With the exception of its barrel, the S&W ISP fits into the palm of a hand, and is almost 100% constructed from advanced plastics. Those pieces which are not made of plastic are easily removable (making the gun quickly `invisible' to a great many security detection systems) and have been architectured to give the weapon optimal balance and recoil-absorption characteristics. The Shoot and Whisper is unusual in that it uses a binary propellant system, rather than fixed cartridges. However, the nature of these binary propellants is quite uncommon. The gas molecules produced by the exothermic reaction are ionized with a weak positive charge. This is makes it possible for the S & W ISP to incorporate the compact return-sleeve (or `u-turn') integral silencer design. As the bullet clears the barrel, an electro-magnetic ring at the muzzle puts out a brief, high-power negative pulse. This slows the expanding, positively-ionized gas via electromagnetic repulsion, redirecting much of it into baffles that travel `backwards' toward the firer. The gas that maintains its forward direction (roughly 35%) is channeled through the forward-leading baffles that continue for approximately 5 cm beyond the muzzle. This results in a very silent weapon with a very short overall profile.

The S & W ISP also features an integrated laser sight with 100% coherence out to 15 meters. The numerical designation for the weapon --106-- is shorthand that refers to the fact that it takes a 10 round clip of 6mm bullets. These bullets are another unusual feature in the `Shoot and Whisper' design. Comprised of a teflon-treated depleted uranium core (of approximately 3.5 mm) and a simple lead `overjacket', these rounds have excellent effectiveness against both armored and unarmored targets. In effect, the lead serves as a discarding sabot that discards only upon contact with a target, allowing the frictionless armor penetrating core to continue on. It also means that `soft' targets will not simply have a neat 6mm hole drilled in them; the expanding properties of the lead ensure that the weapon packs a significant whallop to targets which offer only light resistance to penetration. AIA agents refer to the ammunition (technically referred to as `target-shedding sabot' or TSS) as a `hammer and pancake' round.

Clearly, the Shoot and Whisper is not a particularly good multipurpose weapon, but then again, it is not intended to be. It is a highly concealable, silent, and potent short range weapon --ideal for the special requirements of field agents and/or undercover law enforcement personnel. The Shoot and Whisper is not available on the general market, and the only foreign nations which have been permitted to purchase the weapon are Australia, Germany, England, Canada, and Italy. Efforts are underway in France, Manchuria, and Austrovenia to duplicate the weapon.