Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why did we choose 131°F as the color changing point for the Flare Mini™?

A. We found that 131°F (55°C) is the perfect temperature to give the best information. At 131°F or below, the barrel is hot enough to touch while having enough contact time for your brain to register the heat and pull away without injury. Any higher and you can suffer a burn before getting your hand away in time.

On the flip side, if the FLARE Mini™ changed color at too low of a temperature, then it may be glowing orange from sitting in the hot sun. You may think it’s too hot to touch or store, when really it’s fine to handle. So 131°F (55°C) gives good information while avoiding false positives.

Q. Do they stretch?

A. The FLARE Mini™ will stretch to fit barrel sizes .675″-2″ in diameter. However, try to avoid stretching the FLARE Mini™ as this can damage the product. It is recommended to first remove your muzzle brake or flash hider from your barrel.

Q. How snug is this fit? I’m assuming these won’t slide freely along the barrel?

A. They fit well on barrels .675″-.9″ in diameter. Anything smaller than .675” and the FLARE Mini™ will start sliding around. Anything larger than .9” and you may break it from stretching it out.

Q. Why did we choose orange?

A. We chose orange due to the two most popular types of colorblindness. The most common has trouble seeing red, so the yellow in the orange makes it most prominent. The second most common has trouble with yellow, so the red in the orange comes through

Q. Do these work on fluted barrels?

A. The FLARE Mini™ will still turn orange on the points that make contact with the barrel. However, it may not be completely uniform over the channels. This will depend on the barrel temp, ambient temp, wind speed, etc. But the points of contact will work the same.

Q. Why do you need one of these?

A. The primary purpose of the FLARE Mini™ is to help keep you and your equipment safe. Many of our customers and have shared their stories with us. Prior to using the FLARE Mini™, many of them have made the mistake of accidentally burning their hands and or melting their storage bags to their hot barrels.

B. Precision shooting: Sight in your rifle with an optimal temperature – Reduce bullet drift by using the Flare Mini™ to indicate when your barrel starts to get too hot, which can affect accuracy.

Q. Will this work for a shot gun or a suppressor?

The FLARE Mini™ will fit on barrels .675″-.2″ in diameter. Anything smaller than .675” and the FLARE Mini™ will start sliding around. Anything larger than .9” and you may break it from stretching it out. As for use with a suppressor, we have yet to confirm that the FLARE Mini™ will adequately hold up against the extreme temperatures that are common to suppressors. But we are working on this as well as additional sizes.

Q. Out of curiosity what is the life expectancy for the Flare Mini?

A. We have prototypes well over 2 years old that have been heated and cooled over 200 times that function at 100% and have the same elasticity. We have tested them on the field, and we have also tested them by wearing them (on our pinkies) to see how they hold up to daily abuse. They do wear down and will eventually snap if you abuse them all day every day for about 4 months. That’s hands in and out of pockets, typing at a keyboard, etc.

Q. At what temperature will the FLARE Mini™ become damaged and fail?

A. While silicone is good for 500°F+, we’ve tested the FLARE Mini™ up to 450°F stretched over a 1″ barrel without damaging the unit. We are currently testing for an exact failure temperature.

Have a question for us? You can reach us here, or email us at info@cavemanllc.net