"Doug Dotson" wrote in message ...
From what I understand a flare will generally bounce off the chest of a
person. Not a good weapon. You can purchase an insert that will
accomodate a .410 shell to be used in a 25mm flaregun, but not the
cheezy plastic flare guns.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Steve Schwartz" wrote in message
news:yL ...
I have a little flare pistol on my boat (in New York State, Lake
Ontario). I believe this is required by US Coast Guard. I was told by
West Marine that we cannot take these to Canada as they are "weapons."
Is this true? Can this pistol be used as a weapon? Can it shoot
regular shot gun shells? Are the flare shells lethal? Is it a danger
to anyone? Does anyone know anything about this? I'd appreciate any
info?

--
Steve

--

BF:

Huh?

If you want my opinion, a flare from a 12 guage Orion wouldn't stop
anybody. Even fired in the boat (no gasoline), it wouldn't do much as
you could quickly put it out. Now, the 25 mm flares, i dunno.
It would be very easy to make a 12 guage flare gun that could fire 410
shells. I know little about firearms but I imagine a real 12 guage
shell would jerk a lightweight flare gun out of your hands even if it
didnt blow up.

Comments below,
Doug
s/v Callista

"Keith" wrote in message
...
I think that was a parachute flare, AKA rocket that they used in that
movie. Still doubt it would have the effect in real life as it did in the
cinema.

If you tried to fire a regular 12 gage shell in a flare gun, I bet you'd
lose your hand when it blew up. It would be about the same as if you just
held the shell in a pair of vice grips and hit the primer with a hammer.

Doubt if you could fire one that way.

Someone used to make a metal sleeve for this purpose though. You just
inserted it into the plastic barrell and it supposedly was strong enough
for you to fire a 12 gage shell. Don't know where you could find one
though.

I researched these extensively. None were 12ga intended for use in a
12ga plastic flare gun. All were designed for a 25mm flaregun. The only
ones I found accomodated a .410 shell. I heard that there was one using
a 16ga shell but I was never able to track it down.

I suppose in a pinch it's better than nothing, but if somebody is coming
at you armed, it'd probably just **** them off and make them kill you.

Just make sure you hit them in the face. Not a very reliable means of
self defense. Moral... If you are serious about self defense, get a gun and
learn how to use it.

--


Keith
__
Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make all
of them yourself.


It was in the movie "Dead Calm", but I won't spoil the ending for you.
Sure, why not? Those shells are powerful enough to get to a couple of
hundred feet up, so I bet getting one in the nads at close range would
compromise fatherhood and lead to a blinding headache. Also, I recall
that older flare pistols were metal and generally heavier. They might
be able to take a real 12-gauge shotgun shell, and thus would make a
plausible weapon. Lousy aim, though.


Can it shoot regular shot gun shells?

Agreed, but I'm not sure that even a .410 shell fired out of an
Orion plastic gun would be safe. All the adapters I saw used
..410 shells and fit into a 25mm gun.



"Parallax" wrote in message
om...
"Doug Dotson" wrote in message
...
From what I understand a flare will generally bounce off the chest of a
person. Not a good weapon. You can purchase an insert that will
accomodate a .410 shell to be used in a 25mm flaregun, but not the
cheezy plastic flare guns.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Steve Schwartz" wrote in message
news:yL ...
I have a little flare pistol on my boat (in New York State, Lake
Ontario). I believe this is required by US Coast Guard. I was told by
West Marine that we cannot take these to Canada as they are "weapons."
Is this true? Can this pistol be used as a weapon? Can it shoot
regular shot gun shells? Are the flare shells lethal? Is it a danger
to anyone? Does anyone know anything about this? I'd appreciate any
info?

--
Steve

--

BF:

Huh?

If you want my opinion, a flare from a 12 guage Orion wouldn't stop
anybody. Even fired in the boat (no gasoline), it wouldn't do much as
you could quickly put it out. Now, the 25 mm flares, i dunno.
It would be very easy to make a 12 guage flare gun that could fire 410
shells. I know little about firearms but I imagine a real 12 guage
shell would jerk a lightweight flare gun out of your hands even if it
didnt blow up.

