This title examines the history of special weapons from combining guns with axes and shields in the early seventeenth century to the stun guns of today. Artillery weapons such as howitzers and mortars and their ammunition are covered, as are rocket and grenade launchers. Different types of electroshock weapons and their controversy are examined, including their designation by the UN a form of torture. Tranquilizer guns, how they work, and their uses are introduced. Underwater pistols their ammunition, how they operate are covered, as are flare guns and Very pistols. Pens, cameras, and umbrellas that are really guns, and the regulation of these special weapons by the National Firearms Act are covered. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Checkerboard Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.