The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Hide > The Dave McCracken Memorial Shotgun Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old December 29, 1998, 04:33 PM   #1
David
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 2, 1999
Posts: 121

I've got a "flame" for you. I have these shells, but haven't shot them yet. The pictures look pretty imposing. Has anybody actually shot them yet, and what was it like.

I would like to know before I set one off.

Silly Hollywood scenario #231: Your car has broken down in an alley, and a large gang (23 or so) loaded to the teeth, are coming to get you. You grab your shotgun, announce you are loaded(the shotgun, not you) with Dragon's Breath, and if they don't want to be perp B-B-Q, leave immediately. Talk about something that can potentially take out a large group all at once. One shot, 23 kills??

Oh, and don't ever think about setting one off indoors.
Ouch!

David is offline  
Old December 30, 1998, 10:16 AM   #2
fal308
Staff Alumnus
 
Join Date: October 12, 1998
Location: Missouri
Posts: 1,992
No experience with it but have you looked to see if any of the compound is corrosive? I don't know what they use for the flaming effect but it would probably be a good idea to clean immediately afterwards to prevent any corrosion.
fal308 is offline  
Old December 30, 1998, 10:45 AM   #3
David
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 2, 1999
Posts: 121


The manufacturer claims that there is no damage to the firearm at all. The compound supposedly doesn't get dangerously hot until it is well outside the barrel.

I will test it in an old Mossburg first. If it ruins the barrel, no big deal.
David is offline  
Old December 30, 1998, 01:39 PM   #4
4V50 Gary
Staff
 
Join Date: November 2, 1998
Location: Colorado
Posts: 21,823
Is magnesium the component in Dragon's Breath?
4V50 Gary is offline  
Old December 30, 1998, 02:49 PM   #5
David
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 2, 1999
Posts: 121


They don't say. It's supposed to be the same thing they experimented with in tanks, turning them into flamethrowers.

The flame is supposed to reach 90-100 yards, for approx. 3 seconds, and reach over 3000 degrees fahrenheit. Let's see a JHP bullet do that!
David is offline  
Old December 30, 1998, 05:40 PM   #6
boing
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 24, 1998
Location: WNC
Posts: 1,072
Is Dragon's Breath available to private citizens? I was under the impression that it was restricted to LE or the military, or something. In what scenario was it intended to be used? Sounds like something for "Apocalyptic Riot Control".

P.S.- Who is the manufacturer?

-boing
boing is offline  
Old December 31, 1998, 11:55 AM   #7
David
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 2, 1999
Posts: 121


Boing, I don't have it with me right now.

Anybody can buy it, but I think you're not supposed to have it in the republic of New York and/or maybe California.

I can buy it at any major gun show in Texas.

What is it used for? Anywhere you would use a flamethrower, I guess. Just about anyone can own one of those too! If you have a valid driver's license, and are 21 yrs. and older, you can even buy dynamite and blasting caps here.

Seriously, I am not a firebug, so except for some extremely politically incorrect crowd control, or burning out fields on your farm, I guess this product falls into the "any other nospecific use" category. Or just plain fun. Cheaper than a flamethrower....

Still, if you have a gang charging you, you could fire it before they get too close, then, while they stop and urinate on themselves, you can ask them if they want to see it again, except closer, and at waist level.

True, this is Hollywierd stuff, but I can't imagine anybody wanting to mess with you after you give 'em a demo.

My partner and I are always trying to pull psych-ops on others, and this one probably would be a tad too dangerous, but we speculated using these at the skeet range, or on a duck hunt, and when we fire them, just act as if nothing happened. IF it could be done SAFELY, it would be hilarious! Kids, puleez do not try this at home!
David is offline  
Old January 1, 1999, 06:02 PM   #8
Dakota Law Dog
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 22, 1998
Location: Hillsboro, ND, USA
Posts: 161
Far as I know, Magnesium is the stuff that lights up. I have seen these for sale at gun shows, (usually at the booth with the guy selliing videos of Black Gov. Helicopters) for about 5 bucks a round. Ouch! Thought about playing with them, but they are spendy!
Dakota Law Dog is offline  
Old January 1, 1999, 08:40 PM   #9
Jeff White
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 29, 1998
Location: Kinmundy, IL, USA
Posts: 1,397
David,
Several years ago I got a package of them in a trade that involved a couple guns and some odd lots of ammo.

