Pen Flare Kit?'s

[RickJ]

I have a few questions about Pen Flare Kits! Who carries one and where did you get it? And last is the Gyro Jet Pen Flare being sold to the General Public?

RickJ

 

[Bushman5]

I cannot speak for the GYRO JET PEN (never heard of it), but I can speak on the TRU-FLARE kits, as i own a couple. They are easy to use, well made, and they simply work. The flares dont go that high though maybe 60- 70 feet. (i'm used to Very Pistol flares, that have much higher altitudes)

I carry one, the flares are replaced with bear control bangers. Simple, easy to use:

prior to "loading" (remove the grey thread cap from the base of the flare or bear banger, and thread the flare/banger into the pen launcher. MAKE SURE firing lever is int he safety detent, or the flare will go off in your hands)

loaded (note firing lever is in the safety detent, its bets to keep your thumb titghtly pressed against it at this stage, to prevent accidental firing)

ready to fire, firing lever is pulled out of the detent and all the way back, (device is held away from the body with one hand and fired with the other)

 

[RickJ]

thanks for the info, I found the tru flare site, looks like soem good stuff. The Gyro Jet Pen flare is a new U.S Military Pen flare, flares are little rockets that have fins, you get about 300 feet out of them, much better than the screw in kind. I just was trying to find out if they are legal and who sales them.

RickJ

 

[James 61]

I carry a surplus military flare pen. I got mine through a state SAR resource. So I have no idea how to get one as the general public. I have seen the Gyro Jet and got to see one once. I tried to see about getting one but did not have any luck finding them for sale to the public.

Looks like the tru flare is about as close to the military style that is available.

 

[thatmguy]

These are sold at Bass Pro shops.

Seem cost prohibitive to have shipped unless you MUST have it.... Retail around $33 or so, but IIRC HAZMAT cranks it up

Hope this helps.

I keep SkyBlazers in my kits, but am going to pick one of these up next time I'm at my in-state BPS.

 

[mckrob]

I have bought my flares from Margot Supplies for years. I first used them in 1994 to install an electric polar bear fence at a camp in the Arctic (they've been around forever). I don't see the Tru flares on their website anymore. I have been using the pistol type now for years and prefer them to the Tru flares, they are a bit bigger to carry, but the flares, bangers, and screamers are much cheaper, they also are much more effective (louder and fire farther). They use 6mm starter pistol blanks to ignite the flare which is placed in the end of the muzzle, the only problem is if you put them in backwards they will not fire (easy to do when a bear has you flustered!).

Be careful with the Tru launchers, I got into a jam once when firing at a bear, we had ordered flares that turned out to be centrefire instead of rimfire (the rimfire flares always had a picture of an acorn on the end). Some of the launchers are both rimfire and centrefire, the firing pin just has to be taken out and flipped around. Practice with it to make sure you know it works, and so you know how far it travels (each type fires differently) it's not uncommon to overshoot a bear and actually scare him towards you.

What Bushman5 says is true! make sure it is in safe mode before screwing in the flare! I always wrap black electrical tape around mine to keep it secured in this position to avoid accidental discharge. A little tab of tape folded over lets you grab it quick and rip it off if you need it quickly.