flag gun

Noun

flag gun (plural flag guns)

1. (UK) A gun in an artillery train bearing a flag.
   • Major Lawrence returned answer, 'that the English colours were carried on the flag gun of their artillery, which if Mons. D'Aotenil would look out for, he might thence discover where the English were posted ; and that, although he was as unwilling as himself to spill European blood, yet if any...1814, Edward Wedlake Brayley, The Beauties of England and Wales: or Original Delineations, Topographical, Historical, and Descriptive, of Each County, volume 10, London, page 717
   • Centuries ago the largest gun in an artillery train carried the equivalent of today's Queen's Colour and it was known as the “Colour” or “Flag Gun”.2009 August 1, Christopher Jobson, Looking Forward, Looking Back: Customs and Traditions of the Australian Army, Big Sky Publishing, →ISBN, →OL, page 55
2. A humorous prop gun which unfurls a small flag when its trigger is pulled.
   • "I'm going all out with the props. A rubber fish with a big smile, a bang flag gun, and a kazoo. . . ."2008 October 14, Mike, “Wanna know how I got these scars? They were $3.49 . . .”, in The Sockpuppet Asylum
   • I was waiting to be offered an exploding cigar and then shot with a bang flag gun!2011 September 20, Dennis D’Alesandro, “Belknapʼs bizarro world at Rebekah Templeton”, in The Art Blog, archived from the original on 20 Jun 2013