Very Pistol Flares

Camelia said:
Sounds like a lot of hassle. Surrender the weapon and get some normal flares.
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Point with a very postol is that the shells are not dated so one can use them ok for years longer than ordinary flares
Also if they go off with a few sparks you are not actually holding them. You are holding the pistol
Mine certainly worked at 20 years old
 
I know this is a very old thread, but it still comes up in a search. If anyone needs 26.5 mm Very pistol (signal) flares in the UK
Chris Goodwin, at C & G Firearms Ltd. sometimes stocks these and can ship to you local registered firearms dealer, then you can pick them up with your FAC.
 
Sandy said:
Sounds like a lot of hassle. Surrender the weapon and get some normal flares.
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Strange that you call it a weapon. Is only in so much as you could hit someone over the head with it! I imagine firing a parachute flare at someone would be more unpleasant as it is a rocket not a projectile.

Also, since this post, normal flares have become a disposal nightmare.
 
Bi111ion said:
Strange that you call it a weapon. Is only in so much as you could hit someone over the head with it! I imagine firing a parachute flare at someone would be more unpleasant as it is a rocket not a projectile.

Also, since this post, normal flares have become a disposal nightmare.
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Because of the material used to burn in a flare - Magnesium - I suggest to you that being hit with a flare is definitely not something you would want in any form.

I spent various assignments on Seismic Ships and we had Flare Guns of the breach load variety ... large shells ...

Libyan coast ... our Guard Boat decided to leave ... and we were left conducting our work near a minefield ...
A large boat appeared heading towards us .. and as usual - I loaded the pistol and went to fire a flare as warning indicator. The French Chef de Mission decided he wanted to fire it.
I gave him the gun and advised him to point it about 80 degrees - NOT vertical ... pull trigger and hold gun still for a second or so ...

Well he pulled trigger and immediately lowered the gun - flare hit the deck of the other boat and proceeded to bounce of bulwarks etc - and the Libyans on board diving everyway to get away from it ....
The flare left serious scorch marks all over their deck and surfaces ... and in a number of places small fires started ...
Once the flare had expired - the guys re-assembled on their deck and uncovered a 50 cal machine gun - pointed it at us ...

Rather difficult discussion and apologies later - all was OK ... it turned out - boat was our replacement Guard Boat !!

OK - looking back I can laugh .. but at the time it was not so funny. But the damage that flare did was far more than I had ever imagined ...
 
Refueler said:
Because of the material used to burn in a flare - Magnesium - I suggest to you that being hit with a flare is definitely not something you would want in any form.

I spent various assignments on Seismic Ships and we had Flare Guns of the breach load variety ... large shells ...

Libyan coast ... our Guard Boat decided to leave ... and we were left conducting our work near a minefield ...
A large boat appeared heading towards us .. and as usual - I loaded the pistol and went to fire a flare as warning indicator. The French Chef de Mission decided he wanted to fire it.
I gave him the gun and advised him to point it about 80 degrees - NOT vertical ... pull trigger and hold gun still for a second or so ...

Well he pulled trigger and immediately lowered the gun - flare hit the deck of the other boat and proceeded to bounce of bulwarks etc - and the Libyans on board diving everyway to get away from it ....
The flare left serious scorch marks all over their deck and surfaces ... and in a number of places small fires started ...
Once the flare had expired - the guys re-assembled on their deck and uncovered a 50 cal machine gun - pointed it at us ...

Rather difficult discussion and apologies later - all was OK ... it turned out - boat was our replacement Guard Boat !!

OK - looking back I can laugh .. but at the time it was not so funny. But the damage that flare did was far more than I had ever imagined ...
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Well if it has "gun" in it there is always an American on YouTube willing to test it! Eg
First of all at a few metres it might penetrate a cardboard box. Or it might bounce right back at you and set your trousers alight. At point black range it penetrates and burns ballistic jell. You would still do more damage hitting a person with the butt, but of they had no clothing on they might get serious burns. It is certainly hazardous given the magnesium. More hazardous than a hand flare, less hazardous than a parachute flare. Not designed to be a weapon. Dangerous to everyone if one tried to use it that way. It can of course start fires. Its a very good idea not to launch parachute or very flares anywhere other than over the sea, and taking account of wind and trajectory. When they land they are typically still alight.

My point is it is not a weapon if it is likely to do as much damage to the user as the target (if it was used as though it is a weapon).
 
