Water-Cooled Assault Rifle.

Site Notices

TNVC Announces Ops-Core Helmet Power RAILINK: NOW Available!

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Water-Cooled Assault Rifle.

Posted: 10/15/2004 12:00:24 PM EDT

My buddies and I were playing a video game recently, "Iron Strom". In short the game is "what if WWI went on another 50 years". One of the main weapons in the game is a "Water-Cooled Assault Rifle", which looks like either a Galil or AR-18 with a squarish water cowling over the front half of the gun.

Any ways, got me thinking.

Fist is there any difference between Water-Cooled and Air-Cooled weapons according to the BAFT?
Second, does water-cooling actually work? I noticed most WWI water-cooled mgs returned in WWII only minus the front Cowling, (MG-16, Browning .30).
Lastly, is a Water-cooled Assault rifle actually possible? Somehow I imagine it would interfere with gas-piston and would you need a hose connecting to another tank to vent the steam?

Yeah, stupid questions, but thanks,
Jack

Posted: 10/15/2004 12:03:52 PM EDT

[#1]

I am a vodka cooled assault weapon.

Posted: 10/15/2004 12:05:19 PM EDT

[#2]

Clearly your question is asked just for fun, but I can't get past my initial reaction: WHY?

Posted: 10/15/2004 12:13:00 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
My buddies and I were playing a video game recently, "Iron Strom". In short the game is "what if WWI went on another 50 years". One of the main weapons in the game is a "Water-Cooled Assault Rifle", which looks like either a Galil or AR-18 with a squarish water cowling over the front half of the gun.

Any ways, got me thinking.

Fist is there any difference between Water-Cooled and Air-Cooled weapons according to the BAFT?
Second, does water-cooling actually work? I noticed most WWI water-cooled mgs returned in WWII only minus the front Cowling, (MG-16, Browning .30).
Lastly, is a Water-cooled Assault rifle actually possible? Somehow I imagine it would interfere with gas-piston and would you need a hose connecting to another tank to vent the steam?

Yeah, stupid questions, but thanks,
Jack

1.) Nope, no difference.

2.) Yup, works well, but heavy and requires quite a bit of support equipment - water cans, hoses, pump, etc.

3.) Possible? Yes, but not really useful. You would either have a rifle so damn heavy (with the filled water jacket) you couldn't lift it, OR you'd have to have so little volume in the water jacket as to have a negligible cooling effect.

Posted: 10/15/2004 12:39:36 PM EDT

[#4]

For fixed defensive postions water cooled is the shiznit. As long as the coolant level is kept up & ammo fed to the gun it'll run all day. The problem is when you try to go mobile. A vehicle mounted water cooled gun would work but for dismounted use...

Posted: 10/15/2004 12:46:59 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
Lastly, is a Water-cooled Assault rifle actually possible? Somehow I imagine it would interfere with gas-piston and would you need a hose connecting to another tank to vent the steam?

That's all up to the designer. You could run the gas tube, or piston through the jacket, you just need to account for it in design.
The thing is, it doesn't really do you any good, and it only limits you. Air cooled is generally good enough. If you are firing continuously, you are in a really bad spot, and probably won't last long enough for water cooling to matter.

Posted: 10/15/2004 3:00:19 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
I am a vodka cooled assault weapon.

Better be Grey Goose!

- BG

Posted: 10/15/2004 3:02:46 PM EDT

[#7]

I wonder since you couldnt run water in a large amount in a rifle, could you run something that would cool better.

Posted: 10/15/2004 3:09:36 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
I wonder since you couldnt run water in a large amount in a rifle, could you run something that would cool better.

Of course.

Posted: 10/15/2004 3:10:53 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I wonder since you couldnt run water in a large amount in a rifle, could you run something that would cool better.

Of course.

I wonder what would make a difference enough to make it a good idea.

Posted: 10/15/2004 3:17:05 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I wonder since you couldnt run water in a large amount in a rifle, could you run something that would cool better.

Of course.

I wonder what would make a difference enough to make it a good idea.

Nothing.
If you could have a liquid cooled system at the cost of only 4ozs, what would you gain, in combat?
If it only weighed 2ozs?
If there was no weight penalty?
No matter what you do, it's going to add weight, but no value, so deade weight.
There's a reason why .mil doesn't use the HBAR.
What would make a liquid cooled system better?

Posted: 10/15/2004 5:15:31 PM EDT

[#11]

Anti-Freeze!

Posted: 10/15/2004 5:48:13 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Anti-Freeze!

From another thread,

Quoted:
anti-freeze:

-prevents rust
-lubes water pump
-raises boiling point
-lowers freezing point

Posted: 10/15/2004 10:22:26 PM EDT

[#13]

So you’re agreeing about Anti-freeze? After all how hot do most guns get under normal circumstances? I know anti-freeze (coolant) well lower a cars temp from 1200 to 650, so almost half. Figure a gun operates around 300-700 you would have it at 150-300 degrees. Then again, Coolant in a car gets a chance to cool by going threw the radiator and having "cold" air forced over it. I'm sure by the time you figure all this out your better off just using a gattling gun, no coolant problem there. Although I still find the thought a water-cooled AK to be hilarious.

Here ya go, a lovely picture of a German armed with a "Water-Cooled Assualt Rifle"

Posted: 10/15/2004 10:51:43 PM EDT

[#14]

God that'd be heavy.

I think an evaporative system might be lightweight, but it wouldn't last long enough. A radiative system would be overly mechanically complex and could really be better and more cheaply implemented by machining-in thinner/deeper flutes into the barrel. Think a processor heatsink.

That's another possibility; a clamp-on heatsink, to improve the efficiency of air-cooling. Realistically, for an assault-rifle role, you're most concerned about cookoffs. You could simply clamp-on a heatsink near the chamber to more quickly dissipate heat.

Posted: 10/15/2004 11:35:24 PM EDT

[#15]

No need for pumping, circulating, whatever. Just add water as it boils out. The surface of the barrel cannot rise above 100*C / 212*F. No, don't add antifreeze, you WANT the water to boil away, it carries away a tremendous amount of heat that way.

But if you run out of water you are screwed, unless you and your buddies want to do like in Red Dawn, the guys lined up and pissed in the radiator of the pickup.

On the other hand, heatsinks are more practical. Light weight and MUCH more surface area than fluting. And we can get them now.

Check out

www.jprifles.com

On the left click Rifle Parts, then click Heat Sink. You want the heat sink to be flat black. From physics we know that "a perfect absorber is a perfect radiator".

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Water-Cooled Assault Rifle.

Armory » General Firearm Discussion

Win a FREE Membership!

Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!

You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.

Warning

Confirm Action

About AR15.COM

Stay Connected

Newsletter

Contact Us