a couple of sites with some interesting info to start off with. Kinda lighting the lamp and we gotta start somewhere. The first one is interesting reading about making miniature guns. Not quite us but gives an idea of just what a person can do with the right tools.
http://www.kucer.homestead.com/files/index.htmlAnd the second one is reference material for software that might be of value to some. Most of it is set in DOS.
http://www.myvirtualnetwork.com/mklotz/#shop