Variable Speed Rifle

[Guest EasilyObsessed]

http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn14372-toy-rocket-inspires-variablespeed-bullets.html

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.

Sniper version

The new weapon, called the Variable Velocity Weapon System or VWS, lets the soldier to use the same rifle for crowd control and combat, by altering the muzzle velocity. It could be loaded with "rubber bullets" designed only to deliver blunt impacts on a person, full-speed lethal rounds or projectiles somewhere between the two.

Bruce Lund, the company's CEO, says the gun works by mixing a liquid or gaseous fuel with air in a combustion chamber behind the bullet. This determines the explosive capability of the propellant and consequently the velocity of the bullet as it leaves the gun. "Projectile velocity varies from non-lethal at 10 metres, to lethal at 100 metres or more, as desired," says Lund.

The company says that the weapon produces less heat and light than traditional guns. It can also be made lighter and could have a high power setting for long-range sniping.

Police already fire non-lethal projectiles from standard shotguns. These are known as "beanbag" rounds, bags of lead shot which will knock down a suspect at ranges of up to 10 metres. They are termed "non-lethal", but can cause bruising or even broken ribs.

'Handgun to Howitzer'

Lund says that the new weapon system will use different types of bullet for lethal and non-lethal use. Police forces already use separate shotguns for non-lethal loads – typically marking them with bright orange tape to prevent any confusion – so this shouldn't be an issue.

The existing VWS design is a .50 calibre (12.7 mm) rifle weapon, but Lund says the technology can be scaled to any size, "handgun to Howitzer".

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."

A demonstration version will be ready within six months, and the VWS could go into production within 18 months of approval, according to Lund and Company.

Interesting article. I see a whole new set of arguments from the anti-gun crowd about how only firearms set to "stun" should be sold to civilians.

[nightrunner]

well, there ya go. just buy one of these in .45 and when you feel like it, set it to stun and you then have a 9mm.

[Guest Bronker]

And then the fight started...

[jaysouth]

Some folks either don't have enough keep them busy or else chase government contracts. Who knows, the gov might even be funding his prototype?

[Guest jwp]

Pointless.

[Guest superslacker]

well, there ya go. just buy one of these in .45 and when you feel like it, set it to stun and you then have a 9mm.

[TGO David]

well, there ya go. just buy one of these in .45 and when you feel like it, set it to stun and you then have a 9mm.

Hmmm... be hit with a heavy slow moving projectile, or be hit with a small fast moving projectile... decisions, decisions!

[molonlabetn]

This is absurd.

[Daniel]

you two look so cute in your AV's.

[Smith]

Problem is you'd have to change bullets along with the speed. So you carry two rifles worth of ammo, gas for two rifles and gain no real advantage except tremendous possibilities of lawsuits. I can see it now, "I though I had the non-lethal rounds and speed!" Sounds like an military project for sure.

[dcloudy777]

This application is absurd, but the technology driving it could be the cat's butt. Imagine a 125gr high BC 6.5mm projectile that you could throw at around 2,300 FPS with practically no recoil for fast CQB, but then turning a dial and moving the same bullet at 3,300 fps to engage targets out to 1000m and beyond? Count me in.

DanO

[molonlabetn]

you two look so cute in your AV's.

[TGO David]

you two look so cute in your AV's.

It's a little known fact that one of us flipped the photo for our avatar. We were actually shooting at each other in the original photo. We're so tactical, that's how we train.

[Guest jackdog]

how is this possible, is it a round fire by compressed gas.

[molonlabetn]

Sounds like it uses a liquid propellant instead of powder... neat idea, but far less practical than simply reloading one's own conventional cartridges with several different power levels and projectiles. A rifled shotgun would rock... fire those Taser shells, rubber ball, or sabot JHP with good accuracy out to 100yd. But that technology already exists.

Any domestic (LEO) sniper shooting 'for real' at much over 200yd, or needing pinpoint accuracy due to hostage proximity, etc, is going to be using a real rifle with a demonstrably effective, lethal load... no question.

There is no market for this worth the R&D expense. It's basically a glorified potato-gun.

[strickj]

From the linky comments:

I wouldn't want to trust a UK Police officer with one

[Smith]

It's a little known fact that one of us flipped the photo for our avatar. We were actually shooting at each other in the original photo. We're so tactical, that's how we train.

Glad to see neither one of you can hit what you shoot at!

[Guest m14man]

i dont see a toy company producing a durable firearm every toy gun i have ever owned broke in like ten mins.

[molonlabetn]

Glad to see neither one of you can hit what you shoot at!

They were just 9mms, no big deal.