# Do any militaries still use Flamethrowers ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 5, 2008, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-militaries-still-use-flamethrowers/448095 "2008-05-05T05:49:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-militaries-still-use-flamethrowers/448095/21 "2008-05-05T19:36:10Z")
Since the thread has digressed anyway, I thought I’d share an anecdote. In the mid-nineties, I was at a gun show and some exhibitors had a Soviet-issue flamethrower on their table. They claimed that it was in working order. The people that they had purchased them from had been contracted to clean up after the Gulf War oil well fires. According to them, there were large, unburned pools of oil all over the place and the best way to get rid of them was simply to burn them off, so they got ahold of 75 Soviet surplus flamethrowers. When the job was done, they were deciding what to do with them and someone came up with the idea of selling them at gun shows. Since they didn’t launch a projectile the weren’t technically guns, so they could sell them to the general public (in Texas anyway - I love Texas). They told me that you filled the tanks with diesel and pressurized them with a 10-gauge shotgun blank. They also said that they were designed to be fired from the prone position and that the pressure would knock you over if you were standing (I don’t know if I believe that). They pointed out that you couldn’t practically fire the thing, but it would be one hell of a conversation piece. They wanted $500. I wanted to be the first on my block to have one, but I didn’t want to part with the cash. I still regret that. FWIW, Rob ---
**Author:** ![puppygod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@puppygod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puppygod)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-militaries-still-use-flamethrowers/448095/22 "2008-05-05T20:11:11Z")
Ah, probably LPO-50… Googles… [Here it is](http://www.russianwarrior.com/STMMain.htm?1969weapon_flame.htm&1). Not very practical for home use because of method of launching using pyrotechnic charges. Pressurized gas design seems more suitable for impressing neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-militaries-still-use-flamethrowers/448095/23 "2008-05-05T20:25:01Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] (Why would an Antarctic Research Station even _have_ flamethrowers?) [/QUOTE] For thawing/freeing up equipment stuck in the ice. Wasn’t there one in Alien too? Why there would be a flame-thrower on a space ship **is** a legitimate question. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-militaries-still-use-flamethrowers/448095/24 "2008-05-05T21:06:02Z")
[QUOTE=Uncommon Sense] For thawing/freeing up equipment stuck in the ice. Wasn’t there one in Alien too? Why there would be a flame-thrower on a space ship **is** a legitimate question. [/QUOTE] If I remember correctly, the flamethrowers were home-made out of other stuff by the crew, not standard issue. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-militaries-still-use-flamethrowers/448095/25 "2008-05-05T22:47:39Z")
Re: Zombies and flamethrowers What if there’s a bunch of them? You’ll be surrounded by flaming flesh-eaters with a pack of fuel on your back! Also, the smell would be horrible…might be a dinner bell… ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-militaries-still-use-flamethrowers/448095/26 "2008-05-05T23:21:03Z")
[QUOTE=Malthus] If I remember correctly, the flamethrowers were home-made out of other stuff by the crew, not standard issue. [/QUOTE] Yep, in Alien they Mcgyvered them up out of other parts. In Aliens, the squad had standard issue flamethrowers. Which may suggest something about hte type of threats they come up against. (Either that or James Cameron just wanted a cool effect in the Ripley V Alien Queen stand off 😃 ) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-militaries-still-use-flamethrowers/448095.md?page=1)