I can’t seem to find much information about flares and flare guns on the web. I was wondering if there were any good books on the subject but I haven’t seen any promising titles yet.
One of the things I’m wondering is, do the many names for flare calibers apply to just a few different specifications? The same is sometimes true of firearm calibers - 9mm Browning Short isn’t just interchangeable with .380 ACP, it’s exactly the same thing. What about flares in 25mm, 26.5mm, 1-inch, and 4-gauge? Are they really the same thing with different names, or are (some of them) slightly different? How about 37mm and 38mm?
Can 12-gauge flares be fired safely out of shotguns? If not, why did they pick that particular specification? What about the original Very pistol of military fame - what was its caliber?
How about those 25mm parachute flares? The ones I’ve seen ( http://www.orionsignals.com/Marine/Products/ahkits/ultimate.html ) look like the cartridges are much longer the barrel of the launcher. Is that right? Or does the flare even go in the launcher?
I know that’s a serious batch of questions but they’ve been on my mind for a little while. I have an inexplicable attraction to flare guns. Now if I could only find a shooting range which would rent them out… 