Bi111ion said:
My point is it is not a weapon if it is likely to do as much damage to the user as the target (if it was used as though it is a weapon).
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Whatever you think, British Law is clear about Very pistols. Most people avoid arguments over firearms legislation, prison food isn't very nice.
 
You might well go to prison for violating firearms legislation. This is not Russia though. You can't go to prison for debating laws, and as a democracy we encourage debate. I am not debating it though. No problem getting radio licenses, RYA certificates, firearms certificates, registering my beacons, whatever is needed to go sailing We are generally under-regulated compared to many countries and I think generally what we have is about right. Our firearms certification procedure is good in my opinion anyway. I work on weapons detection systems and am keen on reducing criminal use of weapons. Its just that some firearms, such as Very pistols, are not intended to be, nor are suitable, to be used as weapons.

Main issue with flares and legislation at the moment is the lack disposal facilities for out of date flares. Also as crimes have been committed with parachute flares maybe some registration for those would be appropriate, perhaps check them out and exchange old ones directly with supplier.

[Edit changed "crimes using weapons" to "criminal use of weapons" hoping that is clearer]
 
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Many years ago I had a very pistol on board. No date limit on the cartridges, etc so a win etc. The tightening up on firearms regs made it unrealistic to keep it plus a variety of coloured cartridges.
Since then I have go rid of all the flares apart from a smoke and will reply upon mobile phone, vhf dsc, plb and erpirb. Also have a few torches on board.

If I was going beyond UK or European waters I would look at having some flares on board.
 
I seem to recall our firearms officer explaining that they don't like very pistols as they can easily be sleeved to take a 12g cartridge.
 
KevinV said:
I seem to recall our firearms officer explaining that they don't like very pistols as they can easily be sleeved to take a 12g cartridge.
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I am sure that is possible and may even have happened. However it would have a lot of recoil and only fire one shot. There are two main reasons that firearms are dangerous in the hands of criminals 1) that they work at a distance and 2) the criminal can shoot someone and then threaten anyone else that intervenes, so escape. If only 1) the same effect can be achieved by throwing a brick.
 
Flare guns are not a thing seen in these parts. (licencing) Mostly because carriage of rocket flares is mandatory. However now electronic flares are acceptable so a far safer longer life alternative. ol'will
 
I had a very pistol for years, but in the end the only flares I could get for it were Schermuly manufactured ones. These are quite long & protruded from the end of my Webley pistol, so I did not fancy trying to fire one.
When I handed it in at Maldon police station, the lady police officer said she would only take the pistol, as they had no facility for flares. It was just after the Dunblain shooting incident. I said, "Ok" & took the pistol back. I said, " I will go in the high street & fire the flares off first"
As I walked slowly away, she wizzed round from behind the screen & grabbed the lot. Pistol & flares & said " Perhaps we will take them after all"
Job done :D
 
KevinV said:
I seem to recall our firearms officer explaining that they don't like very pistols as they can easily be sleeved to take a 12g cartridge.
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Standard equipment in air traffic control towers when I was still a controller. Red & green cartridges for signalling or insert the sleeve and fire 12g ‘bangers’ for bird scaring. Swopping from one mode to the other took seconds.
 
Goldie said:
Standard equipment in air traffic control towers when I was still a controller. Red & green cartridges for signalling or insert the sleeve and fire 12g ‘bangers’ for bird scaring. Swopping from one mode to the other took seconds.
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I used to have a photo of my Father firing a Very Flare at end of Bahrain Runway just after the war ....
 
Used to fire them at the top of the V2 climb in our Nimrod air display. Of course it meant I had to stand up behind my chair and load, insert into orifice, fire, remove from orifice, unload, reload, insert in orifice, fire, remove from orifice, unload and then get back in my seat all in slight negative g.
Not prepared to say how many times I dropped a cartage and had to quickly dive to my hands and knees before it rolled somewhere inconvenient!!!

This isn't me I was 93/94
 
Buck Turgidson said:
Used to fire them at the top of the V2 climb in our Nimrod air display. Of course it meant I had to stand up behind my chair and load, insert into orifice, fire, remove from orifice, unload, reload, insert in orifice, fire, remove from orifice, unload and then get back in my seat all in slight negative g.
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When I was a teenager it was common to see some tight flares that kept slipping in to an inconvenient orrifice. Fortunatly fashion moved on fairly quickly :(
 
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