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Americans Are "Fired Up" About First Commercially Available Flamethrowers
On the heels of the shooting at Sandy Hook back in 2012, the gun control debate in America reached a fever pitch. Of course all of the attention and subsequent lawmaker scrutiny had the predictable effect of boosting demand for firearms, as many feared their Second Amendment rights were soon to be curtailed.
Gun control was back in the national spotlight last month, after the tragic massacre at an African American church in Charleston, and no sooner had that begun to fade from America’s collective memory than we witnessed yet another shooting, this time in a movie theatre in Louisiana.
Then, on Wednesday morning, a "disgruntled" newsman filmed himself shooting and killing a cameraman and another reporter then posted the shocking video on both Twitter and Facebook. The shooter was African American and cited the Charleston shootings as a motive. Obviously, this means it’s only a matter of days (or hours) before the gun control debate kicks into hyperdrive, sparking further fears of federal firearm confiscation.
And while it’s semi automatic handguns and assault rifles that have been at the center of the debate thus far, there’s another type of weapon that, although currently legal, may come under scrutiny soon, which is leaving some enthusiasts "fired up" so to speak, about getting in before regulations close the market: flamethrowers.
Here’s more from arstechnica:
In the wake of two companies now selling the first commercially available flamethrowers in the United States, at least one mayor has called for increased restrictions on their use. And to no one's surprise, the prospect of prohibition has now driven more sales.
"Business is skyrocketing higher than ever due to the discussion on prohibition," Chris Byars, the CEO of the Ion Productions Team based in Troy, Michigan, told Ars by e-mail.
"I’m a huge supporter of personal freedom and personal responsibility. Own whatever you like, unless you use it in a manner that is harmful to another or other’s property. We’ve received a large amount of support from police, fire, our customers, and interested parties regarding keeping them legal."
Yes, support from "police" and "fire," which is both disturbing and odd all at once given that, respectively i) no one wants to confront a trigger happy police officer wielding a flamethrower and, ii) traditionally, firemen are in the business of extinguising fires, not starting them.
In any event, back to arstechnica:
Byars added that the company has sold 350 units at $900 each, including shipping, in recent weeks. That's in addition to the $150,000 the company raised on IndieGoGo.
The Ion product, known as the XM42, can shoot fire over 25 feet and has more than 35 seconds of burn time per tank of fuel. With a full tank of fuel, it weighs just 10 pounds.
Another company—XMatter, based in Cleveland, Ohio—sells a similar device for $1,600 each, but it weighs 50 pounds. However, this device has approximately double the range of the XM42. Quinn Whitehead, the company’s co-founder, did not immediately respond to Ars’ request for comment.
Why does one need a handheld flamethrower, you ask? Here are some "ideas" from the Ion Productions' official XM42 website:
- start your bonfire from across the yard
- kill the weeds between your cracks in style
- clearing snow/ice
- controlled burns/ground-clearing of foliage/agricultural
- insect control
As Ion goes on to point out (correctly, we might add), there are "endless possibilities for entertainment and utility."
And don't worry all you lefties out there, in the FAQ section the answer to the question "Is there a left handed model?" is emphatically "yes."
Amusingly, flamethrowers - which, on a literal interpretation, would seem to be the very definition of the term "fire-arm" - are not actually counted as such by the ATF:
"These devices are not regulated as they do not qualify as firearms under the National Firearms Act," Corey Ray, a spokesman with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, told Ars by e-mail.
Asked what the point of building and selling flamethrowers is, Byars said simply: "It’s awesome."
Meanwhile, Warren, Michigan Mayor Jim Fouts isn’t so sure and because we like to encourage people to decide for themselves on the merits of contentious issues, we’ll close with the following rather amusingly deadpan bit from Fouts, explaining his position, and leave it to readers to discuss:
"My concern is that flamethrowers in the wrong hands could cause catastrophic damage either to the person who is using it or more likely to the person who is being targeted. This is a pretty dangerous mix because it's a combination of butane and gasoline which is highly flammable. Anybody who aims this at someone else or something happens and it happens close to them is going to be close to be incinerated."
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Russia has some new hardware...
New Russian Missile Can Hit Mach 3.5and that's one way of dealing with jew banksters...
I have a ground hog living under the tool shed.
One of these might make quite an impression on him;)
It'd make and impression on the tool shed, too.
I NEED ONE. NOW!!!!!
Handheld? Fuck that. Make a truck mounted one that will shoot 100 feet for 10 minutes. Now that would be useful.
