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Toy rocket inspires variable-speed bullets (technology scalable to any size, handgun to howitzer)
New Scientist ^ | 7/21/08 | David Hambling

Posted on 07/22/2008 11:27:48 AM PDT by LibWhacker

A gun that fires variable speed bullets and which can be set to kill, wound or just inflict a bruise is being built by a US toy manufacturer. The weapon is based on technology used to propel toy rockets.

Lund and Company Invention, a toy design studio based near Chicago, makes toy rockets that are powered by burning hydrogen obtained by electrolysing water. Now the company is being funded by the US army to adapt the technology to fire bullets instead.

The US Army are interested in arming soldiers with weapons that can be switched between lethal and non-lethal modes. They asked Company Invention to make a rifle that can fire bullets at various speeds.

(Excerpt) Read more at technology.newscientist.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: bang; banglist; bullets; donutwatch; leo; miltech; speed; toy; variable
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To: LibWhacker

How are you suppose to dial-in your sights when you don’t know how much ‘drop’ your going to get?


21 posted on 07/22/2008 11:57:24 AM PDT by Tallguy (Tagline is offline till something better comes along...)
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To: LibWhacker

Perhaps if we used our military to fight wars instead of police actions we wouldnt need this.


22 posted on 07/22/2008 11:59:48 AM PDT by driftdiver (No More Obama - The corruption hasnÂ’t changed despite all our hopes.)
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To: ops33

Brits.


23 posted on 07/22/2008 12:00:26 PM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: LibWhacker
There are all kinds of big toys for big guns.


24 posted on 07/22/2008 12:00:29 PM PDT by Pistolshot (When you let what you are define who you are, you create divisiveness.)
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To: Pistolshot

World’s biggest silencer?


25 posted on 07/22/2008 12:03:38 PM PDT by Hegewisch Dupa (The goo on John Kerry's flip-flops)
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To: Pistolshot

two questions. 1) is that for real? and 2) what the hell is that?


26 posted on 07/22/2008 12:05:04 PM PDT by manapua
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To: driftdiver; Tallguy

I don’t think I’d want to take it into combat, that’s for sure. Even patrolling the streets as a cop, I wouldn’t want it. A situation could turn deadly in an instant and you might only have two-tenths of a second to react... Sure wouldn’t want to be fiddling with some knob setting before I could fire.


27 posted on 07/22/2008 12:06:26 PM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: Pistolshot

what the heck is that and where do I get one?


28 posted on 07/22/2008 12:06:40 PM PDT by Mr. K (Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help)
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To: Pistolshot

The tank as primer?


29 posted on 07/22/2008 12:08:55 PM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: LibWhacker

Set Beeber to stune!


30 posted on 07/22/2008 12:12:19 PM PDT by Incorrigible (If I lead, follow me; If I pause, push me; If I retreat, kill me.)
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To: angrymarine

Then beam me up Scotty!


31 posted on 07/22/2008 12:13:47 PM PDT by GEC (We're not drilling in ANWR because....)
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To: Terabitten

“You want a soldier to decide whether to set his rifle on kill or stun?
Read the article.

From said article: “Lund says that the new weapon system will use different types of bullet for lethal and non-lethal use.”

Don’t feel bad, though. The “expert” quoted in the article didn’t apparently read it either:

“Steve Wright, a security expert at Leeds Metropolitan University, UK warns of the potential risk of variable lethality. “In a high-stress, high-personal-risk zone, there will be a real temptation for soldiers to turn the tuneable lethality switch up to ‘kill’ mode so that all doubt is removed.” “

Bottom line, the soldier will use whatever ammo the chain of command issues. I can see maybe issuing a mix of ammo based on the circumstance, loaded in different magazines — regular mags for regular ammo, orange mags for less-than-lethal, for example. “

I read the article and I also happen to target shoot. If you vary the speed of a projectile you will destroy the accuracy of the firearm, unless you add in expensive and error-prone compensating optical systems.

People who actually own and understand firearms recognize the need for consistency, which is why many handload. We are looking for precise, repeatable muzzle velocity. Not some Yugo to SR71 variable speed wonder bullet that does everything.

Gimmickry from people who do not understand weapons systems.


32 posted on 07/22/2008 12:19:44 PM PDT by xDGx
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To: Pistolshot

whatever it is, it looks like that panzer is gettin’ jiggy wit it.
`fess up, what is that thang?


33 posted on 07/22/2008 12:20:39 PM PDT by tumblindice (Americas Founding Fathers, all armed conservatives)
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To: Hegewisch Dupa; Pistolshot
World’s biggest silencer?

How baby howitzers are made?

34 posted on 07/22/2008 12:23:53 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows (~ ~ FREE LAZAMATAZ! ~ ~ [Shipping and handling charges may apply.])
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To: LibWhacker
NoScientist Again.

One can buy ratshot rounds, or one can buy Hydrashocks.

Now Fund Me. :-)

35 posted on 07/22/2008 12:27:56 PM PDT by Gorzaloon
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To: Hegewisch Dupa
Babelfish Translation:

The photo shows a PzH M109 with muffler with the military engineering agency (WTD) in Meppen) (photo: Pahlkötter)
36 posted on 07/22/2008 12:32:55 PM PDT by DigitalVideoDude (It's amazing what you can accomplish when you don't care who gets the credit. -Ronald Reagan)
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To: Slings and Arrows

How baby howitzers are made?

That’s what I wuz thinkin’. Looks pornographic, don’t it?


37 posted on 07/22/2008 12:38:26 PM PDT by TexasRepublic (When hopelessness replaces hope, it opens the door to evil.)
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To: xDGx

Good post. It seems like they could just experiment with a teflon shell filled with plastic shot. I don’t see how that would ruin the lethality of a regular loaded round that was shot right afterwards.


38 posted on 07/22/2008 12:41:53 PM PDT by Kevmo (A person's a person, no matter how small. ~Horton Hears a Who)
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To: LibWhacker

If I shoot at someone, I don’t want to wound or bruise. I want to kill the sucker and preferably atomize him.
I don’t want to be sued by some dirtbag cripple, for wingin’ him.


39 posted on 07/22/2008 12:43:23 PM PDT by BuffaloJack
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To: Tijeras_Slim
MBA Gyrojet

I used to work for an MBA dealer. I could have bought those things all day long for about $80 and the ammo less than a dollar a round. Had more important things to spend money on, sigh.....

40 posted on 07/22/2008 12:51:45 PM PDT by Dumpster Baby ( They told me that using the download page to download something was not something they anticipated)
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