>Actually I think there should be one-way guns about the size
>of a flashlight, made from a bundle of compound tubes which are
>ignited electrically (lithium battery). By using a visible
>laser diode the aim on short range would be accurate enough. Since
>they are already electrical you wouldn't have to mess with
>electronics/mechanics interface. If mass-produced, these things
>would be very cheap.
Scientific American recently had an article about an Australian inventor
who has built an electronic gun with no moving parts and an incredible
rate-of-fire. The gun is composed of sleeves that are filled with
propellant separated by projectiles. When the sleeve is charged, the
compression from the ignition of the first projectile prevents the second
from igniting until the first has finished.