See George Carlin on flamethrowers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4nknAzQPHE
As a practiced fire-eater, I don't need one.
http://s25.postimg.org/e6jqxhrnz/Fire_Ball.jpg
Just glad I moved out of CA so I can get a 30 second mag instead of a 5 sec one with a fuel button.
In Nam they had just that, an M113 with a flame thrower mounted on the commander's coupla. It had a really big globe in the center of the track for the fuel. I was told nobody wanted to crew the thing.
To paraphrase Mr. Dundee....
Cal that a flame thrower??
This is a FLAME THROWER - http://sploid.gizmodo.com/this-giant-flamethrower-is-the-most-terrifying...
Check out World War II. Watch people burn and hear them scream. This isn't the same category as guns. Much more in the ball park of chemical weapons. Horrible.
My grandfather was horribly burned in WW1 - had no ear lobes, and most of the flesh of his nose was scar tissue.
burns over 1/3 of his upper body.
He liked to look on the bright side - his brother was blown to pieces.
Just call me " FIREBALL"
The wifey already said NEIN!
If only those poor news people in Virginia had one of these, they might still be alive today. Oh wait, that shit was straight up FAKE.
My grandfather told me about a farmer who caught a rat, dipped it in kerosene, lit it on fire and let it go. It ran into his barn and burned it to the ground. Watch out for karma. Sometimes it takes a lifetime, sometimes just seconds.
Where is karma justice for the fudgepacker...
You don't listen (read/comprehend) well do you. 'Sometimes a lifetime...'
Wait,ll ISIS gets their hands on a few of these.
can you order them on amazon?
If they delivered it by drone, you could kill two birds with one stone...
Put them on a mig-25, and the plane could outrun it's own missile!
Mig 31 - successor to the 25. Mongoloid fast. Retard fast. Expensive as hell to fly. But. If something needs intercepting.. This is the plane for the job.
Russia's Helicopters are better than those in the west. The new fighter is better. The new tank is better. Their nuclear weapons ( mirvs ) are better. Their subs are better. Their anti aircraft missiles ( s300 s400 ) are better. Their anti ship missiles are better (yakhont). The Yakhont missiles in export form are referred to as the onyx and flying lower and faster can penetrate western defenses.. Their pantsir missiles are superior - short range anti aircraft system that has a range of 20km can track 20 targets within a knockout range of 1.5m. It can deal with anything short of a ballistic missilae. In close if the missiles miss the guns will hit.
Sad fact is, apparently the Russian military contractors have the goal of protecting the homeland while the Western ones have the goal of protecting their bottom line.
@ Canadian Dirtlump.
Someone is falling for Russian arms propaganda.
I cannot dispute your claims but to say that nothing is really better until they face each other and one wins. That hasn't happened. Who knows what will happen when it does nor the circumstances. That is why the hare should never take victory for granted and the turtle should never give up.
Denver Water Votes To Keep Adding Industrial Waste Fluoride, Ignores Natural Fluoride Difference
because they're so "earthy liberal and trendy" in Colorado. Another state taken over by cockroach scum who fled from California.
The people in CO have always had their own issues, so don't go blaming CA for their mental frivolities. I mean, where else are bull testicles held forth as a culinary delicacy?
This will change the entire fanfare at the next Burning Man festival in Nevada. I cant wait. Anyone for roasted Hippies?
Some parts of Canada ;-)
they think vienna sausages are delicacies?
What's so bad about doze nutz? Ever eaten a hotdog? How's the ass taste?
Oh fucking A!
Such toys would make inner city skirmishes so much more interesting ! Just imagine: cops would have to wear fire proof body armor, soon enough...
Spaceballs (c) the Flamethrower
The kids will love it.
This gadget might control the Rioting Looters more effectively then water hoses.
They will burn their whole city down if they get ahold of flamethrowers.
good name for a troll
maybe i will change my handle
I hate tailgaters.
At this rate, we'll need flamethrowers for Civil War 2.0 lol.
Wait'll some of them stars looting a store or two where the owner has a few of these on tap.
Or somebody's drone is lookin' in your window.
No officer, I Did Not Discharge a Firearm in Public!
Drone toaster.
Better yet, mount one on a drone for a flying flamethrower!
TOO KEWL!
Flamethreawreaux are apparently not illgeal, so any freedom loving honkoid should already have at least one in rotation. I mean, there would be no historical version available and within the confines of modernity the fixings for one should not be in any way hidden. A fuel tank, a regulator, a means of combustion, and finally, a magic wand with which to dispense a sea of flaming justice - should be reasonably available to anyone but some poor insulated yuppie kid. So fuck Kale... I got a flamethrower.
You can have your kale and flamethrower too. Note the kate may be well done.
