DRAGON'S BREATH INFO

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David

New member
I've got a "flame" for you. I have these shells, but haven't shot them yet. The pictures look pretty imposing. Has anybody actually shot them yet, and what was it like.

I would like to know before I set one off.

Silly Hollywood scenario #231: Your car has broken down in an alley, and a large gang (23 or so) loaded to the teeth, are coming to get you. You grab your shotgun, announce you are loaded(the shotgun, not you) with Dragon's Breath, and if they don't want to be perp B-B-Q, leave immediately. Talk about something that can potentially take out a large group all at once. One shot, 23 kills??

Oh, and don't ever think about setting one off indoors.
Ouch!
 
No experience with it but have you looked to see if any of the compound is corrosive? I don't know what they use for the flaming effect but it would probably be a good idea to clean immediately afterwards to prevent any corrosion.
 
The manufacturer claims that there is no damage to the firearm at all. The compound supposedly doesn't get dangerously hot until it is well outside the barrel.

I will test it in an old Mossburg first. If it ruins the barrel, no big deal.
 
They don't say. It's supposed to be the same thing they experimented with in tanks, turning them into flamethrowers.

The flame is supposed to reach 90-100 yards, for approx. 3 seconds, and reach over 3000 degrees fahrenheit. Let's see a JHP bullet do that!
 
Is Dragon's Breath available to private citizens? I was under the impression that it was restricted to LE or the military, or something. In what scenario was it intended to be used? Sounds like something for "Apocalyptic Riot Control".

P.S.- Who is the manufacturer?

-boing
 
Boing, I don't have it with me right now.

Anybody can buy it, but I think you're not supposed to have it in the republic of New York and/or maybe California.

I can buy it at any major gun show in Texas.

What is it used for? Anywhere you would use a flamethrower, I guess. Just about anyone can own one of those too! If you have a valid driver's license, and are 21 yrs. and older, you can even buy dynamite and blasting caps here.

Seriously, I am not a firebug, so except for some extremely politically incorrect crowd control, or burning out fields on your farm, I guess this product falls into the "any other nospecific use" category. Or just plain fun. Cheaper than a flamethrower....

Still, if you have a gang charging you, you could fire it before they get too close, then, while they stop and urinate on themselves, you can ask them if they want to see it again, except closer, and at waist level.

True, this is Hollywierd stuff, but I can't imagine anybody wanting to mess with you after you give 'em a demo.

My partner and I are always trying to pull psych-ops on others, and this one probably would be a tad too dangerous, but we speculated using these at the skeet range, or on a duck hunt, and when we fire them, just act as if nothing happened. IF it could be done SAFELY, it would be hilarious! Kids, puleez do not try this at home!
 
Far as I know, Magnesium is the stuff that lights up. I have seen these for sale at gun shows, (usually at the booth with the guy selliing videos of Black Gov. Helicopters) for about 5 bucks a round. Ouch! Thought about playing with them, but they are spendy!
 
David,
Several years ago I got a package of them in a trade that involved a couple guns and some odd lots of ammo.

I fired them out of an old High Standard riot gun that was surplus from the local PD. (didn't want to hurt my Benelli)
They pretty much work as advertised. I don't remember the flame lasting a whole 3 seconds though, it was pretty quick.

Don't shoot them after dusk without sunglasses, the flame will blind you for a few seconds.

All in all I thought they were a neat toy, no damage to the gun, but I don't really see a tactical application for them. I haven't spent the money to buy any since and if they hadn't been in that box of assorted ammo I took in trade I probably would never have gotten any. BTW there were two packs of the flechette rounds made by the same company, I was very disappointed in them. Many flechettes hit the target side ways from 7 yards, I don't believe they'd be effective at all.
Jeff
 
BTW, if you ever use those 12 gauge flares (like for marine purposes) in a shotgun, you have to have an open choke, or you risk them being stuck in the tube. Quite the light show then. :0 They are very corrosive too.
 
I don't havce any direct experience with dragon breath rounds ( I think they are kinda "spendy" too...), but I did lose a summer of my youth to some very adventurous and amateur reloading of shotgun shells to include..well, almost anything that you can put in a shotgun shell.

Commercially loaded Fletchettes that I have messed around with generally need more than 7 yards to stabilize in flight. Take a regular dart and hold it across your palm. Throw it like a baseball at somehting, if you stand to close the dart is likely to hit sideways. if you stand a bit further back, the air flow will push the finned side to the rear and the point will hit the target.
 
Not to engage in a discourse about B&E, but magnesium is used to cut open a lot of things. There has to be a delay mechanism for ignition and lack thereof would assuredly allow the magnesium to harm your barrel. But, if you can get a spare barrel cheap that you can abuse, who cares?
 
Be advised that self-defense use of this product is illegal in some areas. I know it is in GA, as well as is defensive use of tracer. (Which is a shame, as I have 200 rounds of .308 :D. Guess I'll save it for a RBD.)

I believe there was a bill in the works that specifically mentioned Dragon's Breath, as well as outlawing tracer and incindiary rounds. As I have essentially given up on our legislative representatives, I do not have more info.
 
I got a catalog called Firequest in an order from Delta Force. It has about 30 different 12ga round ranging from the "Flame Thrower" to ones with small chains or darts or other thoroughly nasty projectiles. Only a few are illegal in some states the Flame Thrower being one. web address is www.firequest.com

Who come up with this stuff? nasty!
 
The magnesium must be a finely ground powder for it to ignite in such a short time span. This means it will also burn-out in a very short time span. For incendiaries to function in a role other than as part of a combustion train, it must present the target materials with sufficient heat for a sufficient time to vaporize and ignite the surfaces. Unfortunately, the magnesium dust doesn't do this. For all practical intents and purposes, these novelty rounds can best be used to cause temporary flash-blindness at night (this means you have to close your eyes to fire them - a dangerous practice in any confrontational situation). Note however, that the magnesium load would be dangerous at close range, as are "blank" cartridges.



[This message has been edited by Mykl (edited 01-11-99).]
 
I'VE USED DRAGON'S BREATH TO TURN A CHARGING BROWN BEAR IN ALASKA. I'M QUITE IMPRESSED WITH THESE ROUNDS.. I'VE ALSO USED THEM AS A JOKE WHILE DUCK HUNTING WITH A FREIND.. HE COULD NOT HIT ANYTHING THAT DAY AND WAS OUT OF SHELLS, SO I GAVE HIM ONE OF MY SHELLS(DB). TALK ABOUT TOASTING AND ROASTING THE DUCK. THESE SHELLS ARE WORTH THE PRICE.
 
Rooster, I got them at a gun show. Beware. Make sure the label actually sez Dragon's Breath, and has the same picture of someone shooting it, that you seen in the Shotgun News ads.

I was thinking about trying them at the skeet range on a rainy day, just for laughs. The skeet person I shoot with has HDD (humor deficit disorder), and I think it might "brighten" his day.
 
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