Posted on 06/28/2020 10:29:06 PM PDT by RomanSoldier19
Still, it would have to be something embarrassingly cumbersome.
Nah.
From the article:
“It is obvious that these weapons are still in the prototype stage, as their range and impact are not optimum, very likely due to the guns’ limited battery or capacitor capacity to store and release energy, the expert said. But once this technical problem is solved, the coilguns will become much more powerful and could replace the firearms of today.”
Cartridge rifles and pistols have over a century of fairly intense development behind their current designs. Well understood ballistic performance, proven in combat, easy to manufacture (weapon and ammunition), etc., etc., blah, blah, blah.
To be a possible game changer, the proposed new system has to provide the possibility of a “militarily significant improvement” in performance. Once you check that box, you then get to explore the schedule and funding issues involved in manufacturing and fielding enough of the new system to translate that militarily significant improvement into battlefield success.
The weapon probably incorporates complex electronics and those will have to be hardened against the abuse that is a part of field service with the infantry. As for the energy required to operate the weapon, it probably will be divided in two: on-board batteries to operate the fire control/optical systems and separate batteries integrated into the ammunition system to provide the pulsed high energy needed to launch the projectiles. Inserting a clip would provide both new projectiles and the energy needed to launch them. Still have to figure out how to store that much energy without loss over long periods of time (that’s the storage characteristic of the chemical energy system that is being replaced). If not, developers are going to have to come up with a recharging system the infantry can actually use in “every clime and place.”
You don’t really expect it to be practical.
If it was a practical weapon they wouldn’t have had the press conference.
It was not your childhood air rifle.
SO YOU ARE THE ONE THAT SHOT OUT MY WINDSHIELD !!!
SO YOU ARE THE ONE THAT SHOT OUT MY WINDSHIELD !!!
Twice;)
To be fair, most of the problems reported at the dam before the current flood conditions were due to crap Chinese contractor misbehavior and construction. Their military suppliers are considerably different, not least of which because if they screw up QC, someone gets shot.
Put it to you this way - right now, Holosun’s Chinese red dot sights are put together better than Leupold’s assembled in USA ones at a higher price. See the recent InRange videos on YouTube for proof.
Supercapacitor bank, using some of the stuff being played with in the electric vehicle industry.
Not necessarily. It’s at least reasonably possible that they could get ten projectiles and enough power in supercapacitors into a magazine the size of a Magpul 30 rounder. I’d be interested to see if that’s what they did.
My guess is that it’s got limited ammo capacity and bleeding edge supercapacitor power in something the size of a conventional 30 round magazine. But that’s just a guess; if they do, it could be useful for their police market as is and point the way to further developments down the road.
Let me guess - coatings that use rare earth elements...
No, actually. They’re nanocoatings which are generally thought to not require REEs.
It’s a perfect weapon for a field robot - offsets the battery weight issue.
I have to be careful not to always assume the worst. Thanks for clearing that up.
No they haven’t solved the battery or capacitor issue. Any high school kid can build what they are showing off, in fact there are numerous youtube videos of people clowning around with homemade coilguns.
This is in the same venue as “Iranian Stealth fighter” unveiling. They are trying to show that “see the Americans aren’t the only ones with railguns, we even have railgun pistols!”
“Squirrels and crows were another matter.”
Crows always knew I was carrying!
Maybe do a combination of electricity and "that battery blowed up real good" to push the projectile.
The capacitors are the bullets
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