User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
|
Posted: 12/6/2001 6:00:43 PM EDT
[#1]
Yes,
Remember your WWII history? More than likely it will be a large artillery piece. I believe the Germans used them. |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/6/2001 6:04:36 PM EDT
[#2]
No, they weren't used in WWII. They are a relatively recent development, though the priniples have been around a while.
There is no such thing as a shoulder-fired rail gun; the ones that exists are long, large fixed pieces. While they shoot them with no problem, developing practical applications for them, moving/aiming them, and supplying power to them are the major challenges. -Troy |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/6/2001 6:07:46 PM EDT
[#3]
Rail gun uses principles of magnetic acceleration. Explored by military and NASA for potential deployment of launching space payloads, missles...
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/6/2001 6:14:26 PM EDT
[#4]
I believe they may also be called mass drivers too!
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/6/2001 6:16:14 PM EDT
[#5]
I know what you're talking about. Rail car mounted artillery pieces. HUGE. Also used in WW1, and I've seen pictures of Civil War era mortars on rail cars. The rail gun is a very different animal. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/6/2001 6:22:21 PM EDT
[#6]
I thought about the post but not long enough. I'm glad someone else knew what I was referring to. I guess I should have asked for a clarification of the question before answering.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/6/2001 6:23:09 PM EDT
[#7]
coaxial electromagnetic mass accelerator - aka coil gun, linear DC motor or electromagnetic propulsion device
here's one for the do-it-yourselfers... apparently bench projects are delivering projectile speeds of 2-3X a hi-velo rifle horehound.infostry.com/rail.html www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/forum/science/archive/messages/481.html web.mit.edu/mouser/www/railgun/ |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/6/2001 6:25:51 PM EDT
[#8]
This is a rail gun.
 The smallest rail gun I know of is the ones the Government was testing during the Star Wars Project. |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/6/2001 6:30:47 PM EDT
[#9]
Yes, there is an actual RailGun. His real name is Eddie and he works at Boeing in the same shop as my wife.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/6/2001 6:35:09 PM EDT
[#10]
Saw part of a segment on a cable channel about 2 weeks ago. The US military has developed a electromagnetic gun that propels a projectile of several pounds in excess of 10,000 meters? a second. I think the goal was to eventually reduce the size of the equipment for mounting as the main gun on a future tank.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/6/2001 7:25:45 PM EDT
[#11]
damn tight!
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/6/2001 8:26:24 PM EDT
[#12]
I saw a Futute Guns special on the Discovery Channel (far more american than TLC
 ). They showed video of an experimental railgun. It took up the floorspace of a house and fired a kinda nail-looking projectile at some really high velocity that I can't remember. Apparantly it did nasty things to a armored vehicle. They said they were hoping to use it to replace a tank's main gun. Sounds like it was far from being a actual battlefield weapon. |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/6/2001 10:30:44 PM EDT
[#13]
Here ya go - one "rail gun", German made.....
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 12:23:35 AM EDT
[#14]
DOUBLE DAMN!!! That think looks alot bigger than my .22!!  And how much extra for the same gun with night sights??Sgtar15 |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 4:03:33 AM EDT
[#15]
The ones tested by the government are housed in a large room. They then have an even larger Warehouse to store the Battery/Capacitors. When they discharge the Capacitors to fire the gun. The whole capacitor bank discharges over 1million amps in about a .25 sec and the Electromagnetic Pulse this generates actually warps the whole buildings structure , actually twists it. So you get this noticable bending in the structure as all this energy is released.
Benjamin |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 5:46:13 AM EDT
[#16]
The big gun is the one from Aberdeen Proving Grounds? They have a couple there. Nice layout along with some fantastic firearms in their display.
(went to school there about 16 years ago) Lew |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 6:09:05 AM EDT
[#17]
I thought it looked familiar too... I stopped off there once on my way to visit a friend in Annapolis... great museum. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 6:17:00 AM EDT
[#18]
I had a book in middle school about advanced combat weapons, and it had a complete chapter on the proposed SDI stuff. They showed a picture of a working rail gun that fired a lexan disk with a metal rod in it into a 1 cubic ft. block of aircraft aluminum. The block was pretty much destroyed. The application was going to be for shooting down incoming nuclear missles in space, but they couldn't make a rail gun in a small footprint.
God Bless Texas |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 11:45:47 AM EDT
[#19]
The University of Texas has one they built for Defense Research at there research center in northwest Austin.
