Flare Gun Forum

I found vague reference to the US Navy purchasing other models outside of the Remington Mark-III. I only mention the Mark-III since I'm referring to post WWI. At some point, Remington stopped making the Mark-III and to supplement demands, was when the Navy purchased other models to supplement demand...

This pistol, M5, had a very short history and life span. It was technically adopted as a Substitute Standard for infantry ground use replacing the Remington Mark-III and a substitute for the M3 and M4 ground projectors. A limited procurement was executed in in December 1941, production stopped in Se...

Through the 1920's, when the USAAC was in search of a suitable projector for aircraft, they used a variety of commercial types. These were all typically the 25mm types (one inch) or 10 gauge pistols. They had no universal standard until the adoption of the M2. Those longer barreled H&R pistols w...

On my website, wwiisurvivalequipment.com, I just posted a supplemental article on Pyrotechnic Flares. When you get a moment, swing in and check it out!

From an Army Ordnance production analysis, a total of 342,612 AN-M8 pyrotechnic pistols were manufactured from 1942-1945.
42,920 in 1942
170,023 in 1943
80,668 in 1944
49,000 in 1945

Serial number date ranging
1-42,920- 1942
42,921-212,944- 1943
212,945-293,612- 1944
293,613-342,612- 1945

The production numbers were projections, not actual production figures. I do have the actual production figures from another source, but nothing segregates them by company, just overall by year. Actual contract production of the M9 did not occur until 1943. 135,514 projectors were manufactured in 19...

Hello Rob,
My source was a comprehensive survey published by the Small Arms Division of the Army Ordnance Department in October 1946 titled
Pyrotechnic Pistols and Projectors
Development, Standardization and Production
1919- August 1945

Signalman, Do you recall what military manual shows the conversion of the AN-M8 for 25-mm (1-inch) signals? I cannot find reference to that alteration in WWII Army Ordnance records, maybe a post WWII conversion? A 1-inch projector was adopted designated as the M10 projector, identical to the M9. It ...

It's important to note that I am orientated towards aviation and distress signals. However, because many signals are so close in relation I do talk about ground signals as well.

Hello All, I was recently made aware of this forum and enjoyed seeing the variety of pyrotechnic projectors. I look forward to contributed to some of the discussions. I have recently released the first two volumes of four on survival equipment of WWII. In Volume Two, I have a chapter on pyrotechnic ...