Post by Admin on Sept 4, 2018 11:44:54 GMT
Flare Gun or Very Pistol
The name "Very Pistol" is derived from the name of the inventor, Lieutenant Edward W. Very, of the United States Navy. He invented a large caliber single-shot pistol with a single action firing mechanism, that could fire special flares into the air. It was designed to be used by people to send signals and reveal their position, usually to indicate that they were in distress and needed assistance. Flare guns were heavily used in both world wars and are still in use today. The flare guns of World War II era had a 1-inch bore (25.4 mm) and modern ones are smaller (12 gauge (18.53 mm.) diameter) Modern versions are usually made of brightly colored plastic, so that they're easy to find in an emergency situation.
World War I era 1-inch caliber Webley & Scott Mark III flare pistol, British Army, dated 1918.
(Picure (C) Andy Dingley)
The flares come in three colors, red, green and "white star", and have a burn time of anywhere between 5 to 10 seconds, depending on flare type. Distress flares are typically shot straight up in the air, for maximum visibility time of the flare and also to show where the person in trouble is. During World War I and II, flare guns were also used in situations where radio silence was important. By firing sequences of pre-arranged colored flares, aircraft and ground forces could identify each other's positions and send specific signals.
Modern 12 gauge flare gun manufactured by Orion Electronics. Note the bright plastics on this model.
(Image licensed by P. Ubriaco (c) 2004,)
Flare guns aren't made as strongly as normal firearms, so it is extremely unwise to try shooting a normal 12-gauge shotgun cartridge out of a flare gun, as the flare gun is likely to explode in the user's hands.
The name "Very Pistol" is derived from the name of the inventor, Lieutenant Edward W. Very, of the United States Navy. He invented a large caliber single-shot pistol with a single action firing mechanism, that could fire special flares into the air. It was designed to be used by people to send signals and reveal their position, usually to indicate that they were in distress and needed assistance. Flare guns were heavily used in both world wars and are still in use today. The flare guns of World War II era had a 1-inch bore (25.4 mm) and modern ones are smaller (12 gauge (18.53 mm.) diameter) Modern versions are usually made of brightly colored plastic, so that they're easy to find in an emergency situation.
World War I era 1-inch caliber Webley & Scott Mark III flare pistol, British Army, dated 1918.
(Picure (C) Andy Dingley)
The flares come in three colors, red, green and "white star", and have a burn time of anywhere between 5 to 10 seconds, depending on flare type. Distress flares are typically shot straight up in the air, for maximum visibility time of the flare and also to show where the person in trouble is. During World War I and II, flare guns were also used in situations where radio silence was important. By firing sequences of pre-arranged colored flares, aircraft and ground forces could identify each other's positions and send specific signals.
Modern 12 gauge flare gun manufactured by Orion Electronics. Note the bright plastics on this model.
(Image licensed by P. Ubriaco (c) 2004,)
Flare guns aren't made as strongly as normal firearms, so it is extremely unwise to try shooting a normal 12-gauge shotgun cartridge out of a flare gun, as the flare gun is likely to explode in the user's hands.