A few years back, they were billing it as "the world's fastest gun." If memory serves, it was routinely getting velocities over 35,000 feet per second. I don't remember the weight of the projectile, though. The whole thing was stationary and for testing only. Its been a few years, though, and they have probably mad a lot of progress. I also remember hearing that the Army was looking at using a railgun in its next generation of AFVs. |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 12:07:43 PM EDT
[#20]
No kidding. Well that figures for Small Arms repair MOS. I was there in 1987 so I probably missed you (and missed you in the USA/USMC brawls at the Tank). IMHO, that photo is reversed. I thought the barrel pointed in the other direction. What was interesting was meeting up with a highschool buddy who happened to get stationed there as an MP and running into a middleschool acquaintence. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 1:31:06 PM EDT
[#21]
That little pea-shooter is "Anzio Annie", located at Aberdeen P.G. . It used to be tan in color and pointed the other way. In fact, way back when, it was pointed in the same direction but on the other side of the road along the main tracks. They restored it a few years ago and gave it its original camo finish as it wore when captured in Italy. A little much for concealed carry, doncha think??? |
||
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 1:38:55 PM EDT
[#22]
I believe that the first practical use of rail gun technology (electromagnetic propulsion) in the military field will be the new catapult systems on the next generation of aircraft carriers. They will replace the steam catapult with linear motion electromagnets to launch the planes.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 2:07:13 PM EDT
[#23]
That might be the first practical military application, but linear electromagnetic propulsion is becoming quite popular in the roller coaster field. Makes for a hell of a ride too! |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 2:17:29 PM EDT
[#24]
I once had a desire to build a small electromagnetic railgun (1 meter or so long). Had it all figured out - was going to use a Mauser action with short barrel and blanks to give the projectile its initial push. But that would probably be an NFA no-no, and after researching it I decided the capacitors would be WAY too damn dangerous even for me.
So I have to make due with the cute little board animation: |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 6:13:25 PM EDT
[#25]
BTW ladies and gentleman. This would not be an ATF controlled item. It can go full auto if you want. Legally.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 6:47:05 PM EDT
[#26]
 Smith @ Wesson top secret rail gun......smart gun technology......LEO / Military use only.  |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 7:07:46 PM EDT
[#27]
smoke44, you have TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR HANDS!!!
 |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 7:23:51 PM EDT
[#28]
 As much as I would like to take "credit" for this  ......found it surfing.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 7:28:25 PM EDT
[#29]
*Note for gus...I remember reading somewhere recently the Krauts in War2 had two really big rail car guns. Both were used on the Eastern Front. I believe one was used at Stalingrad.
Don't remember what their final disposition was, but the pics of those two make them look significantly larger than the ones at Aberdeen. Maybe twice the size or more. I remember it looking like they required two parallel sets of railroad tracks to move. |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 9:12:11 PM EDT
[#30]
IMHO railguns are the future of small arms, especialy for civillians. If firearms are banned railguns will stil be legal since they are not a firearm.
Plus they will have longer range, be able to 100s of smaller rouds (1-2mm) that are more effective then heavy conventional rounds, and have no cases to eject. Give it 20 years and EM guns will have suplanted most conventional powder guns in most aplications. IMHO |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2001 9:47:41 PM EDT
[#31]
I built a potatoe gun once...
Fired potatoes so far you couldn't see them... They just dissappered off into the distance... Also, made an airgun out of galvanized pipe, and an electric solenoid... It fired 1/2" diameter ball bearings through coffee cans... Guess they don't qualify as "high tech" huh ? |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/8/2001 12:03:45 AM EDT
[#32]
I think I remember the guns you're referring to being mentioned on one of the cable "Great Guns" shows. They were WAY bigger than the ones pointed at Anzio beach in Italy. BTW, all of these big RR track mounted guns were aimed longitudinally by having a curve in the tracks. The guns were hidden in tunnels and moved out to fire. What direction they fired was determined by how far out of the cave and "around the bend" they were moved. The other larger gun or guns were too large to bring home. They were the first "super guns", followed by an even larger one that was built into a hillside and aimed at England. Sadam Hussein was working on an even larger one before we spoiled his party (the first time). Rocket technology quickly made these huge guns obsolete. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/8/2001 1:40:36 PM EDT
[#33]
one of the big German "rail guns" was the Gustav. took something like 1000 men to operate, guard, and move it. i think it fired twice during the whole war
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/8/2001 8:21:28 PM EDT
[#34]
UT in Arlington built one back when SDI, was going on. My dad was the chief machinist on the project, until it went broke.
When I saw it last, it was looking real purdy. The story behind it is one of the PhD'ers spent an ungodly sum of money to make it look real pretty. If I remember my dad telling it right, it seems that it killed the budget for that year. It looked pretty but they couldn't even finish testing it. There is sound thinking for you! |
|
|
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.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.
