So, flamethrowers are civilian legal.

[Hoplophile]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamethrower#Private_ownership

What I want to know is:

1) Does anyone here own one?

2) Where on God's green earth would one go to shoot one?

3) Are they as fun as they look to be?

4) Okay, I want to buy one. From where and how much?

Practical value of a flamethrower? Nil. Fun factor? Imagine that you have your hands on a ma deuce. Yeah, that's the sort of fun I imagine they are.

 

[Zoogster]

They are legal federaly, but only semi legal in most states.

Many states have legal requirements for burning things, and intentionaly violating those laws can be charged as felony arson.

Safely burning property in a safe location with safe clearance, say in the desert, can still be a felony violation just because "the law is the law".

Many people involved in agriculture get permits to do large legal burns. In some places one of the requirements is no liquids or other flammable substances be used to ignite the fire. So even throwing gasoline or lighter fluid on it to get it started is not legal. If the fire got out of hand or the fire department came they can test to see if such chemicals were used, and if they were felony charges can result even from a legal fire.
Clearly in such places something shooting a stream of burning fluid would likewise be illegal.
In other places you are more free to do as you want, so you need to look into state laws.

So yes they are legal in most states to have, no they are not always legal to use. Gunshoots to the contrary (just because they don't charge anyone does not mean they couldn't.)

They also can be highly dangerous to the operator not wearing a suit. Sure they can be safely operated without one, but any error, loose hose, or other issue can result in serious burns even in just a brief second.
They are an extremely dangerous device to even the operator, in ways even a firearm is not.

That said when I was a younger I remember some fun flamethrowers. 50+ foot streams of liquid fire in a safe place is fun. Though just a split second away from permanent disfiguring burns or death if the device malfunctions, or gets too hot.
I wouldn't play with flamethrowers as an older wiser person, both from a legal perspective and a safety one.
A mechanical error nevermind an operator error turns you into a giant fireaball.

I can't imagine the soldiers tasked with carrying giant explosive tanks on thier backs when they were used in warfare. What a way to live knowing any piece of shrapnel or a bullet and you may become a human fireball.
I wouldn't even want to stand next to such a person in a battle.
The enemy was also known to torture or execute anyone that used such a device if they were captured.

 

[BeltfedMG]

Yep, always been legal, its a farm implament, last i heard.

Pressure spayer, tub of deisel fuel and a zippo, yeah i own one.

 

[FFMedic]

I don't have one but I used to burn a lot of bugs with a can or starting fluid, a coat hanger, a 9 vot and duct tape when I was a kid

FFMedic

 

[RtHG77]

1.) No, but it'd make a hell of a cigarette lighter.

2.) I dunno, up in the woods on a dry summer's day?

3.) AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! FIRE, FIRE!!

4.) Well, that I don't have an answer for... Course, to me, the bigger question is where you get a steady source of napalm?

 

[fearless leader]

With the price of petrol being what it is today, I could find better use for the fuel, but I could understand the desire to own the unusual.

 

[Zoogster]

Pressure spayer, tub of deisel fuel and a zippo, yeah i own one.

Well technicaly that is not a good flame throwing mix. Most mixes designed for a weapon type flame thrower are meant to throw the flame a long way, and to stick and keep burning after use of the device ceases.
That requires the addition of thickening agents and less violatile fuels so most of it does not burn up in the air on the way to the target, it keeps burning, and burns at higher temperatures than petrol.

The most impressive would be some of the flame throwing mounted vehicles like in the vietnam war.
Fire hose like streams of flaming liquid shot hundreds of feet.

 

[Ethereal]

I'd love to see THAT at the range next time I head down!
Gives new meaning to the term "range is hot" (insert Caruso voice)

 

[crotalus01]

I jhave seen one for sale, the guy was asking $2800 for it with all parts operational. No idea about state laws but Federally they are not restricted in any way. They are not even considered a weapon by BATFE (not AOW, not DD etc).

 

[Aran]

Gasoline + styrofoam until it stops accepting it into the mixture = Hell yeah.

 

[shotgun12321]

any non-stationary and transportable device designed or intended to emit or propel a burning stream of combustible or flammable liquid a distance of at least 10 feet

So i guess, that means that if it shoots under 10 ft. that it's legal? that could be one loophole you could use.

Not to mention how easy it is to make a flamethrower

 

[Coronach]

I am reminded of the George Carlin quote:

Flamethrowers are proof that someone, somewhere said, "I'd really like to set those people over there on fire, and I'm just not close enough to get the job done."

It makes me smile.

