Interesting WeaponsRichard Jimbo and Jan Fischer

Paper Armor● Blocked everything steel armor

blocked○ arrows○ swords○ A musket ball

● Half the weight● Both defeated by a Colt 45

Steel V.s. Paper Armor. Digital image. Discovery.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/videos/paper-armor/>.

Half-swording● Techniques involving holding the sword’s edge● Murder Stroke

○ improvised warhammer○ both hands on blade

● Effective against armored opponents

Figure 2: Half-sword. Digital image. Tornbanner.com. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://forums.tornbanner.com/showthread.php/10407-Half-sword>.

Trebuchets● First references 12th century● Were used until gunpowder invented● Broke through castle walls

Trebuchet. Digital image. Http://deremilitari.org/. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2015. <http://deremilitari.org/2014/06/byzantines-avars-and-the-introduction-of-the-trebuchet/>.

Paris Gun● Made solely to hit paris from over

100km away● 170 second flight● 120kg rounds, 180kg black powder● each shot expanded barrel● Reboring needed every 20 shots● Under 400 shots fired● 183 hits on Paris

Paris Gun. Digital image. Http://sonicbomb.com/. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http://sonicbomb.com/modules.php?set_albumName=ww1&id=Big_Bertha_02&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php>.

V1● Flying bomb with wings● Pilotless● 1870 lb warhead● 57% hitrate● Most launch sites destroyed

V1. Digital image. Http://www.cpcis.net/. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2015. <http://www.cpcis.net/rocketman59/v1.html>.

V2● Started modern rocketry● 12 ton rocket, 1 ton warhead● 6 miles flight height● 200 mile range● Struck target at 4000 mph● Over 1100 fired, over 2700 killed

A4/V2. Digital image. Http://www.daviddarling.info/. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2015. <http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/V/V-2.html>.

V3● Never completed● Multi-stage firing● Meant to annihilate London● Destroyed by bombers● Made in underground bunker

Figure 1: Hochdruckpumpe ("High Pressure Pump"). Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-3_cannon>.

Sky Hook● System to slowly pick people off ground● Supply package dropped

○ Harness and line○ Small Helium bottle○ Balloon

● Line caught by aircraft

N809Z Boeing B-17G Fortress (32426) Ex 44-83785 with Fulton Skyhook. Digital image. Http://www.dhc-2.com/. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http://www.dhc-2.com/Marana.html>.

Laser Weapon System (LaWS)● Fires infrared beams at varying intensities● Able to burn through steel● Currently used for slow targets

Laser Weapon System. Digital image. Http://www.stripes.com/. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2015. <http://www.stripes.com/news/navy-encouraged-by-performance-of-laser-system-on-uss-ponce-1.317775>.

Railgun● Fires at mach 7.5● All electric● 100 mile range● 10 shots per minute

Figure 3: Railgun. Digital image. Wikipedia.org. N.p., n.d. Web. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railgun>.

Coilgun Workings● Use coils to produce electromagnets● Projectile pulled through tube● Needs an advanced control system

How a Coil Gun Works. Digital image. Http://www.skepticink.com/. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http://www.skepticink.com/smilodonsretreat/2014/04/08/railguns-vs-coilguns/>.

Railgun Workings● Two conductive rails● Uses forces made by high current● No need for sophisticated controls● Needs very high amperage

Railguns Lorenz Force. Digital image. Http://science.howstuffworks.com/. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/rail-gun1.htm>.

Active Denial System● Non-lethal● Fires a 100,000 Watt beam● Absorbed 1/64 inch into skin● Pain reported as equivalent to that

of scalding water being poured onto skin

BFO. “Active Denial System”. Photograph. America’s Ray Gun. wrydstuff. 3 June, 2008. Web. 30 Nov, 2015.

Soviet Union Space Cannon● Fired from an orbiting space station in 1975● Only cannon that actually fired in space● Designed based off of a 23mm cannon for the Tupolev Tu-22 Blinder

Zak, Anatoly. “Soviet Union’s Secret Space Cannon.” Photograph. Here is the Soviet Union’s Secret Space Cannon. Popular Mechanics. 16 Nov, 2015. Web. 30 Nov, 2015.

Burgess Folding Shotgun● First purpose-built combat shotgun● Pump-action shotgun with rear grip

and trigger as pump● Manufactured and sold from 1894 to

1899● Sold with a holster

McCollum, Ian. “Folding Shotgun.” Photograph. Forgotten Weapons: The Burgess Folding Shotgun. Popular Mechanics. 18 Sept, 2015. 30 Nov, 2015.

Burgess Folding Shotgun

“The draw on the Burgess when holstered.” gif. Forgotten Weapons: The Burgess Folding Shotgun. Popular Mechanics. 18 Sept, 2015. Web. 30 Nov, 2015

“One of the original ads.” Photograph. Forgotten Weapons: The Burgess Folding Shotgun. Popular Mechanics. 18 Sept, 2015. Web. 30 Nov, 2015.

Villar Perosa Double Machine Gun● Designed in Italy in 1914 during a time where machine guns were new

technology● Used two 25-round box magazines with a fire rate of 1200 to 1500 rounds per

minute● The 25-round magazines were emptied after 1.25 seconds of fire

“gun lede.” Photograph. Forgotten Weapon: The Delightfully Impractical Villar Perosa Double Machine Gun. Popular Mechanics. 23 Oct, 2015. Web. 30 Nov, 2015.

Sunngard Automatic Pistol● Designed to solve the problem of errors while reloading under stress● Holds two magazines that each hold 25 6.5mm bullets, 50 in total● Was bested by the Colt 1911 in marketing to military

McCollum, Ian. “Sunngard 6.5mm.” Photograph. Forgotten Weapon: Sunngard Automatic Pistol. Popular Mechanics. 30 Oct, 2015. Web. 30 Nov, 2015.

Self Guided Bullets

● EXACTO (Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordinance)● Similar in function to the laser-guided bombs of the Vietnam War● Promised to have a range of 2,000 meters regardless of conditions

DAPRA. “bullet.” Drawing. This Bullet Can Change Direction in Midair. Popular Mechanics. 22 Dec, 2014. Web. 30 Nov, 2015.

Misconceptions of the Katana● Not the perfect weapon for every situation● The blade’s edge is extremely sharp and hard, resulting in a brittle edge● Lower quality steel used● The technique of Japanese Swordplay is an art, not a weapon● The blade is terrific for cutting via shearing, but nothing else

CT Snow. “Katana Masamune.” Photograph. flickr. 2 Aug, 2007. Web. 30 Nov, 2015.

The Davy Crockett

● Nuke for the front lines● 2.5 mile range● 0.01 megatons● Produced 1956-1971● 2100 made● High likelihood of hurting

those that used it

Davey Crockett. Digital image. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett_(nuclear_device)>.

Project Orion● Nuclear bomb powered spacecraft● 800 bombs used for acceleration● Planned to be used to reach mars● Cancelled with the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

Project Orion. Digital image. Http://astrorhysy.blogspot.com/. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2015. <http://astrorhysy.blogspot.com/2010/09/project-orion-how-to-nuke-spaceship.html>.

Kakute● Japanese spiked rings worn inwards on the middle finger or index finger and

the thumb● Subdued enemies through pressure points● Female ninjas would often tip them with poison

Hyakuraiju. Kakute. Digital image. Listverse. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.

Sodegarami● Used by Japanese police of the Edo era● Used to take down criminals without much injury● Entangled into kimono to stop criminal

Sodegarami. Digital image. Listverse. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2015. <http://listverse.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/8_WeaponsForCapturingThieves.jpg>.

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