"Doug Dotson" wrote in message ...
Agreed, but I'm not sure that even a .410 shell fired out of an
Orion plastic gun would be safe. All the adapters I saw used
.410 shells and fit into a 25mm gun.



"Parallax" wrote in message
om...
"Doug Dotson" wrote in message
...
From what I understand a flare will generally bounce off the chest of a
person. Not a good weapon. You can purchase an insert that will
accomodate a .410 shell to be used in a 25mm flaregun, but not the
cheezy plastic flare guns.

Doug
s/v Callista


I even have doubts about the orange plastic guns holding up for more
than about 6 flares but you have to try them out because Orion has had
so many bad ones that wont fire. The only way you could use one of
htese as a weapon would be if your enemy obliged you by dousing
himself with gasoline. Other than that, your best bet would be to
just throw the gun at him.
"Steve Schwartz" wrote in message
news:yL ...
I have a little flare pistol on my boat (in New York State, Lake
Ontario). I believe this is required by US Coast Guard. I was told by
West Marine that we cannot take these to Canada as they are "weapons."
Is this true? Can this pistol be used as a weapon? Can it shoot
regular shot gun shells? Are the flare shells lethal? Is it a danger
to anyone? Does anyone know anything about this? I'd appreciate any
info?

--
Steve

--

BF:

Huh?

If you want my opinion, a flare from a 12 guage Orion wouldn't stop
anybody. Even fired in the boat (no gasoline), it wouldn't do much as
you could quickly put it out. Now, the 25 mm flares, i dunno.
It would be very easy to make a 12 guage flare gun that could fire 410
shells. I know little about firearms but I imagine a real 12 guage
shell would jerk a lightweight flare gun out of your hands even if it
didnt blow up.

I spent 14 yrs cruising central and South America and always had a flare gun
setting were I could get to it fast. When this was first suggested to me I was
in Mexico and took a flare gun ashore and aimed it at a big barrel cactus. It
blew a hole half way through it. A flare gun might not be the best but in most
countries it is legal and you can put it were you can get it in a hurry. I
would hate to be shot with one. The other options are not as good as this one
in my opinion.



I have a little flare pistol on my boat (in New York State, Lake
Ontario). I believe this is required by US Coast Guard. I was told by
West Marine that we cannot take these to Canada as they are "weapons."
Is this true? Can this pistol be used as a weapon? Can it shoot
regular shot gun shells? Are the flare shells lethal? Is it a danger
to anyone? Does anyone know anything about this? I'd appreciate any
info?

--
Steve

--

BF:

Huh?

If you want my opinion, a flare from a 12 guage Orion wouldn't stop
anybody. Even fired in the boat (no gasoline), it wouldn't do much as
you could quickly put it out. Now, the 25 mm flares, i dunno.
It would be very easy to make a 12 guage flare gun that could fire 410
shells. I know little about firearms but I imagine a real 12 guage
shell would jerk a lightweight flare gun out of your hands even if it
didnt blow up.

Cactuses (sp?) have pretty soft flesh and don't wear clothes. Might knock
someone down but not kill them. The other options will actually kill an
attacker.
Not sure how a flare gun is better?

Doug
s/v Callista

"RWKxxx" wrote in message
...
I spent 14 yrs cruising central and South America and always had a flare
gun
setting were I could get to it fast. When this was first suggested to me I
was
in Mexico and took a flare gun ashore and aimed it at a big barrel cactus.
It
blew a hole half way through it. A flare gun might not be the best but in
most
countries it is legal and you can put it were you can get it in a hurry. I
would hate to be shot with one. The other options are not as good as this
one
in my opinion.



