I recently noticed an ad for a rail mount that allows the launch of a flare during during roadblock / checkpoint duty, over on the LaRue Tactical web site.
Interestingly, I have two of these launchers (Signal Kit, Illumination MK 79, MOD O) http://www.tpub.com/aviord321/50.htm. Both are Vietnam Era, but I was using one of them as recently as about 2000 - 2001.
One was manufactured by Penguin Associates around April 1967. It is fully functional, but I am down to just one flare remaining. The other was built by The Eastern Specialty Company. It is complete to with all 7 flares. Both still have their lanyards, red plastic carriers and the original paperwork and imprinted plastic zip-lock bags they were issued in. I also have a LBT pouch for one that used to be in their catalog. I think I must have gotten the pouch around 94 or 95.
I have no idea what, if any value they have, but I found it interesting that LaRue was building a rail-mounted base for them.
Good luck. IIRC I was told that the flare launchers are actually a controlled item and when I was in the USCG they were accountable Used ones had to be turned in to the servicing armories. The launcher mounts from LaRue are intended for military personnel. I can honestly say I never saw one when I was in Iraq.
I had a couple while in Iraq. I’ve shot off a couple at cars as a part of our Escalation of Force ladder. Also shot one at a fellow gunner. He wasn’t too happy about that one… I wanted to keep the two I had but were forced to turn them over before we left country. In country from mid 08’-mid 09’.
Understood. When I last used one, I was still full-time LE, working with a maritime unit. They were given to me by an older former military diver that said that he’d had them for ages.
Researching a little more, it appears that these flare kits have been auctioned on Gunbroker and Guns America several times in the recent past. While that isn’t a definative answer about restrictions and control, that, plus a similar product called Tru Flare, which uses various style metallic, striker fired launchers would indicate that they are treated as a simple flare gun.
I did NOT think there would be an application for one of these…
Then our convoy got split into two, and some genius LT (parked right where all three of the previous week’s TICs were) decided that our vehicle was rear security (with three cases of radio gear behind my .50), so I was trying to chase off idiots on motorcycles with my PEQ15’s red laser on security holding just my M16. Our lone scavenged pen flare didn’t seem adequate by itself, and I didn’t want to have a hand off my musket, so I was left with just a crappy option.
In California, those are a prohibited weapon. Check the penal code, section 12020, if you are out that way. Everywhere else that I know of , they are a safety device, and not regulated.
In my youth, we used pen flares to initiate ambushes, or to tell the kids when it was time to sweep through the kill zone. If my SOP used a pen flare for that, I can see having it at the ready mounted on my stick, were I a squad or platoon leader.
I looked at the mount a while back and thought about using it to mount a small flashlight in. I have a big light that has two modes but even at its lowest it is still pretty bright.
I thougt another smaller light that would fit in that might be the way to go.
Each of my gun trucks in 07 had a handful of these in Iraq. We used them primarily for escalation of force. We couldn’t just put a burst through the windshield with the 240 anymore…
I spent 20 years of pyroshoots trying to knock down a bird with those. I watched a Mark 127 that had been bouncing around the boats fly 50ft in the air…do a 180 and fly right back into us he-he. It stuck in the sand next to the bootcamper that launched it. You’d be surprised all the pyro famine’s we had since the first Gulf War. We had to fight tooth and nail to get extra pyro for training days. Of course as a Coastie, I’d never saw a weapon mounted one before…cool!-WW
ps. When I was Survival PO I had drawers filled with old launchers…I hated RFO/StanTeam visits:suicide: he-he, glad I’m retired.
I wonder where I can find some more flares???