Gonna need a catapult that can toss a propane truck for that kind of flamethrowing action.
gawd this would have been such an awesome xmas gift as a kid, instead of that BB gun
Deleted. Someone below beat me to it.
As a kid, my catholicism colored my expectation for holiday gifts. As a catholic kid I was raised to respect any and all special days. One year around ash wednesday, my brother and myself were tasked with burning our existing palms which heretofore were located on the household crucifix ( replete with last rights gear ). Given the palms were a year old we could have stared at them to ignite them into the bonfire of salvation we were looking for. Instead we retrieved a jerry can full of gas and I took the place of pourer while my twin brother took the place of idiot with an open flame. As I did my job pouring, while my brother shepherded a flame not unlike one found at a kiss concert of the time, all hell broke loose. A massive flame engulfed the immediate area, and I ended up wrestling the jerry can like an out of control barnyard bull. My brother, after seeing a handful of palms in his transform into nothing, helped managed the inferno which I found myself in.
The ultimate resolution of the situation saw us gather some dirt into a plastic bag ( pre ziploc ) to represent the ashes of the palms, and proceed downstairs into our family bungalow where we were able to wash our clothes which reeked like gas and play super nintendo in our gonch while waiting.
With respect to flamethrowers I think that as a kid I would have handled one fine, but the generation before me would have rejected it as crude, unable to wrap their heads around it. Subsequent generations after me would have rejected it out of stark fear i.e. pussification. So a flamethrower, with it's pluses and minuses, is more or less timebound.. not necessarily in it's effectiveness, but in it's acceptance.
So you had a Super Nintendo but that was pre-ziploc? Where did you grow up, Canada or something, eh?
I need one of these to kill weeds in my veggie garden!
If I'm really lucky I can BBQ the raccoon(s) that are wiping out my watermelon patch!
I was lamenting some damage done to me by a raccoon on a gardening site. A man suggested I use a 5.56 on burst fire and watch them explode. I was contemplating a 330 conibear to be more neighborly. We both were severely down voted. It appears vegetarians prefer catch and release.
Miffed;-)
My vegetarian wife is pretty much an animal lover. Unless the squirrels in the attic wake her too early. Then it's authorized extreme prejudice. "I don't know what needs to be done, just do it."
Do you know that "vegetarian" is an old Native American word? It means "bad hunter."
Up voted you for education and a laugh.
Get a box. Cut a hole in the side. Put peanut or some other bait in the box. Connect a 12V battery to two wires that face each other across the hole in the box, bent slightly inward for the hook effect. Let racoons try to get peanut butter. Do not forget to setup an infrared gamecam that can do video.
Show video at wedding reception or any other special occasion.
Mothballs work well in enclosed spaces. They hate that shit. Rat traps with peanut butter do the job, too.
"My vegetarian wife is pretty much an animal lover."
I'm an animal lover too- they taste sooooooooooo good!
OMG Conibears are flipping awesome.
prolly gonna need some 3/4 spring steel to make a 3300 for them rats that might come in the future
nothing like a conibear
beaver and muskrats lov em
Miffed,
"It appears vegetarians prefer catch and release."
I prefer catch & kill. These critters mimic our "society" don't they?
I have a neighbor that has been feeding racoons for several years now and I'm sure these are the ones that found my watermelons. She told me the other day that they are now after her garden stuff so she is going to stop feeding them! I asked what about all of the 'coon families she has created- no answer.
This is a microcosm of LBJ's "Great Society".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaklEq36_dk
I diagnosed a case of baylisascaris encephalitis in a young boy. His parents were living " in harmony" with raccoons and were feeding them. Unfortunately, they latrined in his sandbox. He was permanently learning disabled and had seizures. Shoot any that invade your property and wash your hands throughly if working in the soil where they have latrined.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baylisascaris_procyonis
Miffed
Thanks for the info!
Damn. Do you water the garden with a pressure washer?
Flame throwers don't kill people.
People with flame throwers or guns kill people.
I keep thinking about this and my exwife and have been sitting here with a big ass smile on my face. :-)
When you treat people like crap you often get burned...pun intended.
it's not an assault flamethrower because it's painted white, it's all good
And...no bayonet lug, flash suppressor or 30rd mag, which of course, would definitely make it illegal!...lmao!
you're right, there's no reason why anyone would need a high capacity flamethrower. 3 gallons of fuel should be more than enough for any flamethrowing enthusiast. and if it's not enough, you could always just have multiple 3 gallon tanks in the trunk. now if there any concerns about these flamethrowers being used to intentionally harm someone, we could always just install "flamethrower free zone" signs everywhere! problem solved!
