flare gun recomendations

[abominableSnowman]

i need a top notch, quality flare gun for forest signaling. NW USA, Canada forests. looking for recommendations please.

 

[Fred Fuller]

How about http://94.23.18.218/~truflare/productcatalog.htm ? Not a gun, per se, but more compact and packable. Same sort of thing Uncle Sam used to issue... plus, with noisemakers as well as flares.

lpl

 

[MikeJackmin]

There are various 26mm (one inch) euro-military surplus flare guns around in the $30-$40 dollar range, google would find them for you quickly. I have a couple, some German, some Polish, all basically the same and all built like tanks. Many will come with carry pouches that can carry several flares as well.

The only drawback is that they are all made at least partially of blued steel and will rust if not cared for.

Personally, I'd suggested starting with the flares and working backwards from there. Do you need special colors or a particular caliber? Is fire safety an issue? Don't get one of these guns unless military surplus 26mm flares will do what you need them to do.

Another option is a just generic 12 gauge and a box of 12 gauge flare rounds.

 

[xx7grant7x]

I'd take a look at lee lapin's link they've got some good compact easy to use flare guns w/ assorted flares to go with

 

[red_metallic]

I have a Swiss-made knock-off of the HK 26.5mm version. I don't know why I bought except it is made really nice and was cheap. The Polish ones are knock-offs of the original Russian design. They are cheap and will still be around 100 years from now they are so robust. You can buy 12 gauge adapters and shoot cheap(er) flares from them than the 26.5mm ones.

I guess my question is whether or not it will be pack or vehicle carried? If it's going on your person I can't imagine toting one of the milsurp beasts around and would either look to the mod posted ones or go to a boat store & buy a lightweight 12 gauge Olin.

 

[jcjacobvt]

Best prices on Web is Dan's Ammo for 26.5mm flare guns

The best prices on the Web are at http://www.dansammo.com/ammo.asp
for 26.5x80mm flare guns and ammo. Check his page and prices. You will not find 12 ga. flare systems that get the job done for what a 26.5 flare gun does and have a reliable gun.

12 ga. flares go what 100 feet. 26.5mm flares go 300 feet. I have never had a 26.5mm flare go off and not ignitite. But I have a few hundred 12 ga. flares that fail to ignitie after fired. The 12 ga. flares were all stored in good 30 cal ammo cans, so storage was not the problem.

 

[red_metallic]

You will not find 12 ga. flare systems that get the job done for what a 26.5 flare gun does and have a reliable gun.

Can you explain this more?