XM42M Flamethrower at the 2018 SHOT Show Range Day

The Ion Productions had the latest version of their personal flamethrower at the 2018 SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range on Monday.

The XM42M updates the original by adding modularity to the design. Owners can now more easily swap out or replace parts to customize their flamethrowers.

As the guys from Ion are quick to point out, flamethrowers are not considered “firearms” under Federal law and are legal in 48 out of 50 states. (Sorry, California and Maryland residents.)

Unfortunately, the range would not allow a live-fire demo of the XM42M, but videos are easy to find online. In this video a rep goes over the specs and features of the XM42M and explains the improvements over the original design.

Rob Reed

Rob Reed is a firearms instructor, collector and all around "projectile launcher enthusiast" in the Metro Detroit area. He also writes as the Michigan Firearms Examiner.