When a Gun Is More Than a Gun

wired news ^ | 3/19/03 | wired news

[freepatriot32]

PICATINNY ARSENAL, New Jersey -- It is among the most horrific weapons in any army's collection: the thermobaric bomb, a fearsome explosive that sets fire to the air above its target, then sucks the oxygen out of anyone unfortunate enough to have lived through the initial blast.

[freepatriot32]

I wonder if these will pass the gun show loophole :-)

I have a feeling that sarah brady will become the coniption queen if they do lol

[Commander8]

I pity the poor fool on the business end of that thing.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[oyez]

bfl

[demlosers]

Cool!

[rageaholic]

Cool, now I hope the army will develop an email weapon that causes a fist to spring out from the monitor and punch the recipient. I have many, many applications for that weapon.

[Andiceman]

I'll quote someone from one of my favorite gun discussion boards regarding this article:

---

They make it sound like some sort of revolutionary new development. The Russians have their RPO-A, RShG-1, and RPG-7V1 thermobaric weapons for individual soldiers. The Poles have their ZN-7 thermobaric RPG warhead. The Bulgarians have their GTB-7G thermobaric RPG warhead.
Picatinny is trying to catch up to the rest of the world.

---

Developing this sure seems like a good thing to me--if the other guys pick up bigger stick, you'd better go looking for one yourself.

[gcruse]

Developing this sure seems like a good thing to me--if the other guys pick up bigger stick, you'd better go looking for one yourself.

North Korea agrees emphatically.

[smokeyjon]

"I'll quote someone from one of my favorite gun discussion boards regarding this article:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They make it sound like some sort of revolutionary new development. The Russians have their RPO-A, RShG-1, and RPG-7V1 thermobaric weapons for individual soldiers. The Poles have their ZN-7 thermobaric RPG warhead. The Bulgarians have their GTB-7G thermobaric RPG warhead. Picatinny is trying to catch up to the rest of the world."
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Yeah, but it's only EEEEEEEEEEEVIL if the US has/uses it.

[CGTRWK]

I have doubts as to whether the 20mm OICW projectile is big enough to make a practical blast weapon.

[Robert357]

War is about killing people and breaking things. Military weapons are the tools by which this is done.

The gunshow loop hole is BS and about gun control and about clamping down on things that are "un-Politically Correct."

Our society does need to grapple with the question of civilian weapons versus military weapons. The US Supreme Court banned sawed off shotguns as illegal and subject to special taxes as they do not have a military purpose. that decision really messed up the debate.

The 2nd Ammendment is about the common people having military weapons so as to protect themselves, their freedoms and the state. Obviously, we don't want someone on every block to be able to have their own nuclear weapon, thermobaric bomb, or B-52 bomber (or do we?) The Government has established bizzar definitions on what is a "destructive device or weapon of war."

Hopefully at some point our courts, our constitutional freedoms and federal laws can be reconciled. I am not going to hold my breath.

[plusone]

I believe it was a thermobaric bomb that was dropped at the beginning of the movie "Outbreak" to wipe out an African village...

[ninenot]

The article states that "after the fire is out, the mist sucks all the oxygen out of the air."

IMHO, the author is sadly deficient in basic education.

The fire, not the mist, sucks the oxygen out of the air. After the fire is out, all the occupants will ALSO be out--same reason: no remaining oxygen.

But--stupidity from the press is not new; unfortunately, it's common--and dangerous.

[lavaroise]

Russians have already fuel air grenades with the power of a howitzer in a rifle or grenade launcher. Human Rights watch is full of crap.