Flare gun vs handheld flare

Much as I'd like one to signal my distress at the speed some people drive their boats through the moorings at West Mersea, I think one may need a firearms licence to buy one in the UK. Is it not basically a Very pistol?
 
Very pistols have a wider bore than a 12, and I think it is almost impossible to buy rounds for them any more. I like the look of the Orion with its plastic structure and the ability to buy different load types quite easily.
 
I very much doubt that even if you have an FAC you could get one of those put on it, simply because it is a pistol, and such short barrelled weapons are not legal in the UK. The makers are American, and it would be perfectly acceptable over there. Its a pity because a flare pistol is inherently safer for the operator than a hand held flare.
 
Norman_E said:
I very much doubt that even if you have an FAC you could get one of those put on it, simply because it is a pistol, and such short barrelled weapons are not legal in the UK. The makers are American, and it would be perfectly acceptable over there. Its a pity because a flare pistol is inherently safer for the operator than a hand held flare.
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I shall have a word with our Firearms unit in Avon and Somerset tomorrow.
 
A pistol - any pistol which can discharge a "missile" - is a Section 5 Firearm under the Firearms Act - it's effectively prohibited. Potentially you could stick any 12 gauge shell in it - No 7 shot, SSG's or a slug - though I dare say you may have quite a sore hand upon pulling the trigger.

I've never seen a flare pistol, other than one in an obsolete calibre, for sale in the UK for a long time.
 
The Act is a bit hard going, just done a quick scan but may have missed something.

It may be that no license is required whilst on a ship but is required if taken off it.

https://www.gov.uk/.../Guidance_on_Firearms_Licensing

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/d_to_g/firearms/

Ship and hovercraft equipment
6.51 No certificate is necessary to authorise the possession of firearms and ammunition
subject to section 1 and 2 of the 1968 Act on board ship as part of the ship’s equipment
(section 13(1)(a) of the 1968 Act). A certificate is, however, required to acquire. Under
section 13(1)(c) of the 1968 Act a police officer may issue a permit (form 115) authorising
the removal of a firearm to which section 1 of the 1968 Act applies (but not ammunition) or
a shotgun, to or from a ship for any purpose specified in the permit. A permit granted by a
police officer does not permit the possession of prohibited weapons subject to section 5 of
the 1968 Act.

6.52 Although there is no legal definition of what constitutes a “ship” within the 1968 Act, in the
absence of a court ruling this effectively means a vessel designed to be ocean-going rather
than one for travel on inland waterways.
 
My need for falres is entirely dictated by regulations both Yachting Association and local marine authorities. I am not sure that I would have them at all if it were not for regulations. I would rather rely on radio and EPIRB. Flare pistols are never seen in Oz probably due to gun laws and flare carriage requirements. olewill
 
On the firearms legal guidance site Prohibited Weapons Defined by section 5 Firearms Act 1968 as Amended.
Section 5(1)(aba) any firearm which either has a barrel less than 30cm in length or is less than 60cm in length overall, other than an air weapon, a muzzle-loading gun or a firearm designed as signalling apparatus, e.g. handguns, revolvers;
As it is designed as signalling apparatus, it is not section 5.
Apparently the modern 12 guage signal flares can also be fired from an open choke shotgun.
 
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I've carried a Very pistol for the last 15 years or more. You do need a Firearms certificate to own one and the certificate states how many shells you are allowed to hold and to buy at any one time. You must have a lockable compartment on the boat and a secure, lockable storage place at home. It is now almost impossible to buy the shells. Mine are very old but they still look like new, there is no date mark on them. The older pen-style launchers were stopped because they were deemed to have a barrel and thus purchasers would need a Firearms certificate. The newer designs do not have a barrel so are deemed OK, or they were, I don't know if they are still available.
 
Here in the USA we have a plastic 12 gauge flare pistol and about a dozen red shells on board plus some handheld reds and smokes as well.We also have a second set kept in the seat locker of our RIB, carried in davits and which is also our substitute for a life raft , Orion are on open sale in chandlers and even in Walmart's boating section and the make is indeed Orion as mentioned in another post above. There are also 25mm signal pistols with adapters available to convert them if needed to fire 12g shells as well, the 25mmm ones apparently are brighter than 12g but fly not quite as high so swings and roundabouts in the visibility stakes. I was warned that loading a plastic pistol one with a regular 12 g shotgun cartridge as a weapon would be extremely dangerous, highly likely to explode in the hand on firing. I must say I like the convenience and low cost versus the SOLAS/RORC stuff we used to carry back in the UK.

Years ago in the UK I used to have a signal flare launcher that carried an octagonal cartridge containing 8 shells that was manually indexed over the simple spring loaded firing pin . I forget what it was called ( I believe it was a military device) but it did need a firearms certificate which I had. The FAC was supplied free of charge but involved a home visit from plod to check it was locked in a secure cabinet and the FAC had to be supported by signatures from notables like a magistrate, Doctor , military officer, member of Parliament or the like. I surrendered mine when the regular renewal of the FAC became a veritable PITA. Funny bit was when PC Plod arrived unnanounced one day at my home asking to see my flare launcher and it's secure storage and I said it was kept on the boat. 'Is it locked securely away in a steel cabinet sir?, 'No it is kept under the chart table', 'iS that locked sir? 'No' oh dear.... Buying replacement for date expired shells was also odd as they came in cartridges of 8 shells and they said I was not allowed to hold more than a certain number and to buy only a few at a time, 8 was way too many, yet you could only buy a cartridge of 8 .
 
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I doubt that the kind of flares that are launched from a pistol would have the same duration as a standard parachute flare. The Italians like to use a type of rocket that deploys three bright 'stars' but even these do not last for long.
 
alahol2 said:
I've carried a Very pistol for the last 15 years or more. You do need a Firearms certificate to own one and the certificate states how many shells you are allowed to hold and to buy at any one time. You must have a lockable compartment on the boat and a secure, lockable storage place at home...
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Quite correct. I obtained a firearms certificate in 2012 which covered a 4-bore Verey pistol. I bought the pistol over the counter in Longyearbyen together with flash-bang cartridges, but because of the need for a lockable compartment and inevitable hassle with customs clearance in the UK I gave it away just before leaving Norway. So you can buy the cartridges still, but it's doubtless easier abroad!

Maybe a flash-bang would be good for collision avoidance, but I'm dubious that signal flares would be better than parachute flares for distress signalling and in any case my need for flares is imposed by RORC/ISAF rules and would not be amended or reduced by possession of a signal pistol.
 
I have one of these. The cartridges are smaller than a shotgun. But i have often thought of putting a sleeve in. My concern is its plastic and to be honest id be scared of blowing my hand off..

flare gun.jpg
 
an answer from Avon and Somerset Police !

"
Dear Sir,

My best guess, on your submission, is that this piece is a Very Pistol and will require it to be held on an FAC here in the UK.

Regards,

D Fletcher
Firearms Licensing Officer."
 
duncan99210 said:
You can buy mini flares, launched using a pen like launcher, which do the same job as the pistol over the counter in mainland UK. The military have been using them instead of Very pistols for years now: you can carry dozens of them for the same weight as a pistol plus half a dozen rounds.
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Do you have a link please? :)
 
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