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To: MCCC

Good point. I was thinking more along the lines of classic propellant type projectiles. Rail guns are different.


9 posted on 03/22/2012 2:33:58 AM PDT by Sherman Logan
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To: Sherman Logan

Some other considerations: Railguns are being researched as weapons with projectiles that do not contain explosives, but are given extremely high velocities: 3,500 m/s (11,500 ft/s, approximately Mach 10 at sea level) or more (for comparison, the M16 rifle has a muzzle speed of 930 m/s, or 3,050 ft/s), which would make their kinetic energy equal or superior to the energy yield of an explosive-filled shell of greater mass. This would allow more ammunition to be carried and eliminate the hazards of carrying explosives in a tank or naval weapons platform. Also, by firing at greater velocities railguns have greater range, less bullet drop and less wind drift, bypassing the inherent cost and physical limitations of conventional firearms, “the limits of gas expansion prohibit launching an unassisted projectile to velocities greater than about 1.5 km/s and ranges of more than 50 miles [80 km] from a practical conventional gun system.”


12 posted on 03/22/2012 2:43:39 AM PDT by MCCC (Owning a gun and saying you are armed is like owning a piano and saying you are a musician.)
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