Has anybody got information about a sort of mechanical gun, throwing projectiles by torsion force and not by chemical explosives, tested by the Russian Army in 1908 and then (probably during World War 1, in 1917-18, or just a few years later) by the French Navy (the gun was built by the Fonderie de Ruelle and was known as B.50)? This "gun" launched disc-shaped projectiles and was designed by gen. Aleksandr M. Bezobrazov. Here there is just a passing reference to this weapon, and some examples of other Russian/Soviet projects of mechanical artillery: http://www.gameru.net/forum/lofiversion/index.php?t37158.html .