1. A system for inspecting and sorting munitions, ordnance or other manufactured parts, comprising: a feeder for consecutively conveying parts along a path which extends through an inspection module; the inspection module including an input guide for delivering a part into the inspection module, and an output guide for receiving a part from the inspection module; a physical gap between the input guide and the output guide in the inspection module, such that when a part traverses the gap, the side surfaces of the part are at least temporarily visually unobstructed; a strobe light operative to illuminate an unobstructed side surface of the part as it traverses the gap between the input guide and the output guide; an area camera operative to acquire one or more side images of the part illuminated by the strobe light as it traverses the gap; and a processor for processing the side images to identify part characteristics or part defects.