Posted: 4/14/2008 2:13:13 PM EDT
| Does anyone know whether troops are still issued pop up flares? I see pouches available for sale but can't find the flares anywhere. |
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I believe Larue Tactical is selling their own pen flares now. I don't know if they are restricted in any way or not. ETA: stores.homestead.com/Laruetactical/Detail.bok?no=186  This is the mount only, I don't see a mention of the flares themselves. |
Yep. Launched from a silver colored tube. |
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The easiest type to get a hold of are the marine (boaters) flares. Try a boating supply website like West Marine. A 12ga kit comes with a flare pistol and usually 3-4 red flares and one white. The 25mm kits cost more $$ but have longer burn times and reach greater elevation. The best are the SOLAS flares, these are pretty close to the military issue flares. Be aware that flares are used as emergency signal devices and may get you some unwanted attention. They are also pyro and most flares will still be burning when they hit the ground.....we have started many fires in training using flares.....one that burned for 3 days. |
Me and a few buddies bought some of the .12 gauge flares from Wal-Mart and shot them out of 870s. They were not impressive at all. It was cooler to start a fire with them. We soaked our bonfire with gasoline, and then shot a flare into it.  We also put about twenty cans of hairspray into the fire and proceeded to bombard them with bird shot from the cover of our four wheelers. That was a fun night.
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Please tell me where!
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Yup, the CG uses those all the time. Someone else was referring to the silver tube that you have to hit on the bottom...I noticed that the pic said it was a M125...Well, they are now M127A1's. Rocket propelled and have a white phosphorous parachute flare. Those are kinda fun...especially watchin the newbs launch em. anyway, I could be wrong here but I believe that the actual pencil flare launcher can be converted into a pengun or it is technically one even though it is used for flares.....just sayin |
The best (civi) are are the SOLAS flares, the hand launched parachute flares reach about 300 meters and burn at 30,000 candle power for about 50 seconds. they cost around $60 a shot though. |
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www.autoweapons.com/products/everythingelse.html autoweapons has them for $250 |
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We accidentally started a bunch of fires in Iraq using hand held pop-up flares, star clusters and the flares that are fired using the M203. Our platoon sergeant threatened to take them away from our team leaders as they just sucked with launching flares. Half the time they fired them at too much of an angle and they would light a field on fire, or they would fire them straight up and illuminate ourselves and not the enemy. We had one guy discover why it's not a good idea to try to launch a star cluster by striking the tube against his knee, he was walking with a limp for weeks..... |
oh come on... on your rifle? |
Admittedly I have no need for that and won't buy it (although someone will, I am sure). However, on the website it says the request for this product came from an overseas military end-user. |