Chipotle does not allow flame throwers. Can these be conceal carry?
is that a flamethrower in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
Build a man a fire, keep him warm for a day.
Set a man on fire, keep him warm for the rest of his life.
this will slow down those crowd control monkeys in blue. there will be a little less mace in the face when they have to consider John Q Flamey. Can't wait to see some roasted pig. Reckon Utub and faceplant will block the video?
Your roast might taste of fuel. I don't think you could cook with this.
For those tired of paintball.
Fuck yeah, bitchez...fuck wasting good booze and gasoline like dirty peasants with molotav cocktails.
Gonna gets me some flame thrower!!! ;-)
Cuz you never know when zombie helium balloons are going to attack!
Learn to speak English.
I wonder if this would work on all the cobwebs under my fascia boards. Hell, I better try it before Cali outlaws them.
Miffed;-)
Too late, Miffed.
http://xm42.com/faq/
Click on "legal to own".
Son of a bitch that was damn fast! We looked into this a while ago and they were still legal. Why do I have to smuggle every damn fucking thing in this state? Sheesh, so annoying.
What the Hell, I'll make my own. Hey, is Tall Tom in the house?
Miffed;-)
supersoaker and a propane lighter. I bet it's been done too. Google that if you're serious.
I beg to differ, cougar. If you're serious, then get a 3,000 PSI pressure washer, a 55 gal. drum of diesel fuel and a Size 25 (about 1/8" orifice) black nozzle. Add party juice and plenty of drunken friends. Forget the fire extinguisher - it's far too late for that nonsense. Keep this list handy - you'll need it.
Caution: arrange bail first in case you or any of your drunken friends survive. People can see this for miles and are inexplicably terrified by the ensuing flame ball and noise. I was told by one patient that 75 yards was no problem for this thing (at least before the 'mishap').
Miffed, a couple of "fluffed-up" pages of newspaper taped to a broom handle work great for this task, as well as, removing active wasp nests. Granted, they're not as fun as the flamethrower though.
P.S. Google Patent has prints for the device and the fuel.
I'm certain this will go over well on Halloween
Lawsuit time, anyone?
So is Cali going to restrict the amount of fuel it can hold?
More likley the Air Quality Board will nix it for emissions.
"On the heels of the shooting at Sandy Hook back in 2012,"....
"Sandy Hoax" -FIFY
Images for Sandy Hoax
Next time someone yells fire in a movie theatre...
I can't wait till the Mexican yard crews get these to replace their leaf blowers.
Flamethrowers made in TROY, Michigan not too far from HELL Michigan
I'm a Former Michigander so I had to laugh.
Yes, there really is a place called Hell. Maybe they test the lighters there?
Hell, Michigan - WikipediaThere is actually a Hell, California but that's really an oxymoron.
Miffed;-)
I'm almost having a wet dream thinking about the opportunity to be standing back inside the front door when one of those SWAT teams comes busting in the wrong house. Toasted Knuckle-Dragger, please.
One of these will come in handy when the shtf for my mound of popcorn.
"You'll burn your eye out, kid!"
They'll sell like hotcakes in cities like Detroit, Ferguson and Watts.
HOT DAMN!
HOT DAMN!
This looks cheaper than the $7500 estimate from an electrician to put heating wire on part of the edge of my roof to stop ice dams in the winter. I wonder if asphalt shingles are flamable? Oooops, burnt my house down.!!!
The Darwinian YouTube video possibilities are endless.
With a gasoline tank on it needing to be refilled every thirty seconds this doesn't strike me as a safe toy to play with even if you haven't downed a few beers. The company making these things better have a good legal team for all the civil suits that are likely to be coming.
you can find flamers on ebay - look under DJ lighting products, they come from China, of course, and clearly state that they are NOT toys, and do shoot real flames. They come with remote control and are under $300. A little creativity modification could probably yield interesting results
Cheap can of hairspray and a bic lighter; you have the hand-gun version at the cheap.
Just need a really big bong to go with it.
Better yet go to lowes, buy one of those two gallon canisters that you pressurize with a pump (used to spray weed killer), also get one of those plumbers torches with the push button start. Fill the two gallon canister with diesel fuel, duct tape the plumber torch to the bottom of the spray wand. Presto! Flame thrower. I made a couple to burn a large brush pile on my property, works like a charm. Don't ever use gasoline, to damn explosive.
Hey dude...., hold my beer......, watch this.
I used a Coleman stove fuel tank for a flame thrower when I was a teen. It didn't shoot 25ft, about 12ft, but it lasted a whole lot longer than 35s...
how 'bout suffocate elitists in their bunkers?
