By Andrew Stackpool
JUDGE Dredd's personalised, rapid-fire handgun has taken a step closer to reality.

The Australian firearms manufacturer Metal Storm, Taurus International and the Brazilian firm Forjas Taurus have signed a collaboration memorandum to develop and market a "personalised" handgun that will only fire on identification of an electronically authorised user or users.

The proposed new weapon will integrate Metal Storm's existing electronic firing system and a new electronic "fingerprinting" process that enables authorised users to be electronically "mated" to a specific weapon.

When produced, the radical new handgun will meet increasingly stringent international firearms control legislations and also have an expanded market beyond the military into law enforcement and other specialised civilian markets.

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