New Weapon that can actually shoot around corners!

Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.

New weapon can shoot around corners

By Laurie Copans
The Associated Press


URIEL SINAI / GETTY IMAGES
Amos Golan, at a shooting range near Tel Aviv, Israel, demonstrates the weapon he invented that can fire at targets around a corner.


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SHOHAM FIRING RANGE, Israel — Veterans of Israeli anti-terror units yesterday demonstrated a new gun that can fire at a target from around the corner, making it particularly effective in urban combat.

Israel plans to start using the weapon next week, U.S. forces have begun training with it, and U.S. SWAT and police teams have expressed interest in purchasing it, Amos Golan, the device's developer, said at a demonstration at a firing range near Tel Aviv.

"The Americans are very interested in this," Golan said. "I believe from what I have seen and heard that it can be a big success in Iraq because the Americans are dealing with an urban area there."

The device swivels at the middle, 63 degrees to the left or right, with the stock, trigger and the small screen at the handheld end. The entire firing mechanism, fitted with a pistol that sits over a minicamera with a zoom lens, is located at the front end.

A lever positioned under the stock allows the user to quickly move the firing end to another position to better focus on the target.

The device can be fitted with different kinds of pistols, including the Baretta 92, which the U.S. Army uses; the Glock; and the Colt. It can also be adapted to fit an M-16 rifle or tear-gas launcher.

The camera has a range of 200 to 400 yards, depending on the model. Accessories include an infrared laser illuminator, rubber-bullet launcher, various lenses and a silencer. A socket allows the shooter to film action in a room around the corner and transmit the images to commanders far away.

Golan thought of the idea for the weapon after years of pondering a failed Israeli army operation in the West Bank during the first Palestinian uprising in the late 1980s. Several Israeli soldiers were wounded when they stormed a house through the door and were hit by automatic fire shot from inside, Golan said.

Armies from 15 countries are testing the system, said Golan, a former deputy commander of Israel's anti-terror unit. The weapon is produced by Corner Shot Holdings, an Israeli-American company based in Coral Gables, Fla.

The weapon system, which costs between $3,000 and $5,000, will be sold only to official government agencies, Golan said.





Pretty neato, damn expensive too.