CONTINUOUSWAVE

I was checking my flares for expiration dates and of course they are due. In the process I noticed I could not open the breech on the flare gun. Embarrassingly, this is the first time in almost 40 years I even thought to check it.

I researched the gun just in case I was too incompetent to open it. I found a notice of a recall

http://www.d1south.org/Downloads/Documents/VE/Orion_FLARE_GUN_Recall_3F85BCC.pdf

[LINK DOES NOT WORK in 2025—Moderator]
The recall covers up to the year 2000 [25 years ago in 2025], I'm sure many of us have these duds.

Being the impatient type I just had to see what could possibly go wrong on such a simple device.

Looking at front side of the gun, there is a small black plastic pin that holds the barrel in place and that it pivots on. If you use a drift and push the pin out the barrel will pop off. Inside there is a small spring and a bullet shaped nylon button that fits into the end of the spring. It is designed to fit against a detent on the barrel assembly. This is the culprit. It was meant to hold the barrel either open or closed by pressing on either side of the detent. What happened is that when the gun is assembled, the spring pushes the nylon button forward and it gets caught under the detent, and now the breech cannot open.

If you assemble the barrel by pushing it straight in towards the spring loaded button, it pushes the button back, and it works as it should. Coming in from any other angle, like from above, then it gets hung up. Now put the black pin back in and all is well.

I will keep it as a back up.

It is 40 years old.
It uses explosives to project incendiaries. You know those things that burn, and cannot be put out!

Will the next post be, "how do I grow another head"?

Replace it.

I just discovered that my new Sirius electronic alert strobe fits nicely inside the Olin/Orion flare storage canister. No room for flares or gun so out they go. No more dangerous pyrotechnics on board. The discussion is now moot.

oldslowandugly
I received my electronic SOS LED light a week or so ago too and yes it is great not having to replace pyro's every 3 years, but then what do you do 10 miles out on a sunny day in an emergency?
The Sirrus Signal distress light would be worthless(during the day). The little red/orange flag that comes with it for daytime is also not that great. So in a sunny situation the smoke signal flares are still your best bet so don't keep them a shore, keep them on the boat.
Keep them in the boat and use them in an emergency out dated or not. Your new SOS light and plastic flag will meet the USCG requirements and the outdated smoke signal flares will get you a quicker response on a sunny day.

Dutchman, I agree with you on that daytime concern. Nothing like a bright smokey signal to be seen from far away. The flag is a joke. However my only concern is to be legal if and when boarded. I specialize in day/night inshore fishing, back bays, creeks, weed beds, bridges, the surf line, etc. I rarely go offshore because it's only a 15 footer. I usually have my Grandkids with me and I don't want them finding the flares. Your point is valid so maybe I will fix up a small kit with the flare gun and a number of shells just in case. If I can keep it small enough to fit in my waterproof tool box then I could take it along when I travel far from home. Good idea, thanks!

Even a SOLAS smoke signal probably won't be visible over a mile, maybe a mile or 2 on a flat calm, no wind day.

http://www.ringbell.co.uk/info/hdist.htm

Won't stop me from carrying my old SLAS flares and smoke cans though. You never know though.

What to do with old flares? You can't test them. The USCG around here won't allow a "flare day", although some consider the 4th to be flare day.

I had about 2 dozen expired ariel flares.
Went to my county HAZ MAT recycling center and they were of no help.
At home I filled a 35 gallon garbage can with water and proceeded to pop off the mini rockets. IIRC about 1 in 4 actually worked, the others were all duds.

Makes me curious as to the quality of the expired Pains Wessex SOLAS pyrotechnics I have.

Looks interesting, a 20 mile night time, 3 mile daytime visible "rescue flare"
Doesn't seem to have aUSCG approval yet.