"Laughing bullets" considered by Pentagon

Taking a slightly different tact than DARPA's very lethal laser-guided bullets, the Pentagon reportedly once considered the Get Smart-esque idea non-lethal "laughing bullets," which would apparently collapse and release laughing gas (or other chemical agents) when they hit their target. According to NewScientist, the bullets would have the advantage of being compatible with regular rifles, and supposedly be safe over their entire range. Judging from the description, they'd also apparently have the ability to send folks into a Three Stooges routine, allowing the military to effectively "punch, slap and hit an individual repetitively from a distance." Despite pouring close to $100,000 into the idea, however, the bullets don't seem to have met with the DoD's satisfaction and were ultimately shelved -- at least, that's what they're saying "officially."

[Via Slashdot]

[wslcrew @ Jul 2nd 2007 11:13PM]

Gay bombs and laughing bullets... What next? ADD grenades?

[Peter @ Jul 2nd 2007 11:13PM]

About as useful as the gay bomb.

[emergencyBrake @ Jul 2nd 2007 11:40PM]

Somebody could literally die laughing and after all isn't that what everybody wants.

[Jeremy K. @ Jul 2nd 2007 11:50PM]

I think the key phrase is "(or other chemical agents)". Sounds like if a bullet could contain laughing gas, it could easily contain some form of lethal gas. Chemical warfare... not a good idea.

[logyk @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:27AM]

I heard they're gonna use this when busting Hackers and internet stalkers since they are less likely to be armed and dangerous, the cops will bust down their doors and yell "Freeze or i'll make you LOL"

[Uchiha Sasuke @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:30AM]

"Make laugh, Not war"

[Evan @ Jul 3rd 2007 5:46AM]

I think I just got shot by one seeing as I haven't stopped laughing at the thought yet.

[Priapus @ Jul 3rd 2007 7:23AM]

Using nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, in bullets is ridiculous. Assuming a very large bullet could deliver 5ml of liquid N20, this is only equivalent to 3.4 litres of gas. Nowhere near enough to have an effect if released on impact. There are of course other more potent drugs.....

[Jeff @ Jul 3rd 2007 7:38AM]

I saw this story on Slashdot too and I wish people would quit parroting the ridiculous description in the original blog post. The guy who wrote it is obviously a 10 year old. I mean, "laughing gas"? Who even says that anymore? And who believes it actually makes you laugh?

It's nitrous oxide, a sedative. In large enough doses, it puts you into a stupor. It does not make you do a "Three Stooges routine" - just the opposite. That's the whole point in looking at its use for riot control.

"Assuming a very large bullet could deliver 5ml of liquid N20, this is only equivalent to 3.4 litres of gas. Nowhere near enough to have an effect if released on impact."

You're assuming they'd fire only one bullet, which is the wrong assumption. This would be for riot control; they'd pepper the crowd with these things.

I'm not saying it'd work, but that's why you do research. Obviously somebody thought it might work given the circumstances, so you test to see if that's the case and if it isn't, you move on to something else.

But non-lethal weapons are a *good* thing, not a bad thing. The alternative is to start shooting real bullets into a crowd.

[sendeth @ Jul 3rd 2007 7:47AM]

i'm about to die laughing at ADD grenades!!!

[Roflgoat @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:25PM]

I have that exact toy gun. It is the balls.

[gattsuru @ Jul 3rd 2007 11:23PM]

It'd actually be pretty simple mechanically -- we've already got something along those lines using paintball guns and pepper spray. Adapting the technology to normal firearms is more difficult; most surfaces that would pop can't really survive the accelerations, pressure, and space involved in a bullet being fired before the powder charge had to be reduced to the point where a semiautomatic or automatic action won't be able to progress. From my understanding, the base concept was a sabot technology, but that really didn't prevent internal bursts.

It's a relatively useful idea (disable targets from range with a low chance of target death), shelved after a fairly small amount of money was spent (the AFRL has spent ten times as much on failed ideas) and some large technical hurdles were found.

And whoever thinks nitrous oxide makes you do a three stooges really needs to get out more. Hell, in a good half of the population it just makes them morbid. It's a hell of a lot less likely to kill than the current less-lethal technologies we're using, while being relatively safe for the person using it.

[nih @ Jul 4th 2007 5:54PM]

At least we can finally do away with laugh-tracks and just spray the TV audience with bullets when we need a reaction to a poorly-executed joke. I'm looking at you, Friends.