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I've heard that some act like krickets and the bullets jump but what about the rest

Compressed gaseous emissions?
Muscular contractions?
Chemical reaction similar to bombardier beetle?


As a Biologist I can suggest many possible methods, but none of them would be as effective for the ranges in the fluff. Pick your favourite and run with it as common sense doesn't apply

I love the lore for Tyranid bio-weaponry.

Things like the fleshborer and devourer are basically hives for short-lived beetles and worms. The gun itself just spits them out at the enemy, the ammo itself does all the work chewing through their armour and then eating them inside out.

I think it was the spike rifle that acts kind of like a porcupine - muscles in the weapon tense up tight and then snap open to project a jagged spine at the target.

There are a lot of other good ones that I don't remember off the top of my head.

Not sure about the current edition, but the old codexes had detailed descriptions of the how all the bioweapons worked.

I seem to remember that most of the ammunition were actually small creatures that propelled themselves out of the weapon sort of like how a cricket/flea jumps (fleshborer). Some of the weapons had sort of like a muscular slingshot that launched non-living projectiles (spike rifle, spinefist). Others used chemical reactions to shoot projectiles (venom cannon, some of the carnifex guns). I don't quite remember, but it was all very creative and plausible.

My favorite description is of the barbed strangler from the 2nd edition Tyranids codex. The description is just brutal.

they don't fire bullets.

It is well within the realm of possibility to have a biological reaction identical to how an actual bullet is fired.

All you'd need is a combustion chamber able to withstand the forces involved. Bone and chitin are quite strong. Then its a simple matter of igniting some sort of secreted material to project an object, which itself will also be secreted into the chamber.

As mentioned by DanielBeaver, the 2nd and 3rd edition codices have good background on this. Nid ammunition is, in fact, alive. Briefly.

As I remember, some (Termagant weaponry and Deathspitters) are propelled by sphincter-like muscle spasms. Others are hyper-energized by a bioelectric shock, causing the ammo to spring forward like a frenzied flea. As I remember Devourer rounds actually chew into the target, while others are highly acidic lifeforms that splatter mutagenic nastiness on impact.

DanielBeaver is dead right about the Barbed Strangler, though. I leave you to look up that particular nightmare. It's well worth reading.

My two teef.

thanks this id really helpful

Here you should find some extracts from the background
http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Bioweapon

 Jambles wrote:
I love the lore for Tyranid bio-weaponry.

Things like the fleshborer and devourer are basically hives for short-lived beetles and worms. The gun itself just spits them out at the enemy, the ammo itself does all the work chewing through their armour and then eating them inside out.

I think it was the spike rifle that acts kind of like a porcupine - muscles in the weapon tense up tight and then snap open to project a jagged spine at the target.

There are a lot of other good ones that I don't remember off the top of my head.

I just have to point out that porcupines cannot actually shoot thier quills. This is a common misconception, but a myth all and the same. Sorry for the OT.

As I understand, there's countless different kinds of Tyranid firing mechanisms. For example, the Exocrine is a giant artillery piece that functions like a biological howitzer. In other words, they work just like regular weapons, except they're made of really strong and durable flesh.

 Lord Blackscale wrote:

 Jambles wrote:
I love the lore for Tyranid bio-weaponry.

Things like the fleshborer and devourer are basically hives for short-lived beetles and worms. The gun itself just spits them out at the enemy, the ammo itself does all the work chewing through their armour and then eating them inside out.

I think it was the spike rifle that acts kind of like a porcupine - muscles in the weapon tense up tight and then snap open to project a jagged spine at the target.

There are a lot of other good ones that I don't remember off the top of my head.

I just have to point out that porcupines cannot actually shoot thier quills. This is a common misconception, but a myth all and the same. Sorry for the OT.

Man did that ever just make porcupines less scary. The more you know!

However, keep in mind that they are barbed and have a habit of breaking off under the skin causing very nasty infections. So don't go messing with porcupines. They are not cuddly. They give no feth.

In the Valedor novel theirs a bit about a load of fleshborers fired at some Striking Scorpions as they loaded into their wave serpent. They felt safe and that they escaped the Hive tyrant as they flew off. Until they noticed the skittering bugs around their feet. Long story short the grubs chewed through their armor and into their flesh of course. Very excruciating.