Mike

 

[scrat]

even in the desert i dont see how you can shoot a flame thrower without catching something on fire. Only place i keep thinking on that would kinda be ok. would be a parking lot. As if its concrete or asphalt it wont catch fire. but still those are very very dangerous. Your dealing with a preasurized gas that is being shot out at a semi controlled rate

 

[eng23ine]

As if its concrete or asphalt it wont catch fire.

FYI: Asphalt will readily burn, it just takes a decent amount of heat to get it going.

As a matter of fact, it will self ignite if it comes into contact with LOX (liquefied oxygen), as will almost any other hydrocarbon.

Concrete, on the other hand, will explode (spall) if heated enough.

 

[Speedo66]

What makes you think asphalt, petroleum based, won't catch fire?

 

[ants]

I've lived in the deserts of Arizona, California and Nevada all my life. We have devastating brush fires in terrain you would identify as 'bare open desert'. Given the lack of water (and lack of humidity in the air) and the wide openess, our sparse desert plants combust more easily and fires spread much more quickly. Please don't give anyone the impression that you should come to my desert to play flamethrower.

If you won't do it in your back yard, please don't do it in mine. Mine is not a safer place to play with matches.

 

[scrat]

What makes you think asphalt, petroleum based, won't catch fire?

well i guess it depends on much you put out. if you do a quick burst it might light up for a second. Now if you just pour it on down it will catch on fire. But other than that where would you do it.

 

[scrat]

If you won't do it in your back yard, please don't do it in mine. Mine is not a safer place to play with matches.

totally agree on this

 

[JImbothefiveth]

if you do a quick burst it might light up for a second

Or once it catches fire it might stay burning.

 

[longtooth]

BeltfedMG wrote

Yep, always been legal, its a farm implament, last i heard.

This is correct. I am old now & dont know of anyone that uses them anymore. 50s -late 60s we called them ditch burners. Used them to control weeds around ditches, turn rows, wells, ... before chemical herbacides came along.

 

[Zoogster]

I've lived in the deserts of Arizona, California and Nevada all my life. We have devastating brush fires in terrain you would identify as 'bare open desert'.

This is true, there is also wide open areas of desert that are nothing but sand, or dry lakebeds, absent little plants and scrub. Then there is lush areas with many tinder plants, grasses, wildflowers and other highly combustible material. Others with old cactus and lots of wildlife that should be respected.

There is many different types of desert landscape.

The military has a great many ordinance testing grounds in some deserts for some of those reasons (and sparse population.)

 

[FIFTYGUY]

Hoplophile wrote:

1) Does anyone here own one?

Not that I've heard of yet, but I'm sure there must be some here who do.

2) Where on God's green earth would one go to shoot one?

I've rented them four or five times over the past dozen years. I figured if I bought one, it wouldn't get too much use. Shooting them is good for them.

Here I am, about 10 years ago:

There's a reason those little green "Army men" figures with flamethrowers have that pose...

3) Are they as fun as they look to be?

Of course!

I talked one of my friends into trying one, he always says he's glad I argued him into doing it.

Last year my 15 yo son shot one; with a broken foot in a cast, and in the mud no less!

4) Okay, I want to buy one. From where and how much?

Let's put it this way - if you have to ask... it's too much.

Somewhere I've got a pic I took of a cool "flames" paint job somebody put on theirs. I'll scan it if anybody really cares...

Practical value of a flamethrower? Nil.

Actually, some civilian owners use them for setting practice fires so fire departments can practice putting them out. No kidding. It takes a long time to re-start a wet fire with most normal methods, but a flamethrower gets it going again in seconds. Saves a lot of time.

Yes, melting snow or clearing scrub. But you can put a lot of other things besides fuel in the tanks.

Fun factor? Imagine that you have your hands on a ma deuce. Yeah, that's the sort of fun I imagine they are.

I've had more fuin with flamethrowers than shooting Ma Deuces, FWIW. And cheaper. But a flamethrower is much more dangerous to the user and those around him. Maybe that's why they're more fun?

Aran wrote:

Gasoline + styrofoam until it stops accepting it into the mixture = Hell yeah.

You usually don't put Napalm B in pressurized flamethrowers, it's not thixotropic like other thickeners.

 

[Jdude]

So, where do we get one?

You jerks made me add another toy to my wish list. Jerks.

 

[esmith]

Flamethrowers are proof that someone, somewhere said, "I'd really like to set those people over there on fire, and I'm just not close enough to get the job done."

Hilarious George Carlin skit.


There are videos of people taping zippos to the muzzles of squirt guns and squirting gasoline or some flammable liquid. They actually work.

Here is one of many:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuFFy_KVuq8&feature=related

 

[GarandOwner]

I think your first mistake was quoting Wikipedia