[rlmorel]

Didn’t know that.

I thought the big drawback was the power required...and that there would be no “wear”, because the ordinance never actually touched the rail, it was ejected on a mag-lev concept suspended in air even by a very, very tiny amount and then a wave of electromagnetic energy pulsing down a linear path would push the projectile in front of it.

I haven’t been following it that closely for a while, so you could be right and my understanding could be out of date.

[PapaBear3625]

Electromagnetic Railgun Barrel Damage Experiments

[DiogenesLamp]

I thought the big drawback was the power required...and that there would be no "wear", because the ordinance never actually touched the rail, it was ejected on a mag-lev concept suspended in air even by a very, very tiny amount and then a wave of electromagnetic energy pulsing down a linear path would push the projectile in front of it.

The projectile must be in physical contact with the rails because they pass current through it to create the magnetic field that reacts with the larger field surrounding it.

I say "must be in physical contact", but this is only necessary initially. Once it gets moving, I imagine most of the current flows through the plasma created by the air between the projectile and the barrel.

I expect it is this super hot plasma that eats away at the barrel.