Dragon's breath (ammunition)

Dragon's breath is a special type of incendiary-effect round for a 12 gauge (18.5 mm) shotguns. Dragon's breath consists primarily of magnesium pellets/shards. When the round is fired, sparks and flames can shoot out to about 100 feet (30 meters), although, some sources claim it extends to 300 feet (91 meters).[1] Dragon's breath is normally chambered in 12-gauge ​2 3⁄4″ (18.5 mm × 69.9 mm) shot shells. The rounds are safe to fire out of an improved cylinder bore as well as a modified choke barrel, common on many shotguns.[2]

For other uses of Dragon's Breath, see Dragon's Breath.
Dragon's breath at night

Overview

While its combat or tactical usage remains undocumented, the visual effect it produces is impressive and entertaining, similar to that of a short-ranged flamethrower or fireworks. Also undocumented, it has been claimed by enthusiasts that the rounds are often used as a distress signal, similar to a very short duration emergency flare gun, though some would argue a flare would be better suited for such. It may also be used as a less-than-lethal option for self-/home-defense, although the less-than-lethal aspect and safety are disputed, as the magnesium shards burn at approximately 3,000 to 4,000 °F (1,650 to 2,200 °C), which is more than enough to light a person, or house, on fire.[1][3]

Compared to most regular types of shotgun ammunition that is mass-produced, the pyrotechnic shell is somewhat expensive, and costs US$5–7 per shell,[1][4] depending on caliber and load. Due to the shells being low-pressure charged rounds, it is not suited to be used in a semi-automatic shotgun as it does not produce enough recoil energy to cycle the automated action, causing the mechanism to fail to cycle. Thus it is more suited for pump-action shotguns.

Legality

Dragon's breath rounds are regulated by state law in four American states (California, Florida, Illinois and Iowa[5]), due to their inherent fire hazard.

References
  1. "AmericanSpecialtyAmmo.com". www.americanspecialtyammo.com. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  2. "Of Dragon's Breath and hammer-shells". TheFreeLibrary.com. Retrieved 2015-03-06.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-01-18. Retrieved 2016-01-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-01-18. Retrieved 2016-01-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "NSSF Ammunition Laws by State" (PDF). Retrieved 10 September 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.