Weapons

Often a controversial subject, weapons -- manufactured or improvised; officially permitted or otherwise -- are a fact of life that will need to be addressed.

Initially it's unlikely to be a problem as situations outside of Earth's atmosphere where weaponry is going to be needed are at least initially going to be highly improbable.

As the population increases and gets less heavily controlled and pre-selected, the more the problematic aspects of nature will become unavoidable. When this happens, weapons will become both necessary and unavoidable.

The real problem arises in the question of what weapons are suitable. It would be less than optimal to carry large calibre slugthrowers for use in a pressurized hull with hard vacuum on the other side and potentially dozens or more people at risk of decompression from even an accidental discharge. Furthermore, bullets bounce all over the place. even shots fired from air pistols exhibit unpredictability indoors.

Edged weapons may be okay for most environments, but those often support the physically strong. Grandma can't protect herself with a sword as well as she can with a terrestrial .357 magnum.

Specifications for Ideal Solutions

We need weapon solutions that are:

• Safe for use inside pressurized compartments
• Minimal or at least reduced ricochet risks
• Affordable -- if you're in trouble you can't count on help in time
• Equalizing -- skilled strong people should not have an advantage over the infirm
• Reusable -- situations may involve more than one assailant, and practice may also be required to competently protect oneself