I fired them out of an old High Standard riot gun that was surplus from the local PD. (didn't want to hurt my Benelli)
They pretty much work as advertised. I don't remember the flame lasting a whole 3 seconds though, it was pretty quick.

Don't shoot them after dusk without sunglasses, the flame will blind you for a few seconds.

All in all I thought they were a neat toy, no damage to the gun, but I don't really see a tactical application for them. I haven't spent the money to buy any since and if they hadn't been in that box of assorted ammo I took in trade I probably would never have gotten any. BTW there were two packs of the flechette rounds made by the same company, I was very disappointed in them. Many flechettes hit the target side ways from 7 yards, I don't believe they'd be effective at all.
Jeff
Jeff White is offline  
Old January 2, 1999, 03:19 AM   #10
Dakota Law Dog
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 22, 1998
Location: Hillsboro, ND, USA
Posts: 161
BTW, if you ever use those 12 gauge flares (like for marine purposes) in a shotgun, you have to have an open choke, or you risk them being stuck in the tube. Quite the light show then. :0 They are very corrosive too.
Dakota Law Dog is offline  
Old January 3, 1999, 12:30 AM   #11
Rob Pincus
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 9, 1998
Location: Hotels
Posts: 3,668
I don't havce any direct experience with dragon breath rounds ( I think they are kinda "spendy" too...), but I did lose a summer of my youth to some very adventurous and amateur reloading of shotgun shells to include..well, almost anything that you can put in a shotgun shell.

Commercially loaded Fletchettes that I have messed around with generally need more than 7 yards to stabilize in flight. Take a regular dart and hold it across your palm. Throw it like a baseball at somehting, if you stand to close the dart is likely to hit sideways. if you stand a bit further back, the air flow will push the finned side to the rear and the point will hit the target.
Rob Pincus is offline  
Old January 3, 1999, 01:10 AM   #12
4V50 Gary
Staff
 
Join Date: November 2, 1998
Location: Colorado
Posts: 21,823
Not to engage in a discourse about B&E, but magnesium is used to cut open a lot of things. There has to be a delay mechanism for ignition and lack thereof would assuredly allow the magnesium to harm your barrel. But, if you can get a spare barrel cheap that you can abuse, who cares?
4V50 Gary is offline  
Old January 10, 1999, 12:51 PM   #13
Spectre
Staff Alumnus
 
Join Date: October 23, 1998
Location: ATL
Posts: 3,277
Be advised that self-defense use of this product is illegal in some areas. I know it is in GA, as well as is defensive use of tracer. (Which is a shame, as I have 200 rounds of .308 . Guess I'll save it for a RBD.)

I believe there was a bill in the works that specifically mentioned Dragon's Breath, as well as outlawing tracer and incindiary rounds. As I have essentially given up on our legislative representatives, I do not have more info.
Spectre is offline  
Old January 10, 1999, 05:20 PM   #14
TMC
Member
 
Join Date: November 7, 1998
Posts: 92
I got a catalog called Firequest in an order from Delta Force. It has about 30 different 12ga round ranging from the "Flame Thrower" to ones with small chains or darts or other thoroughly nasty projectiles. Only a few are illegal in some states the Flame Thrower being one. web address is www.firequest.com

Who come up with this stuff? nasty!
TMC is offline  
Old January 11, 1999, 12:40 PM   #15
.
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 6, 1998
Location: My wife's house...
Posts: 2,659
The magnesium must be a finely ground powder for it to ignite in such a short time span. This means it will also burn-out in a very short time span. For incendiaries to function in a role other than as part of a combustion train, it must present the target materials with sufficient heat for a sufficient time to vaporize and ignite the surfaces. Unfortunately, the magnesium dust doesn't do this. For all practical intents and purposes, these novelty rounds can best be used to cause temporary flash-blindness at night (this means you have to close your eyes to fire them - a dangerous practice in any confrontational situation). Note however, that the magnesium load would be dangerous at close range, as are "blank" cartridges.



