" a bear. Also shooting flares in non-rescue me scenarios might be illegal.
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Well, the guy on the review sounds like he uses it for everything he can think of. I'd only want one for signaling or emergencies, but if needed it would be nice to know that it would "work" as a not so lethal pistol.
 
i wonder what would happen if you loaded an actual 12 gauge shell into one of those bad boys.

that'd be hilarious. a real hand cannon. lol
 
The flares are shorter so a std 12ga shell can't be loaded into them, couldn't sell them if it fit. Plus, if you moded it for them to fit odds are it would blow up.

I would look very hard at the surplus 26.5mm flare guns which are out. Military surplus and much better than any 12ga version I have ever seen. You can get a german Hk for about the price you're looking to spend. Plus the shells are much better for these. And, you can get the 12ga conversion for them if you still want to use 12ga shells.

They are loud!

Link so a seller, there are more out there and cheaper, this was just the first I found. I got my Hk for $50 a few years ago.
 
A 12 gauge launcher will be more compact, and lighter weight. The Olin's are made of plastic. And I do believe there are OC rounds available although I've never looked into them.

With that said, the surplus 26.5mm ones are cheaper, more solidly constructed, offer a bigger bang in both noise, and flare size and loft. I have a couple of them, a Czech surplus one and a German HK. I have a Polish HK type on the way now.

For signaling devices they're great, I keep one in my car. For anything else though, I'm skeptical. While I'd certainly use one if it was all I had, it'd be a last ditch item for any sort of defense, 2 legged or 4 and a poor choice IMO. This ain't the movies where a flare is going to lodge into some guy or critter and take him down. I tried firing some shots from my 26.5mm just to see what would happen. First, they aren't terribly accurate. They aren't made to be a precise weapon. They're smooth bore and designed to loft a flare, that's it.

Second, me and my buddies tried lighting a bon fire with one. It was huge and doused with Coleman fuel. It worked very, very poorly. The first shot hit the bon fire and ricocheted off the pile and skipped into the woods. Bad business and caused us to scurry to make sure it didn't light up something we didn't want it too instead. The second round did lodge into the pile but was anticlimactic. Even with Coleman fuel on the brush pile it still didn't ignite in a big woosh like we were hoping. We ended up just lighting up the pile the old fashioned way once the flare died out.

As a signaling device, they're fine, and kinda neat (I've used mine on the 4th of July a couple of times). For anything else, you're better off sticking to tools intended for the job.
 
I also like that with the surplus ones you have choices of very good smoke for day use and different colored flares for night use.

Another point to consider.
 
Oh okay, thanks for all the help guys, I will check out wally world today just to see what their prices are like and see if it would be worth ordering one.

I'll keep a look out for those Hk's, sounds promising :thumbup:
 
I've also seen inserts for flare guns that allow them to fire centerfire pistol rounds. I'm pretty sure they are illegal, and I can't remember what they are called but as I recall "pirate" is in the name.
 
cmdionne said:
I've also seen inserts for flare guns that allow them to fire centerfire pistol rounds. I'm pretty sure they are illegal, and I can't remember what they are called but as I recall "pirate" is in the name.
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Thanks to everybody once again!!! I will be heading to wally world and picking up a Orion flare pistol with 3 flares for $41.99 and then I'm gonna get those Capsicum (cayenne pepper) rounds from a different online source.

I did find those "pirate" inserts :D That would be a good investment for those who have the metal flare guns since it would be that much safer. For now I'm happy with the cayenne pepper spray (for 2 and 4 legged critters) as a defense and the flares as an important emergency tool.

All in all I believe my total for an excellent emergency and self defense pistol is around $60 tops, and that includes shipping for my Pepper spray rounds :thumbup:

Perfectly legal too in every state (as far as I know). Off to wally world here in a bit, thanks for all the help, J.
 
Just an update:

I got my Orion 12 guage flare pistol for right over $40 at wally world!!! Comes with 4 shots and a detachable bandalier.

