Hi, I'm a new poster and I'm not sure if this has been posted yet or not. But I've been watching the show forever and always thought it would be a good idea for the team to try this out.

Due to the wide muzzle a flaregun has, could it successfully fire a Shotgun shell.

This could apply to Metal or Plastic Flareguns.

quote:

Originally posted by shanebrown18:
Hi, I'm a new poster and I'm not sure if this has been posted yet or not. But I've been watching the show forever and always thought it would be a good idea for the team to try this out.

Due to the wide muzzle a flaregun has, could it successfully fire a Shotgun shell.

This could apply to Metal or Plastic Flareguns.

Based on what I know about most flareguns, I would say yes... Absolutely.. The barrel is 12gauge, so it will take those shells..

But since it the barrel is as short as it is, the shell will behave and the spread will be as if it was fired from a sawed-off shotgun... Wide spread and short-range.

quote:

Originally posted by Garibaldi:

quote:

Originally posted by shanebrown18:
Hi, I'm a new poster and I'm not sure if this has been posted yet or not. But I've been watching the show forever and always thought it would be a good idea for the team to try this out.

Due to the wide muzzle a flaregun has, could it successfully fire a Shotgun shell.

This could apply to Metal or Plastic Flareguns.

Based on what I know about most flareguns, I would say yes... Absolutely.. The barrel is 12gauge, so it will take those shells..

But since it the barrel is as short as it is, the shell and the spread will be as if it was fired from a sawed-off shotgun... Wide spread and short-range.

Well I think thinking the short barrel of the gun could also be its downfall. The pressure could no doubtingly be too much for lets say, a Plastic Flaregun to take? (This could potentially make the gun explode like a grenade)

Also, I just had another potential myth to go along with the last: Could a standard Flare be shot out a shotgun?

All in all, I hope this gets taken in consideration--as it sounds like it could be a lot of fun to watch.

quote:

Originally posted by shanebrown18:

quote:

Originally posted by Garibaldi:

quote:

Originally posted by shanebrown18:
Hi, I'm a new poster and I'm not sure if this has been posted yet or not. But I've been watching the show forever and always thought it would be a good idea for the team to try this out.

Due to the wide muzzle a flaregun has, could it successfully fire a Shotgun shell.

This could apply to Metal or Plastic Flareguns.

Based on what I know about most flareguns, I would say yes... Absolutely.. The barrel is 12gauge, so it will take those shells..

But since it the barrel is as short as it is, the shell and the spread will be as if it was fired from a sawed-off shotgun... Wide spread and short-range.

Well I think thinking the short barrel of the gun could also be its downfall. The pressure could no doubtingly be too much for lets say, a Plastic Flaregun to take? (This could potentially make the gun explode like a grenade)

Also, I just had another potential myth to go along with the last: Could a standard Flare be shot out a shotgun?

All in all, I hope this gets taken in consideration--as it sounds like it could be a lot of fun to watch.

I was thinking the same thing when it came to the plastic flare gun.. it would probably be ripped apart after one shot..

The metal versions would survive that though..

go here... i had the same basic idea:

http://community.discovery.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9741919888/m/86319857001

it might work with an old one

i don;t think u could shoot a flare from a shot gun. most shot guns have a very slight but definite taper to the barrel, it's slightly narrower at the end, you'd prob just make a bomb out of your perfectly good gun

This is not posiible. the flare gun dosn't have the same firing machanism as a shot gun.

Well, I was updating some items in my survival kit and remembered this thread, so I pulled out my flare gun and did some checking.

I have one of the Orion plastic 12 gauge flare guns.

The chamber is much to short to chamber a 2 3/4" inch 12 gauge shell.

The standard performance flares for this gun are about 2 inches long.

The gun can fire "High Performance" flares which are longer than the chamber, but this is allowed by an extension of the cartridge that is narrower than the chamber and extends into the barrel as can be seen in this picture.

Also, the gun doesn't have a positive lock to close the breech, it flips open/closed and is held by spring tension (best I can tell) in either the open or closed position.

These are very lightweight plastic and were clearly never intended to fire a actual shotgun shell.

Other make/models may vary but I would almost guarantee that they won't chamber a standard 12 gauge round either.

The manufacturers are not stupid and would be well aware of the legal consequences they would face by making a product that could injure someone who was silly enough to put a incorrect ammo type in them, or injuring someone else from doing so.

me and my cousin went to the rock quarry near his house, and we loaded a 12 gauge shell into a plastic flaregun and then tied a string to it, and the string put between 2 rocks as a precaution, fired, and the flare gun blew up.
So i wouldnt try holding it, unless its a medal (strong one) flare gun with a longer barrel.

Yes, some metal flare guns can fire 12ga rounds. Others have adapters so that you can fire 12ga as a sub caliber load.

Firing any centerfire round of ammunition for a real gun in a plastic gun (like the flare gun) is just plain stupid. At last he was smart enough to do it by string.

quote:

Originally posted by towlieboy78jmk:
This is not posiible. the flare gun dosn't have the same firing machanism as a shot gun.

I can tell you know very little about these devices so i dont understand why you even post?? It HAS the EXACT same mechanism: A primer at the rear of the shell, is struck by a firing pin when the trigger is pulled causing the hammer to spring forward, the struck primer ignites the propellent within the shell, thus shooting off whatever the "shot" is, either flare, slug, buck, etc.

so yes its very possible to shoot a shotgun shell from a flare launcher, however there is no guarantee you will still have your hand because designers of flare gun purposely designed them for flare use only, the pressure exerted by a shotshell is too great, so if they were able to shoot off shot shells it would be classified as a firearm ...