I ordered two after watching this part of the clip: https://youtu.be/6EKNGdRzEl4?t=30
Its sad that shit like this is the only manufacturing left in america.
my flamethrower is longer than your flamethrower
The very existence of flamethrowers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, "You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done."
-George Carlin
They're most effective at suffocating enemies in caves or pillboxes.
Flames suck up all the oxygen.
I prefer dragons breath rounds for 12 gauge.
flamethrower frenzy could be good for economy like broken windows and such. Fed should definitively own some. they could control inflation by burning some of the money they just printed, in case CPI picks up to early.
Hmmmm- anybody know where bernanke lives
Great for traffic control.
Call me when they offer commercially available systems to track and bring down military drones from outside their firing range.
This "may" have practical future use.
Flame throwers, not so much.
Give me one that attaches to a drone and has remote control.
I need one for the Batcave.
The hell with deep frying the Turkey this Thanksgiving, I'll just roast the son of a bitch in the backyard with my new flamethrower !
I wonder how it works on pesky in laws after I've polished off a 5th of Wild Turkey 101 ???
This thing is going to be an instant hit in Ferguson, MS.
It's only a matter of time before some genius buys the largest available flame thrower and the largest available drone, and...
I built one at age 14. Mine was intrinsically safe, and we did cook some bugs with it so that's a legit claim.
Hilarious! Insect Control!!! I love it!
Termite control... lol
Ha. I just told my neighbor I was going light my kitchen on fire to end our ant problem once and for all. I'm a renter
Was looking at some reviews for UBSOFT (probably not real) flame thrower on amazon.
"I was quite skeptical when I bought this, but it has proved useful and a lot of fun! I started out burning small bushes and shrubs. Unfortunately as I was chasing the neighbors cat out of my yard I set my house on fire. In a panic, I tried to put the fire out with the flame thrower like it was a fire extinguisher. My house went up like dry grass in a volcano. oh well. The street gangs have a whole new respect for me and I am unstoppable on a basketball court. I like to visit my inlaws with it and a 12 pack of beer. every visit turns out different!"
"At last something to combat Chicago's growing gang problem"
Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is 100 year old technology and you could just buy a surplus WWII model, so this is just BS
Military surplus models are damned hard to get, particularly in functioning condition. There weren't that many made in the first place, not by military standards, and museums have hoovered up loads of what was out there.
I made something like that only larger several years ago. It used a gallon of gasoline in less than a minute. Not sure about the exact time because the whole backyard was on fire quite quickly and I became quite busy.
A typical US military flamethrower, loaded, weighed nearly 70 pounds. It had fuel enough to last a half minute or so of firing...about a half gallon a second.
"...kill the weeds between your cracks in style..."
Just sounds painful.
Ima get me one for home de fence.
CRAZY is all I can say.
Bunker Buster for Billionaire's hiding in their bunkers? Range looks a little short for Zombie Control. It would also be a great thing if it had a remote control and you could set one up on your front steps to scare off any 'Trick or Treaters' coming around at 2:00 AM with battering rams.
I imagine it won't be long before someone ties a flamethrower or something else dangerous to one of these:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxBa5bQfTGc
Robot warfare, coming to a neighborhood near you for $2000 apiece or less.
You suppose the fuzz might use one or two when the next Ferguson or Baltimore erupts?
They'd probably be good for corralling banksters too.
Great display at Knobb Creek gunshoot/flamethrower squirt in Ft Knox KY years ago.
A flamethrower is a good response to a SWAT team bashing in your door in a no-knock raid...
My wife has one, a smaller model, in the kitchen......makes yummy food.
Fire! Fire! Fire!
Ah, flamethrowers! This article reminds me of my childhood. In 1946 my father went to an army surplus sale at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and returned home with a--flamethrower. He threw flames around our acreage for several weeks only to conclude that, for our purposes, a flamethrower had no value whatsoever. The only thing more exciting than the flamethrower was the hand grenade that I found in a garbage tip in 1949. Those were the days, my friend.
We need that hand grenade now.
Kosher Supervisors have used flame throwers for years to clean Restaurant kitchens. We use Propane. It is the only way to completely clean ovens, grills stainless steel counters and sinks. It really removes grease and grime.
Don't laugh.
The biggest mass murder in American history was committed with a gallon of gasoline.
No flamethrower needed.
because the government has weaponized drones? Gotta fight fire with fire!
You forgot #6, and it's directly related to a topic on Yahoo a day or two ago.... A man used his shotgun to get rid of a drone. He's facing several years in jail. If he had used one of these instead, the DA would have a hell of a time trying to pin much on him!