[This message has been edited by Mykl (edited 01-11-99).]
. is offline  
Old January 20, 1999, 04:40 PM   #16
JIMBO
Junior Member
 
Join Date: December 22, 1998
Location: ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Posts: 5
I'VE USED DRAGON'S BREATH TO TURN A CHARGING BROWN BEAR IN ALASKA. I'M QUITE IMPRESSED WITH THESE ROUNDS.. I'VE ALSO USED THEM AS A JOKE WHILE DUCK HUNTING WITH A FREIND.. HE COULD NOT HIT ANYTHING THAT DAY AND WAS OUT OF SHELLS, SO I GAVE HIM ONE OF MY SHELLS(DB). TALK ABOUT TOASTING AND ROASTING THE DUCK. THESE SHELLS ARE WORTH THE PRICE.
JIMBO is offline  
Old February 3, 1999, 05:32 AM   #17
Ray VanderLinden
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 23, 1999
Location: Southern Iowa
Posts: 211
Jimbo,
For some reason I don't think that would qualify as "Steel" shot.

And Aren't you 'spose to clean the Duck Before Roasting them?
Ray VanderLinden is offline  
Old February 4, 1999, 03:38 AM   #18
Spectre
Staff Alumnus
 
Join Date: October 23, 1998
Location: ATL
Posts: 3,277
Mykl,

I believe the promotional materials state a burn time of 3-5 seconds.
Spectre is offline  
Old February 5, 1999, 01:28 PM   #19
rooster
Junior member
 
Join Date: February 4, 1999
Location: mem.tn.usa.
Posts: 35
I live in TN. we can legaly have about anything.Where can you find these things?
rooster is offline  
Old February 5, 1999, 03:55 PM   #20
David
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 2, 1999
Posts: 121


Rooster, I got them at a gun show. Beware. Make sure the label actually sez Dragon's Breath, and has the same picture of someone shooting it, that you seen in the Shotgun News ads.

I was thinking about trying them at the skeet range on a rainy day, just for laughs. The skeet person I shoot with has HDD (humor deficit disorder), and I think it might "brighten" his day.
David is offline  
Old February 6, 1999, 02:43 PM   #21
4V50 Gary
Staff
 
Join Date: November 2, 1998
Location: Colorado
Posts: 21,823
Jimbo, Would that toasted & roasted duck have a metallic after taste? Yuck! Charging Brownie or was it a black bear after you were fired?
4V50 Gary is offline  
Old April 1, 2010, 05:49 AM   #22
ncpatriot
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 4, 2009
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 371
Old thread but interesting to me. I could imagine a few extreme situations where
these may be needed. Hopefully our society won't decline to that point in our life times.
ncpatriot is offline  
Old April 1, 2010, 09:32 AM   #23
hogdogs
Staff In Memoriam
 
Join Date: October 31, 2007
Location: Western Florida panhandle
Posts: 11,069
Actually it was one of the oldest "necro" threads...

If your target needs a good scaring then they may finally find a purpose...
Brent
hogdogs is offline  
Old April 1, 2010, 11:06 AM   #24
greyson97
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 29, 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,284
because we live in the great united states (all 47 of them) we can own totally useless things and have fun with them, provided we aren't hurting anyone.

I've wanted to get some of those novelty rounds, like the flechette, and the rubber balls, and the dragons breath, but I sold my pump, and I am not putting novelty rounds in my benelli. I don't care how much you tell me it wont hurt my gun.
__________________
"Some people think they can outsmart me. Maybe, maybe. I've yet to meet one that can outsmart bullet." -Heavy

si vis pacem, para bellum
greyson97 is offline  
Old April 1, 2010, 11:29 AM   #25
zippy13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 23, 2008
Location: SoCal
Posts: 6,442
How do the flames know how to avoid burning up vents in a gas auto? I don't think I'd try Dragon's Breath in a R-1100 or a Beretta.
zippy13 is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:15 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.11771 seconds with 10 queries