I have a little flare pistol on my boat (in New York State, Lake
Ontario). I believe this is required by US Coast Guard. I was told
by
West Marine that we cannot take these to Canada as they are
"weapons."
Is this true? Can this pistol be used as a weapon? Can it shoot
regular shot gun shells? Are the flare shells lethal? Is it a
danger
to anyone? Does anyone know anything about this? I'd appreciate any
info?

--
Steve

--

BF:

Huh?

If you want my opinion, a flare from a 12 guage Orion wouldn't stop
anybody. Even fired in the boat (no gasoline), it wouldn't do much as
you could quickly put it out. Now, the 25 mm flares, i dunno.
It would be very easy to make a 12 guage flare gun that could fire 410
shells. I know little about firearms but I imagine a real 12 guage
shell would jerk a lightweight flare gun out of your hands even if it
didnt blow up.

In "Doug Dotson" writes:

Cactuses (sp?) have pretty soft flesh and don't wear clothes. Might knock
someone down but not kill them. The other options will actually kill an
attacker.
Not sure how a flare gun is better?

In many cases it might be better to just knock the attacker down, if you
kill him you might be in real deep trouble.

- Lauri Tarkkonen

And if you don't kill them (him, her, ?) then you might be dead.
If you settle for a knock down, then how fast and how many times
can you reload your flare pistol? You choose.

Doug

"Lauri Tarkkonen" wrote in message
...
In "Doug Dotson"
writes:

Cactuses (sp?) have pretty soft flesh and don't wear clothes. Might knock
someone down but not kill them. The other options will actually kill an
attacker.
Not sure how a flare gun is better?

In many cases it might be better to just knock the attacker down, if you
kill him you might be in real deep trouble.

- Lauri Tarkkonen

In "Doug Dotson" writes:

You seems to like to kill people. I understand why your teenagers have
to start shooting wildly around when they get into school, perhaps that
is the only time they can do it first.

Of course a flare pistol is not a very efficient weapon if killing the
other person is the only option. I understand why GWB has to free the
sales of automatic assault rifles. You really seems to need them.

- Lauri Tarkkonen

And if you don't kill them (him, her, ?) then you might be dead.
If you settle for a knock down, then how fast and how many times
can you reload your flare pistol? You choose.

Doug

"Lauri Tarkkonen" wrote in message
...
In "Doug Dotson"
writes:

Cactuses (sp?) have pretty soft flesh and don't wear clothes. Might knock
someone down but not kill them. The other options will actually kill an
attacker.
Not sure how a flare gun is better?

In many cases it might be better to just knock the attacker down, if you
kill him you might be in real deep trouble.

- Lauri Tarkkonen

My teenagers are not teenagers anymore. Not aware that they ever
shot anyone at school. Not aware that GWB has authorized any
sales and use of automatic weapons. The assault weapons that were
banned and are now not banned are not now and never were automatic
weapons. The assault weapons ban had absolutely no affect on
crime. That is why no politician was interested in standing behind
its renewal. GWB had no power in any regard. Laws are made
by Congress, not by the President.

Doug
s/v Callista


"Lauri Tarkkonen" wrote in message
...
In "Doug Dotson"
writes:

You seems to like to kill people. I understand why your teenagers have
to start shooting wildly around when they get into school, perhaps that
is the only time they can do it first.

Of course a flare pistol is not a very efficient weapon if killing the
other person is the only option. I understand why GWB has to free the
sales of automatic assault rifles. You really seems to need them.

- Lauri Tarkkonen

And if you don't kill them (him, her, ?) then you might be dead.
If you settle for a knock down, then how fast and how many times
can you reload your flare pistol? You choose.

Doug

"Lauri Tarkkonen" wrote in message
...
In "Doug Dotson"
writes:

Cactuses (sp?) have pretty soft flesh and don't wear clothes. Might
knock
someone down but not kill them. The other options will actually kill an
attacker.
Not sure how a flare gun is better?

In many cases it might be better to just knock the attacker down, if you
kill him you might be in real deep trouble.

- Lauri Tarkkonen