I have a bad feeling about this. To me, it's like witnessing the exact cause of a chain-reaction failure.

jsha.22lr, I don't want to discourage you (or anyone) from using their skill & ingenuity to fabricate a part.

What I'm about to write will sound harsh. I don't intend it to be. I just do not want a fellow firearms enthusiast to get hurt or get into legal trouble.

I guess I must be getting old because these are some of questions my level of common sense brings to mind

1. Have you done the research into flare launcher construction? Asking random strangers on an internet forum that is not dedicated to flare launchers is not a good idea. I suggest you go and examine a flare launcher and pay attention to it's construction details. In the end, it's your responsibility to find the credible information. (The issue of being able to discern credible v.s. non-credible via critical thinking is a subject on it's own.)

2. What is your skill level? Are you mechanically inclined? Do you have welding skills or experience in metal fabrication? Do you work in any of the trades where one skill can be related to another trade? Do you have access to anyone who has the requisite background or skills who is willing to teach you?

I know guys who have the skill to weld aluminum perfectly. I know guys who can't loosen a nut from a bolt.

3. What type of force, back-flush, heat, etc will the launcher, mount, & your rifle have to withstand?

4. Is it even legal to perform the proposed modification on your 15-22? I would check Federal law, State/County/Local laws and ordinances. Will the addition of a flare launcher push your 15-22 into the NFA class firearms? Are there ATF permits & tax stamps required? I don't know.

There are little nuances to firearms laws that can get a firearms enthusiast into trouble. For example, an AR 15 pistol. Mount a vertical fore grip & that AR 15 pistol is illegal and can get you time in club fed. Mount a MagPul AFG, and that is legal.

5. Setting aside the legal question, is it appropriate to launch a signal flare in your area? What type of reaction will your signal flare cause? Do you live in a sparsely inhabited area where no one will see it? Do you live in a region where a signal flare draws immediate attention and treated as a call for emergency help?

6. To the uninitiated, a 37mm weapon mounted flare launcher can be misconstrued to be a grenade launcher. Do you want to deal with the hassle that this can possibly generate? A flare/grenade launcher is something that the average citizen doesn't see often, and can cause unease. Enough unease to call local law enforcement.

Even blocked off as an inert display to mount on your 15-22 can possibly draw the wrong attention.



37MM 7 1/2 INCH FLARE LAUNCHER

Now that I got all that out of the way, I feel I've discharged my self perceived moral/ethical duty.

Now if you're going just for looks, have you considered an airsoft rifle mounted airsoft grenade launcher? It will be marked as an airsoft device. You can also keep the purchase receipt handy as proof that it isn't the real deal should you encounter any legal issue. Not saying that it still won't get you into trouble.

http://www.evike.com/index.php?cPath=21_46