Pen flares?? Are there restictions? Are they "destructive devices"?

I was thinking lately of trying to pick up a few pen flare, or small hand-held shootable flares in general, to put in my camelbak at work for when I'm out in the middle of nowhere and out of radio coms, which is quite often.

Read a few forums where most everyone basically said, "not sure. might be bad. think they are." etc.

Anyone have any knowledge they can drop on me? I'm in Arizona, if that makes a difference.

I could just buy a surplus flare gun and some flares, but I lug enough crap as it is and would love to keep the weight down.

Thanks guys.

Pen flares are a grey area and very rare to find.

Yes it would be a good idea to have a signaling device in your survival kit.

There are some surplus pen flares (1960´s 1970´s USAF survival kit type) but they are expensive (collectable) and harder to find.

There are some very affordable surplus 26.5mm flare guns out there.

I have the late model polish flare pistol and love it!!

check the link bellow, they have the best prices on 26.5mm pistols/flares

http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/catalog1/product_info.php/pName/1-265mm-polish-military-flare-pistol-w-carrying-case-1980s/cName/265mm-flare-guns

10-4. Thanks bud. That one you recommended was reasonable. Flares, too.

When I get enough scratch together I might pick some up.

don't know if they are NFA but on a different note, my local shop has a modified (NFA) pen flare, the type you are talking about, that shoots single 25ACP rounds as well as flares. He only wants $189 for it and of course you would need to get a tax stamp for it. The only reason I have thought about purchaing it is because I have tax stamps for suppressors, SBR's and an SBS but no AOW's.

Dog

No, pen flares, 26.5mm flares are not NFA. They are considered signalling devices by ATFE and not regulated. As a matter of fact, some are required by USCG regs for boating. Orion sells distress flares, as well as many other online sources. There are no gray areas, only people that don't know...

Then you just get the Larue mount for the pen flare and you're GTG.

Awesome I found this thread. I have two MK79 launchers but only three flares left. I've been looking around and guns america had one but it was with another gun and everything. I believe the PENGUN is basically the aftermarket version. What I need to know is are the flares able to be bought anywhere?

http://www.truflareusa.com/productcatalog.htm

Do you know if the cartridge is the same size and will they fit the navy issued flare guns?

Not sure. They look similar. Give the company a call and ask. GROG

the USGI pen flares are unrestricted , install a barrel and it becomes an aow. The threaded flares are hard to find. I would love to have more

Had a few 3 packs of those for my kayaks. When I bought new ones for the hell of it I shot off 6 of them in my yard. Half of them failed to go off as the pull chains simply just came out without igniting the flare. They were stored in the case they came in with a orange flag and dye pack. Storage temps varied from the heat of summer to the cold on a northeast winter. Won't get them again.

Did you find out if those flares work?

CSF

Orion Pocket Rockets may be available to you at a local marine store.

pocket rocket....................hehehahahehehaha.....Okay, needed that laugh

Second this one. the products of theirs I have tested did not go off.

Last time I checked, in California, military pen flares were a felony.

Most things that are entertaining or useful are restricted in CA.

Speaking of Pen Flares: Anyone know of a good source or any source for that matter, for the Mk-31 Mod0 Pen Flare Launcher? I can have anything in my state (I already have SBS's, SBR's, suppressors, one MG and one DD) and would like to get a Pen Flare. LaRue makes a nice QR mount for them to go on pic rails. I think it would be just the thing to go on the side rail of my 7.5" AR.

MadDog

How much will a military flare kit go for?

They are legal, but usually taken from the .mil (not exactly lawful how they are obtained).

They're usually considered trash and just thrown away or overboard. I have a ton of them in my office. I have the metal ones that are threaded. They're easily converted to an AOW. I should do a form 1 one day.

I would be more than happy to purchase 1 or 2 from you

I would buy a couple also.

MadDog

As long as they're legal, I'll take a dozen!

just get something like this.

http://www.greatlandlaser.com/

Just pay the extra 5 dollars and be safe. AOW is pretty cheap compared to sbrs and suppressors. I wonder if my local class III shop still has some.

Most things that start fires are restricted in CA, in an attempt to keep 'BBQ season' about cooking meat, not houses....

Yeah, but in this case, they restrict them in (I believe, from memory) Section 12020 of the penal code, along with other evil weapons. It's not about fire, for California.

I wonder how hard it would be to machine a 20ga flare adapter for one of these since the pen flares are unobtainium.

I can also see how it would be pretty easy to make a 22lr AOW out of it.

No wonder NCIS never returned my call asking if they wanted the fucker back.

Are those Mk31 pen flare launchers legal in their stock configuration?
A friend who is former coast guard brought one by as a curiosity item that he wanted to get rid of. I've no real use for it myself.

I'm assuming they only become AOWs if fitted to fire live ammunition/tear gas,etc?

I had piles of pen flare cartridges when I was in the sandbox, but couldn't bring them home.

Yes, they are legal.

Be advised, the manufacturer "Security Signals" does not sell reloads, so when you are dry you are dry.

I contacted them and they got all huffy and puffy about how they "do not make that item for civilians".


NCIS never returned my call and doesn't give a shit...now if a soldier or civilian was plundering armories taking a shitload of them...that would be a big issue.

Some other guy contacted the ATF to ask if his was alright to sell, the agent told him that they are neither firearms nor NFA devices.

Uh, yeah, stealing live pyro for the sake of selling them on the net is gonna get your ass in a whole lot of hot water. Not cool. As I said and you've found out, no one gives a shit about the launchers themselves.....well, unless you're making unregistered AOW's. Then the ATF might care.

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