[erdos4d]

I don't buy this at all. There is zero logic to firing the larger (female) piece onto the smaller (male) piece. It makes the bore of the barrel needed to actually do it larger, increasing the weight of the air-dropped weapon in the process. From a physics point of view, there is nothing to be gained either. Neither piece knows which got shot at who, and once piece geometry is set, all that is important is that the two pieces are brought together as fast as possible. That means the smaller (lighter) piece goes in the barrel.