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Would you believe that some toy gun actually inspired a real gun maker to build an improved model? This would be the first gun that fires variable speed bullets and which can be set to kill, wound or just inflict a bruise is being built by a US toy manufacturer. The weapon is based on technology used to propel toy rockets.

Lund and Company Invention is the toy make responsible for the design of the toy rockets that are powered by burning hydrogen obtained by electrolysing water. The company has been recently discovered by the US Army, which is now ready to fund the toy maker in order to adapt the technology to fire bullets instead.

According to New Scientist, the new weapon is known as the Variable Velocity Weapon System or VWS, and would let soldiers use the same rifle for crowd control and combat, by altering the muzzle velocity. It could be loaded with "rubber bullets" designed only to deliver blunt impacts on a person, full-speed lethal rounds or projectiles somewhere between the two.

The existing VWS design is a .50 caliber (12.7 mm) rifle weapon, but US Army officials claim that the technology can be scaled to any size, "handgun to Howitzer."A demonstration version will be ready within six months, and the VWS could go into production within 18 months of approval, according to Lund and Company.