A flare gun, also known as a Very pistol or signal pistol, is a large-bore handgun that discharges flares, blanks and smoke. The flare gun is typically used to produce a distress signal.
An Orion-brand single-shot, breech-loaded, 12 gauge flare gun. Its design is typical of commercially available flare guns, with a high-visibility red casing.
A single-shot, 26.5/25mm flare gun manufactured by Patel Ballistics. It is chambered in a different caliber from the Orion flare gun.
British 1" calibre Very pistol used in World War I
A Molins No.2 Mk.5, 1-inch calibre Very pistol, c. 1940, made by Berridge Ltd.
A flare, also sometimes called a fusée, fusee, or bengala, bengalo in several European countries, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for distress signaling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications. Flares may be ground pyrotechnics, projectile pyrotechnics, or parachute-suspended to provide maximum illumination time over a large area. Projectile pyrotechnics may be dropped from aircraft, fired from rocket or artillery, or deployed by flare guns or handheld percussive tubes.
Illumination flares being used during military training exercises
Flares being fired from a ship during a fleet review
A conventional flare pistol. This particular model uses 26.5-millimeter (1.04 in) flares (manufactured by Patel Ballistics).
Three road flares burning
