Flare gun
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Briny Bar
Forum Description: The place for general chat on saltwater fishing!
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=51618
Printed Date: 10 Jun 2026 at 12:19am
Topic: Flare gun
Posted By: Brooook
Subject: Flare gun
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 7:37am
Bought this cool little flare gun from a neighbour who used to be a commercial fisherman. He suggested tying it on to your lifejacket so that you can use it if you fall overboard. $60 well spent. Looks like a kids toy. Where do they sell replacement cartridges? (Not that we would ever need to use it more than once.......probably more interested in where to buy a new boat if we ever needed to use it)
 ------------- Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.............Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking beer, |
Replies:
Posted By: Capt Asparagus
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 9:38am
| Put it in some sort of protected bag before you attach it to your jacket, with some of those silican gel crystals as well to keep the humity away from the flares, you don't want those cartridges getting beat about, scuffed, wet etc as they will if you just have it lying around on your lifejacket in a storage locker or something. |
Posted By: Hairy Little Dwarf
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 9:51am
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It looks like one of the Orion guns, is it 12-gauge or 25mm shells? If it is an Orion, you should get 7 seconds burn at 500' out of them. Better for being on the boat than on a LJ though ------------- The Dreaded Shark-Eating Man! |
Posted By: Boulder
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 10:22am
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It may only be my fuddled memory but I seem to recall you actually need a firearms license to use these. Bloody dangerous in the wrong hands and NOT a toy They are the reason that hand held self propelled flares were developed. May I suggest you check with the firearms officer at your local police station ------------- http://www.boulderguiding.co.nz">  http://www.boulderguiding.co.nz">www.boulderguiding.co.nz |
Posted By: felixx
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 10:30am
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if you are after multiple flares, hutchwilco do a system with mini flares that would fit the bill. Designed to fit in your pocket
------------- Originally posted by TG LMAO felixx, you a sick puppy! hehe |
Posted By: Wanda_Ra
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 10:44am
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------------- If you think you are too small to make a difference,try sleeping with a mosquito in your tent. |
Posted By: Brooook
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 10:55am
Maybe it's best not to know and plead ignorance on the off chance that police raid our boat?
Great suggestion for keeping it in a sealed bag. ------------- Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.............Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking beer, |
Boulder wrote:Posted By: Brooook
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 10:57am
Mmmmmmm, I'm definitely pleading ignorance now. I have no desire to have a firearms licence - I'm a lover, not a fighter!!! ------------- Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.............Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking beer, |
Posted By: Boulder
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 11:01am
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May be a tad difficult being a lover if you blow your hand or half you face off Brook. Take great care and be very sure you know how to use this or dispose of it to the police We care about the welfare of our Members here  ------------- http://www.boulderguiding.co.nz"> http://www.boulderguiding.co.nz">www.boulderguiding.co.nz |
Posted By: Finatic
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 11:05am
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Thought I had heard the same thing re requiring a firearms license. Apparently you don't require one.
[EDIT: Have just asked a mate and he says you most certainly do need a license.] Who knows???
------------- What's the cheapest type of meat? Dear balls. They're under a buck. |
Posted By: px
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 11:11am
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From Wikipedia: There are exemptions from the need for a licence for police, military and related occupations, and for the use of firearms when closely supervised by licence-holders. In addition certain types of firearms - such as humane killers, tranquiliser guns, flare pistols, antiques - may be used and possessed without a licence. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearms_licence_%28New_Zealand%29 |
Posted By: Brooook
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 11:13am
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I've had a practice of it while empty. Feel confident that we could use it safely in an emergency, I'm very confident in the water and built to float (natural floatation, LOL) so no problem assembling while in the water. ------------- Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.............Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking beer, |
Posted By: Finatic
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 11:18am
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Maybe in calm conditions. What about in the dark, during a storm and in cold conditions with a moderate chop, while numb and panicking?
------------- What's the cheapest type of meat? Dear balls. They're under a buck. |
Posted By: Brooook
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 11:38am
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How can anyone know that? ------------- Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.............Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking beer, |
Posted By: px
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 11:59am
| Sounds like most of my days out fishing, really... |
Posted By: Wanda_Ra
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 12:34pm
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Mike Cahill the Hamilton firearms officer, just quoted me over the ph from the Arms act 1983 section 49 that Flare guns/pistols may be posessed and used FOR A LAWFUL AND PROPER PURPOSE,And that when not in use must be in a secure LOCKED container at all times.He said if a kid gets hold of it it can kill easily. (which is certainly a lot different from what i got told by the Raglan harbourmaster, when i wanted to buy one myself.)
You would be able to buy the flares through a marine chandlery,but they are like hens teeth i think and as expensive.
But bear in mind that they only burn for 7 seconds, and thats not a lot of time for someone to see in bright daylight. ------------- If you think you are too small to make a difference,try sleeping with a mosquito in your tent. |
Posted By: Brooook
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 12:35pm
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I've rung the police and NO you don't need a licence to have a flare gun/pistol. They did remind me to use it in the manner it was meant to be used, eg don't try to hold up a bank with it! ------------- Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.............Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking beer, |
Posted By: Brooook
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 12:36pm
SNAP LOL ------------- Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.............Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking beer, |
Posted By: px
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 12:36pm
| Personally I'd stick with parachutes, hand flares and smoke. I'm not really seeing the point in the pistol these days. |
Posted By: Busted!
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 5:52pm
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Hand flares have better burn times, better range and are a little more controllable due to the size. The parachutes in those flare shells do not burn very long at all - they were originally intended as a signalling device over a distress signal.
Plus, I wouldn't trust that piece of plastic any day!
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Posted By: Tagit
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 7:16pm
Load it with some shotgun shells (lead shot preferably). When in trouble, shoot the nearest seagull. You will have Greenpeace, Sea Sheperd, Forest & Bird, the SPCA, plus the Green Party all over you long before the coastguard could ever get there 
(edit - to avoid all possible misinterpretation, this was not serious advice
 ) |
Posted By: Parrot Fish
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 7:31pm
Good one, Tagit!  LMAO
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Posted By: cosmo
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2010 at 9:40pm
good to see they are still giving out practical advise these days......"so mr bank manager a flare gun you say.....had a call about one just the other day as a coincidence" ------------- i just want to go fishing..........amd ignore all my adult problems |
Posted By: lemmy
Date Posted: 14 Mar 2010 at 12:30pm
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The Police had an issue with them years ago, because there were quite a few old style flare guns around that were constructed out of steel or brass/bronze it was a simple matter of getting a sleeve machined up out of steel to slide into the existing barrel and you had a .410 or 12 gauge single shot pistol similar to the Kea guns that were given to farmers.
You would be pretty foolish to try and convert a plastic one like the one in the first post without losing a hand or finger.
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Posted By: Brooook
Date Posted: 14 Mar 2010 at 1:03pm
LOL I intend to only use it for flares. If I shoot a seagul it will be accidental - would rather drown then face a long trip home on a Greenpeace boat.
 ------------- Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.............Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking beer, |