11/21/2025
The WWII M8 37mm flare pistol: simple, rugged, and built to save lives. Issued to U.S. Army Air Forces crew members, this AN-M8 could fire parachute flares, colored signal flares, or even smoke markers up to 600+ feet. Weighing just 3 lbs and made of stamped steel and alloy, it was the standard aircraft pyrotechnic pistol from 1942 through the end of the war.
But the real unicorn is the ultra-rare Cabin Pressure Airframe Mount (sometimes called the “interior flare pistol bracket”). Designed for high-altitude bombers like the B-17, B-24, and B-29, this mount clamped the M8 to the airframe and allowed the crew to fire flares from inside the pressurized or semi-pressurized cabin without depressurizing the aircraft. A spring-loaded breech sealed the barrel against the fuselage skin, and a small exterior port let the flare exit while keeping the cold and wind out at 25,000 ft. Fewer than a handful of original mounts are known to exist today.
This is just one example of the unique history available at our shop in Charlotte, NC!
