M8 Flaregun: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Skizmophonic (talk | contribs) Created page with "{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;text-align: center;width:90%" |- ! rowspan=2 style="width:50px" | Factions ! rowspan=2 | Weapon ! rowspan=2 | Icon ! rowspan=2 |Classes ! rowspan=2 | Ammo ! colspan=2 | Damage |- ! Projectile Hit !! Burn Over Time |- |- |50px<br><strong>US</strong>|| 512px<br><b>M8 Flaregun</b> || 512px || 50px <b>Sn..." |
Skizmophonic (talk | contribs) No edit summary |
||
| (9 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
[[Category:Weapons]] | |||
[[Category:Weapons of Vietnam]] | |||
[[Category:Equipment of Vietnam]] | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;text-align: center;width:90%" | {| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;text-align: center;width:90%" | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Line 20: | Line 23: | ||
! rowspan=2 | [[Fire Modes]] | ! rowspan=2 | [[Fire Modes]] | ||
! rowspan=2 | [[Fire Rate]] | ! rowspan=2 | [[Fire Rate]] | ||
! rolspan=2 | [[Muzzle Velocity]] | ! rolspan=2 | [[Muzzle Velocity]] | ||
! rolspan=2 | [[Projectile weight]] | ! rolspan=2 | [[Projectile weight]] | ||
! rolspan=2 | [[Weight]] | ! rolspan=2 | [[Weight]] | ||
! rolspan=2 | Reload Speed | |||
|- | |- | ||
|[[]]||[[]]|| | |- | ||
|[[]]||[[Flare gun]]||Single Shot|| RPM||52 m/s||100 g (0.2205 lbs)||1 kg (2.205 lbs)||2.733 Seconds | |||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
| Line 35: | Line 38: | ||
! rowspan=2 | [[Place of Origin]] | ! rowspan=2 | [[Place of Origin]] | ||
! rowspan=2 | [[Date]] | ! rowspan=2 | [[Date]] | ||
! rowspan=2 | [[ | ! rowspan=2 | [[Manufacturer]] | ||
! rowspan=2 | Barrel Length | ! rowspan=2 | Barrel Length | ||
! rowspan=2 | Total Length | ! rowspan=2 | Total Length | ||
! rowspan=2 | [[Weapon Script Name]] | ! rowspan=2 | [[Weapon Script Name]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
|FN|| | |FN||Flare Round||[[USA]]||1942||ARM|| in ( mm)|| in ( mm)||weapon_m8 | ||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
<hr> | <hr> | ||
The M8 flare gun (pyrotechnic pistol AN-M8) is a U.S. single-shot, break-open 37mm signal pistol used to launch pyrotechnic signals such as flares and smoke. It was designed for use both handheld and in an aircraft mount for air-to-ground and air-to-air signaling. The M8 is best known for its World War II and later Cold War service as a compact signaling device rather than a combat weapon. | |||
=HISTORY= | ==HISTORY== | ||
The pyrotechnic pistol AN-M8 was standardized during World War II as a 37mm signaling pistol for U.S. forces, especially for aircraft crews who needed a reliable means of launching visual signals. Technical manuals describe it as a single-shot, double-action, breech-loading pistol intended to project aircraft signals for communication with troops on the ground, other aircraft, and to mark positions. | |||
In the Vietnam era, flare pistols remained useful for short-range signaling in complex terrain and fast-moving operations, including marking locations, coordinating movements, and providing immediate visual cues when radios were unreliable or silence was desired. The AN-M8’s ability to fire a variety of pyrotechnic signals made it a practical tool for aircrew, observers, and ground units for coordination, illumination, and emergency signaling. | |||
===Sources=== | |||
* [https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30029999 Imperial War Museums – Pistol, Pyrotechnic M8 (collection entry)] | |||
* [https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/flare-pistol-type-an-m8/nasm_A19601448000 Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum – Flare Pistol, Type AN-M8 (collection entry)] | |||
* [https://archive.org/download/TM9-1290/TM9-1290.pdf U.S. War Department – TM 9-1290 ''Pyrotechnic Projectors, All Types'' (includes Pyrotechnic Pistol AN-M8)] | |||
* [https://www.liberatedmanuals.com/TM-9-1095-201-15.pdf U.S. Army – TM 9-1095-201-15 (operator/maintenance manual covering Pyrotechnic Pistol AN-M8)] | |||
<hr> | <hr> | ||
<div class="mw-collapsible" style="border:1px solid #ccc; padding:5px; width:100%;"> | |||
<gallery mode="packed" heights="400px"> | <div style="text-align:center; font-weight:bold;">Real-Life Photos</div> | ||
<div class="mw-collapsible-content" style="margin-top:0.5em;"> | |||
<gallery mode="packed" heights="400px"> | |||
File: | File: | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
</div> | |||
</div> | |||
<hr> | <hr> | ||
<div class="mw-collapsible" style="border:1px solid #ccc; padding:5px; width:100%;"> | |||
{{# | <div style="text-align:center; font-weight:bold;">Videos</div> | ||
<div class="mw-collapsible-content" style="margin-top:0.5em;"> | |||
| | {{#ev:youtube|FLc61eJdMak}} | ||
| | {{#ev:youtube|LcOGjjUYv7A}} | ||
| | {{#ev:youtube|Ga2KkajxTag}} | ||
}} | </div> | ||
</div> | |||
Latest revision as of 05:44, 25 February 2026
| Factions | Weapon | Icon | Classes | Ammo | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Projectile Hit | Burn Over Time | |||||
 US |
 M8 Flaregun |
 |
 Sniper |
1 / 2 | 40 | 45 |
| Designation | Weapon Type | Fire Modes | Fire Rate | Muzzle Velocity | Projectile weight | Weight | Reload Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[]] | Flare gun | Single Shot | RPM | 52 m/s | 100 g (0.2205 lbs) | 1 kg (2.205 lbs) | 2.733 Seconds |
| Full name | Caliber | Place of Origin | Date | Manufacturer | Barrel Length | Total Length | Weapon Script Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FN | Flare Round | USA | 1942 | ARM | in ( mm) | in ( mm) | weapon_m8 |
The M8 flare gun (pyrotechnic pistol AN-M8) is a U.S. single-shot, break-open 37mm signal pistol used to launch pyrotechnic signals such as flares and smoke. It was designed for use both handheld and in an aircraft mount for air-to-ground and air-to-air signaling. The M8 is best known for its World War II and later Cold War service as a compact signaling device rather than a combat weapon.
HISTORY
The pyrotechnic pistol AN-M8 was standardized during World War II as a 37mm signaling pistol for U.S. forces, especially for aircraft crews who needed a reliable means of launching visual signals. Technical manuals describe it as a single-shot, double-action, breech-loading pistol intended to project aircraft signals for communication with troops on the ground, other aircraft, and to mark positions.
In the Vietnam era, flare pistols remained useful for short-range signaling in complex terrain and fast-moving operations, including marking locations, coordinating movements, and providing immediate visual cues when radios were unreliable or silence was desired. The AN-M8’s ability to fire a variety of pyrotechnic signals made it a practical tool for aircrew, observers, and ground units for coordination, illumination, and emergency signaling.
Sources
- Imperial War Museums – Pistol, Pyrotechnic M8 (collection entry)
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum – Flare Pistol, Type AN-M8 (collection entry)
- U.S. War Department – TM 9-1290 Pyrotechnic Projectors, All Types (includes Pyrotechnic Pistol AN-M8)
- U.S. Army – TM 9-1095-201-15 (operator/maintenance manual covering Pyrotechnic Pistol AN-M8)
Real-Life Photos
Videos