[Bkite]

...with the power to one day transform military strategy..."

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/05/2...an-fire-at-4500-miles-hour.html?intcmp=hplnws

 

[CoffeeMate]

:whisper: ...nobody mention the laser...

 

[EJR914]

So I'm guessing this is openly carry?

When are they going to make it smaller for conceal carry?

 

[AtlPhilip]

I think her explanation of the rail gun is probably one of the worst examples of Journalism I have ever seen/heard. Absolutely painful to watch.

 

[moe mensale]

In conventional guns, a bullet loses velocity from the moment the gunpowder ignites and sends it flying. The railgun projectile instead gains speed as it travels the length of a 32-foot barrel, exiting the muzzle at 4,500 miles an hour, or more than a mile a second.

In a "conventional" gun the bullet has a velocity of zero before ignition occurs. So at ignition that bullet starts losing velocity? From zero? Negative velocity? :?

 

[CoffeeMate]

In a "conventional" gun the bullet has a velocity of zero before ignition occurs. So at ignition that bullet starts losing velocity? From zero? Negative velocity? :?

Yeah, it's called recoil. That's why they have those compensator ports on the barrel shroud. It makes the bullet go to warp speed as soon as your shoulder thingie starts to go up.

[/sarcasm]

:lol:

 

[RedLeg17]

In a "conventional" gun the bullet has a velocity of zero before ignition occurs. So at ignition that bullet starts losing velocity? From zero? Negative velocity? :?

They have it right. After the acceleration caused by the ignition of the propellant, the round loses velocity as it travels down the barrel.

 

[CoffeeMate]

After the acceleration caused by the ignition of the propellant, the round loses velocity as it travels down the barrel.

Okay, but that's not what they said.

 

[xd45packer]

They have it right. After the acceleration caused by the ignition of the propellant, the round loses velocity as it travels down the barrel.

Is that why shorter barrels have higher muzzle velocity?

 

[AtlPhilip]

They have it right. After the acceleration caused by the ignition of the propellant, the round loses velocity as it travels down the barrel.

F = (P x A) - Friction

A = F / M

V = 1/2 A x t^2

A bullet continues accelerating until the frictional force exceeds the force caused by gas pressure. Generally, until it leaves the barrel, at which point F = 0

 

[45_Fan]

F = (P x A) - Friction

A = F / M

V = 1/2 A x t^2

A bullet continues accelerating until the frictional force exceeds the force caused by gas pressure. Generally, until it leaves the barrel, at which point F = 0

I think the point was that with a railgun the force on the projectile is constant over the length of the barrel. With a chemical propellant it tapers off.

 

[Match10]

They have it right. After the acceleration caused by the ignition of the propellant, the round loses velocity as it travels down the barrel.

No, it does NOT! It accelerates continually until it exits the barrel.

 

[Bkite]

this was interesting...
http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2003/MichaelTse.shtml

 

[EJR914]

I'm sure since this weapon users magnets to propel the projectile, it too starts to decelerate as soon as it leaves the barrel, also.

 

[AtlPhilip]

this was interesting...
http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2003/MichaelTse.shtml

Yes, right up until he penned this tripe...

"Remember, guns don't kill people. Bullets do. To paraphrase Chris Rock in Bigger, Blacker and Uncut, if bullet prices were raised to $5,000 each, there would be a drastic decrease in murders"

 

[CoffeeMate]

... if bullet prices were raised to $5,000 each, there would be a drastic decrease in murders ...

That's Feinstein thinking.

No, there would be a drastic increase in ammo theft.

 

[Nemo]

if bullet prices were raised to $5,000 each, there would be a drastic decrease in murders"

I would be one rich SOB.

Nemo

 

[Taurus92]

That's Feinstein thinking.

No, there would be a drastic increase in ammo theft.

They would simply be expanding the product market for drug dealers.

 

[Taurus92]

Since there is no gunpowder, what's up with the muzzle flash? Gas compression and release as it exits the barrel?

 

[AtlPhilip]

Since there is no gunpowder, what's up with the muzzle flash? Gas compression and release as it exits the barrel?

Not all railguns operate purely an electromagnetic field. Some use a thin layer of conductive propellant attached to the rear of the projectile, similar to the experimental designs for a caseless cartridge.

The key difference between this type of gun and a traditional firearm is that the propellant is often made of metal. The massive power dump causes the propellant to vaporize into a gas. This is the same process used by chemical propellants, except that the propellant is inert.

The other possibility is that the amount of energy being dumped creates a cloud of ionized gases or even a plasma cloud. Either could look very similar to a fireball as they exited the barrel.