The XM42 Is The First Handheld Commercially Available Flamethrower

Christen da Costa Avatar
Updated 10:59 pm

We know about the Key Features to a Good Crossbow, but what about a flamethrower? Few of us, if any, actually have need of a flamethrower.  For something a bit more practical, take a look at the best crossbow. Flamethrowers have existed since the 900s, when a Chinese inventor came up with a fire spraying machine, and even since, they’ve mostly been used to drive enemy soldiers out of buildings and be fun but pretty much useless in first-person shooters. So unless there’s a German pillbox in your neighborhood, you probably don’t need the XM42.  But that, of course, isn’t the point.

You’re On Fire

The XM42 at least claims to have a purpose, like clearing away snow, and you can actually use it for industrial purposes like controlled burns. And if you do need a portable flame source, this actually isn’t bad; it has a small tank of fuel, so you won’t have to haul around a backpack full of ridiculously dangerous napalm. In fact, it runs on gasoline, which is fairly impressive in of itself considering gas is surprisingly hard to actually burn.

And it looks cool. That is, to some degree, the entire point.

Throwing Flame

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Like we said, most of us don’t need a portable fireball generator in our home. On the other hand, it’s $700 and really, if you’re going to drop that much money on anything, the point is either a professional tool, or something fun. And yes, it comes in power-coated varieties. Enjoy your fireball.

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