Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Okay, just back from a little night testing of the 26.5mm HK flare guns.

First off, be prepared for the smell and fun of black powder. Theres some blackpowder-like fouling in the barrels after a couple rounds and it sure smells like black powder. Of course, water and a paper towel cleans it up nicely.

Recoil is about like a midrange .44 Mag or a good .357 Mag. Not unmanageable by any stretch. The less-than-ergonomic handle probably has a lot to do with it. Flares reach a fair altitude of, Im guessing, several hudnred feet and burn out before hitting the ground. The green ones provided a decent bit of ground illumination but they dont have the hangtime of the parachute flares. In addition to the recoil, there is also a report that would make you glad you wore ear protection.

All in all, Im not disappointed. Fun stuff. Being Commander Zero gets you some fun toys to play with every so often….