History Main / FlareGun

** In the vanilla game, Civil Protection officers will shoot flare guns up in the air when they spot Gordon to call in reinforcements. In the beta, the player was meant to get their hands on one (which would light people on fire, naturally), but it was cut before release. In Episode 1, though, one of the many objects [[WreakingHavok the Gravity Gun]] can turn into {{Improvised Weapon}}s are standard road flares.

* ''Film/{{Underwater}}''. While on the derelict Shepard Station, [[BreakOutTheMuseumPiece Norah finds an underwater flare gun]] that she can use against the FishPeople. Ironically it also gets used for its proper purpose when Norah fires off a flare into the pitch black water to illuminate [[spoiler:a titanic sea monster.]]

* ''Film/{{Underwater}}''. While on the derelict Shepard Station, [[BreakOutTheMuseumPiece Norah finds an underwater flare gun]] that comes useful against the underwater monsters she's up against. Ironically it ends up getting uses for its proper purpose when Norah fires off a flare into the pitch black water to illuminate [[spoiler:a titanic sea monster.]]

* ''Videogame/DeepRockGalactic'' has a profoundly weird one that, rather than the blazing sort of flares, shoots out the more electric sort with large, sharpened stakes like some manner of harpoon gun, so as to embed them in the cavern walls to provide prolonged illumination. It's not a particularly good weapon, but it's ''vital'' for seeing where the hell you're going.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has a DLC, Lonesome Road, which introduces a flare gun. It isn't all that powerful, but it is quite useful in spooking the various monsters listed as 'abominations' in the game.

*** Albeit one with [[ShortRangeShotgun no real barrel to speak of,]] [[AwesomeButImpractical and a chamber made of plastic,]] making it a (nearly) literal example of a GlassCannon (and as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjVw1_H3wXM&t=4m41s this video shows]], [[DontTryThisAtHome it's not a good idea to try this for yourself]]). Military surplus flare guns are usually made of steel and robust enough to handle live ammunition (with a rifled adapter to fit it into the bore); separately, neither is a firearm but together, they become a handgun and -- in the US -- fall under all applicable federal, state and municipal firearm laws. It's still a single-shot pistol with no ejector, so usability is mostly for plinking and wilderness survival. Adapters for conventional 12 gauge flares are also available. [[note]]Smoothbore adapters become [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_II_weapons#Any_other_weapon Any Other Weapon]] whether they're chambered for 12 guage shells or pistol cartridges and require registration and a $5 BATF stamp (it was $200 like other NFA-listed items until it was lowered in 1960).[[/note]]

* In the Luiterature/MattHelm novel ''The Intriguers'', one character uses a flare gun as an improvised weapon to incapacitate the BigBad. Afterward, Matt uses it to signal for help.

* ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'' has a flare gun for [[StandardFPSGuns the standard FPS pistol slot]]. Shots stick to enemies and deal constant fire damage, and it's powerful enough to turn most enemies into [[ManOnFire flailing humanoid fireballs]] in less than three shots. They also return for the sequel with a more futuristic construction, appearing almost like a revolver, and still as useful as ever, as certain Cabal enemies teleport when they take damage and a type of miniboss is intangible unless it's attacking, but the burning flare stays on them in both cases. SecondaryFire is a starburst pattern of eight flares that explode on contact and set everything in the contact area alight[[note]]or at least it ''should'' in ''Blood II'': the attack is glitched and deals absolutely no damage[[/note]].