I also called in and spoke with the owner and creator of the "pirate" adapters turning a flare gun into a .38 :thumbup:

http://www.captainforhire.com/products.htm

He has very high credentials as an ex marine, LEO, private investigator, etc....He creates these himself and they are perfectly legal to ship around and own as they are "just a piece of metal."

I'm looking into getting one if funding is right and plan on using snake shot (shot shells) in .38 for it as a back-up when in the outdoors.

I'm still planning on getting the cayenne pepper spray, so it would be very interesting to have a multi-use pistol for $40 bucks :)

Flares, .38 snubby, and pepper spray, this thing gets +1 for the most overlooked tool/gun on the market.
 
J that may very well be a legal piece of metal until you install it in a "gun". I'm asking, not telling. I would check before installing something like that, the feds can be a real pain if your t's aren't crossed and i's dotted.

Now, if your t's are dotted and your i's are crossed, please step away from the flare gun :D
 
I wonder if the short "low recoil" shotgun rounds would work in a flare gun. Although touching off a 12 ga. round in ANY pistol is a painful proposition at best.
 
James_Terrio said:
J that may very well be a legal piece of metal until you install it in a "gun". I'm asking, not telling. I would check before installing something like that, the feds can be a real pain if your t's aren't crossed and i's dotted.

Now, if your t's are dotted and your i's are crossed, please step away from the flare gun :D
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Ah yes, of course :) The Captain said that it's the same as any other pistol once you install it. Since it is a "customized - do it yourself" gun, you just need a permit from the gubmint which is about $5 I believe :confused:

It wouldn't be something to wave around and get attention, much like a "real" gun, it would be for those "you never know" situations.

edit: he also said to NOT shoot any shotgun shells out of it as it would break and unknown results would happen :eek:
 
James_Terrio said:
J that may very well be a legal piece of metal until you install it in a "gun".
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Here's what the BATFE has to say
http://www.atf.gov/firearms/050406_firelauncher.htm

If they are installed or possessed with a flare gun then they're classified as an AOW, which means if you want to fill out enough red tape and buy a tax stamp you can legally own them (at least as far as the Feds are concerned, I don't know about individual states). However they tested some of them, and it looks like the plastic flare guns did not hold up so well (big suprise right).

EDIT: I just saw your new post and wanted to stress that possessing the insert along with a flare gun, even if it is not installed is still a violation of Federal Law. To be safe I would figure out all the relevant paperwork before you have the insert shipped to you.
 
Okay fellas, I found something even better for the 12 guage pistol, it can now shoot .22LR, .357, .44mag, and 9mm.

http://www.e-gunparts.com/DisplayAd.asp?chrProductSKU=881160&chrSuperSKU=&MC=

I wouldn't suggest any of those but the .22LR, so I ordered one :D

I figured that .22LR is plentiful, cheap, and won't make much boom or kick whatsoever. That should help with the longevity of the pistol in this form.

I look forward to getting it and I will be sure to give a review of how it does, I pray that my gun doesn't break :o
 
I dunno that those last adapters will work. They might be too long for a 12 gauge flare gun chamber.

Even if they did fit, I'd question the safety of using one in a plastic Olin pistol. I'd also question the legality of it as discussed above.

Found a video of what happens when you put a real 12 gauge round in an Olin flare pistol. It isn't pretty.

Video Link
 
Don't think they will fit. If they fit into the pistol, then a 12ga shell would fit into the pistol and that would be an AOW and paperwork would have to be done for it. The flares are shorter and the chamber is cut that way.
 
I think if you actually hit someone with a flare fired from your pistol, it would certainly be a deterent to his criminal activity. I recall reading a book by H.W. McBride who talked about killing an enemy soldier during WW1 with a flare gun. I keep one in the boat for signaling, but as I recall, the flares have a fairly short shelf life. Just something to keep in mind if you are thinks of keeping a flare gun as a self-defense weapon.
 
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