[Corvettaholic]

Limpet, since you're into neato ideas like this, thought I'd run it by you. Hopefully this is under the right section, because its more electrical stuff than chemistry.

We all know lightning is pretty much just a crapload of voltage, right? So whats to stop you from projecting it horizontally? Well the fact that electricity will go to ground the fastest way possible, and that would most likely be the ground in front of your feet, or maybe your own body.

Solution to this problem: make sure the easiest way to ground happens to be at whatever you point this thing at. So how would you do that? Lets say you had a projectile (use your rail gun idea to launch this thing, or a copious amount of gunpowder), and have the projectile attached to a trailing wire much like a guided rocket launcher. Make positively sure this trailing wire is securely welded/brazed to the projectile and to your firing mechanism (read: lightning gun).

So now you either poked your target with a (conductive metal of your choice) dart, and there's a big wire trailing from it to the lightning gun. Lets say you happen to have a big bank of capacitors (well shielded!) rated at 10kV each. If you're able, try and get each to have at least a farad or more of capacitance, so you get more "punch". Discharge cap bank at the appropriate moment so the target (hopefully a non-living target  :disgust: ) and the idea is for all that electricity to zap whatever you're wire is attached to. Pretty much a gigantic taser gun.

Now this is the part where I'm wondering how to get it to work. If you want an actual lightning gun, you can't have that wire. So how about you ionize a nice path for your lightning to follow? That should work right? I'm thinking if you get a sufficiently powerful laser tube, you could ionize a path right? Same principle follows after that.

[Limpet Chicken]

I like the idea, using a laser to ionise the air, and zapping a charge down the beam, an interesting idea, using an ionizing radiation beam might work also.

I likt the capacitor-tazer idea in theory, i wouldn't be at all surprised if the target was blasted apart by a charge like that, although blowing a target into a homogenous meaty cloud defies the idea somewhat of the tazer as a nonlethal weapon

I have to buy some sort of lazer unit, and try this idea, looks like it has potential if it were to work, as both a potent anti-electronic weapon, and possibly as an improvement on the tazer stungun, heh, maybe in a few years time we will see old grannies with laser pistols in their handbags to deter muggers

[Corvettaholic]

The problem I can see with a laser weapon is portability. The power supplies on the big ones are huge, as are the power requirements. Have a way to lug around a megawatt with you? Maybe with one of those little radio shack red wagons. I figure this'd be something to try in a backyard or open field with power access. As it stands, you'll need a couple things. 1) access to the power grid 2) a CO2, or better, laser tube 3) a good wiring diagram for the tube and a lot of patience

I figure it anyone will get around to building it, you will. I usually don't have time or money, or a lab. What about using a weak (read: cheap) laser and firing multiple pulses? Figure you ionize a path a little bit further each shot, and eventually you'll "dig" a path to your target. Maybe every now and then send a couple hundred thousand volts down the partially ionized path to keep it "fresh". Just an idea.

[ATMyller]

Even bigger problem with laser produced "ion channel" is wind. Even a slight breeze can scatter the ions and the lightning will hit the ground.