Rail Guns?

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Robert J McElwain

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Does anyone own one of these toys? I went to a high powered rifle meet recently, and there were several of these. I'd never seen one before.

Bob

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???

you mean maybe space guns?

or benchrest guns that ride on a rail system?

i'm thinking you don't mean guns that use electromagnets to fire particles at near light-speed.
 
Get hit with a railgun slug and you're done.... until the next round and then you can be "UNSTOPPABLE"!!!
 
Real rail guns already exist. But they're to big for hand held use and are proposed to be future tank cannons instead. A quick google search will provide you with some info and videos of various rail guns.

One of the biggest problems with rail guns is how to cycle the weapon. That is pretty much the main reason why they will never be hand held small arms.
 
When I first saw the gun pictured above, I found several sites, including the one where I got the picture. I'm not talking about the high tech things that have been mentioned but the web site above gives a good description of the gun I've pictured.

I watched them being fired and they're incredibly accurate. They're the ultimate bench rest rifle. The shooter becomes just the technician.

Bob
 
One of the biggest problems with rail guns is how to cycle the weapon. That is pretty much the main reason why they will never be hand held small arms.
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Actually the main reason they aren't small arms, or even reasonable large-scale models is poor power density in pulse-rated capacitors resulting in a non-portable system, immaturity in semiconducting switching devices rated for peak pulsed power seen in switching megajoules unless a pressurized or inert gas spark gap switching method is used, immaturity of pulsed compensated alternators as an alternative power source, and the omnipresent bore erosion due to plasma arcing.
 
Yeah, but once they're available in 40 Watt range...lookout. :D

P.S. You might also want to look into coil guns too.
 
I have never actually seen one in use. It looks like a great tool for testing the accuracy of worked up loads, but I cannot imagine using such a device for anything else. Shooting off of a rest or bipod is about as far as I like to go in eliminating the human element.
 
there was a show on the history channel the other day, modern marvels: bullets. they showed something like a rail gun. the bullets were loaded into the barrel one behind the other. electricity set them off. it was capable of firing something like a million rounds a minute. it was crazy.
 
ARGH! This thread is tripping over itself. There are at least three kinds of rail guns.

1) This kind:

armorrail.jpg


2) The BENCHREST "rail guns" pictured above

3) The futuristic railguns like this, which uses electromagnetic forces:

paper.jpg
 
Actually the main reason they aren't small arms, or even reasonable large-scale models is poor power density in pulse-rated capacitors resulting in a non-portable system, immaturity in semiconducting switching devices rated for peak pulsed power seen in switching megajoules unless a pressurized or inert gas spark gap switching method is used, immaturity of pulsed compensated alternators as an alternative power source, and the omnipresent bore erosion due to plasma arcing.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah? But where did you put your keys? ;)
 
The EM launcher example you posted below launches aluminum projectiles by air and makes some sparks. Long unrelated story short, that guy is infamous among pulsed power and high voltage hobbyists.

Here's a real one: HYPAC EML at the ISAS in Japan:

The launcher on the right

Here it is firing

The holes it makes using 1 gram polycarbonate slugs @ 6km/s+. Hole shows melting on the edges from 20,000J+ kinetic energy. You can definitely tell that hole wasn't made using conventional bullets.

Older results, cross-section of a ~1" thick metal plate impacted by the plastic slug. You can see the melted remains of the plastic projectile and rippling deformation of the impact site.

Impressive with a penny's worth of plastic. Ain't science fun? :D

Benchrest railguns are basically the pinnacle of accuracy. The barrels are 2" diameter, if not larger. They use fine microscrews to adjust elevation of the rifle itself. It's a representation of what you can do with machining and technology...kinda like building the fastest car you can. No real practical use other than bragging rights about shooting 0.1MOA. You can't hump that around during hunting season and it's of no practical use on the battlefield.
 
As to the rail gun question here (I first thought of the Big Bertha or Paris gun, then remembered my old Quake II days), it establishes the accuracy of a barrel/action in relation to the ammo used. However, it does nothing to establish the accuracy of the shooter. The usefullness in determining accurate loads would be limited in that the loads proved accurate out of the rail gun would not necessarily apply to any other rifle in the world.

Of course, it does take the human element out of the equation. No trembling hands, no breathing or the like. I don't mind others liking them, but it seems to me to be taking the spirit out of shooting competitions. Ultimately, shooting competitions, even bench rest, are related to the training of marksmanship for something other than putting holes in paper. These competitions help hone the skills of shooters, and establishes the quality of the shooter at his craft. Competition rifles, even heavy single shot bench rest models, have the potential for applications elsewhere. Whether in hunting or in a military context, the competition rifle can be used.

Enter the rail gun, and it has no use other than to put holes in paper. It cannot be reasonably used for hunting or for potential combat. It cannot be used to defend the home and in varmint hunting it would be seriously disadvantaged. It seems a rifle that has no good use in the real world.

I mean no offense to anyone, especially to Robert. They are a neat tool and could have a nitch all themselves, one that establishes absolute accuracy capable in a mechanical device. The competition to see the ultimate engineering capability of man is valid in its own right. But that seems more a competition between engineers than shooters. Perhaps it would prove the ability of the handloader or the ability of the user to precisely adjust the rifle. Heck, one wonders the need even of having an optical scope. Iron sights would probably be just fine. Once you get lined up on the target, the user's ability are nil and all is left up to the rifle. But, that is just my opinion and others are free to have theirs. I do not dislike the rail gun as presented here. It just doesn't seem right.

(or as Cesiumsponge said more concisely above)

Ash
 
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