steel fountain pen in the victim’s pocket and ricocheted away. Incidentally according to a news report in a local newspaper, the robber was carrying 'a modified toy pistol' that been converted to fire live ammunition. Gun laws are very strict in Hong Kong, of course. There was no mention of whether the victim's pen was anything other than a writing instrument. As long as it saved his life, he probably did not care. Penguns were never intended to be lethal weapons. They may have killed, but they were conceived, as the name 'Stinger' implies, to sting, incapacitate, or distract the victim while something of a much more permanent nature is accomplished. Early manuals direct that the firer push his pengun at the target's face so the small-caliber round will cause a painful wound, and the gunpowder's flash will burn and blind his eyes, and the noise shock will disconcert him. The pengun is suited as a hidden, surprise, deceptive, or defensive weapon. Penguns are usually striker release weapons. For this reason most of the length of the pengun The lethal tube of self-prois taken up by the spring and bolt tection,MACs22