Questions tagged [railguns]
An electromagnetic launcher that accelerates a conductive projectile in contact with a pair of conductors (the rails) via its interaction with a magnetic field. Not to be confused with [coilguns].
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Plasma Railgun Toroids [closed]
In my world, the base kinetic weapon is a chemical railgun, with both gunpowder(or an equivalent) and electromagnetic rails propelling the rounds. A second round type is very hot burning chemicals ...
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Can we combine a laser with a gauss rifle to get a cinematic 'laser rifle'?
So, I've been trying to think of ways to have a sci-fi "laser beam" in a setting that at least gives a fig leaf of realism. After reading through many other posts here it's become clear that ...
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Using explosive flux charges as an electric cannon power source
Finding ways of powering electric cannons in a compact and lightweight manner has been a common source of interest to me. While looking through some articles and other answers I found out about ...
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Effectiveness and impact of hypersonic needles replacing supersonic bullets
I have been thinking about realistic sci-fi small arms of future. Usually authors make use of lasers and other vague laser-like rifles. But if you think about it kinetic projectiles have a lot of ...
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Can I shoot a synthetic solar plasma out of a rail gun?
First, I'm assuming without asking that I can generate a blob of charged particles like the Sun's solar flares plasma. My thought was more directly related to HOW to shoot it? Isn't the real thing ...
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Minimal inductance vs Superconductors and Unintended Consequences
I have a setting with railguns. To make them more feasible I have some particles that can be applied to metals, wirings etc.. These particles can change the properties of the metals/objects or the ...
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How feasible are my Gauss weapons?
Now, in my world, Gauss weapons are in common use for use in armor piercing where LP (low-powered) lasers and plasma fail. Using solid steel needles, slugs, or bolts, depending on the size, shape, ...
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Engineering considerations for a hand-held railgun carbine [closed]
The Design
The R-10 (1-2 decades pre-fall)
The SRDA's Terraforming and Colony-building Prospect is phase 2 of The Plan, started by the Theia, Tanu and the Aurea long-haul ships, which gave us access ...
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Would a stationary railgun be possible utilizing 1910s electrical technology?
I am building a world in which gunpowder was not invented (chemistry is less advanced compared to other sciences), but other kinds of projectile weapons still dominate the battlefield (compressed air ...
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Railguns vs coilguns in the field [duplicate]
I am developing a sci fi mod for a game called armored brigade and a faction present in this mod will use either railguns or coilguns as crew served anti armor weapons similar in form to something ...
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When are Turreted Railgun better than Spinally-Mounted Railguns?
When and why are spinally-mounted railguns superior to turreted railguns for space combat? Is it a power issues(longer barrels could probably be mounted spinally, and the longer barrels might allow ...
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Designing a railgun to disable man-portable firearms
I'm trying to design a railgun to meet a very particular purpose: to destroy (i.e. render inoperable) modern man-portable firearms, such as pistols, rifles and grenade launchers, from a Glock pistol ...
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Intercepting/surviving tank based high velocity kinetic weapons
Suppose in the future tanks are able mount higher velocity guns such as railguns or electro chemical technology (ETC) guns. Suppose these tanks slightly larger normal (no you can't mount a railgun on ...
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Effects in space on a human standing to the side of the muzzle of a huge rail gun when fired
The setting.
Space, the inner asteroid belt. An LNCHR ship is anchored to an asteroid without atmosphere.
A LNCHR ship is a ship with two main facilities:
A space crane to raise the slugs filled with ...
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1-month Free Shipping... To Mars
Amazon has extended to Mars, and their Prime customers there need, if not 1-day shipping, at least 1-month shipping.
They have created a shipping mechanism involving some method, that allows them to ...
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Naval Gunfire Support with railgun equipped warships
Would vessels like battleships or cruisers, equppied with railguns instead of conventional guns, be able to offer fire support for ground troops?
Doing my research, I have been informed that railguns ...
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Armored Fighting Vehicles in Heavy Forests and Mountain Regions
In my setting the world is practically covered in dense forests, mountains or mountainous forests. As to they whys, for now its easier to just say that's the way it is. Technology in this world is ...
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Conditions for Modern Trench Warfare
What battlefield/tech conditions would necessitate the use of trench warfare in a modern or semi near future setting? One thing I was considering was the significant advancement of railguns/AT guns ...
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What would naval warfare look like with ubiquitous railguns?
Let's assume for the moment we're in an alternative history/steampunk sort of setting where oil/coal/explosives are exceedingly rare, but tech around electric generators, motors, and batteries are ...
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Could environmental concerns be a valid reason for needles to be used instead of bullets?
In my settings, humans live in a world where the planet reacts violently to environmental pollution. Once it's reached a certain point, monsters erupt from the planet and attack all human beings. ...
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How much energy I would require for a railgun to shot a bullet in the same speed of normal rifles?
So, in this history, they just said "screw it, I'm giving railguns to the army", and they added a machine gun like rifle with big caliber, but low recoil, they carry a backpack with ...
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Maximum railgun and coilgun dimensions for space craft
I'm creating a sci-fi universe with a friend and I've come across a slight problem.
We are attempting to create a type 2~3 militarized civilisation where the main weapon of a certain spacecraft is ...
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Is there any way to make a nonlethal railgun?
Riot police are marching across the burning fields of the UN capital on Mars to quell pro alien insurrectionists. Ethics and activism dictate that no lethal weapons can be used on other humans. But ...
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Would submarines be well defended from space based lasers? What about railguns?
When a planet is under seige, obviously its airports, missile silos, and launch sites are the first targets of bombardment, to prevent a counterattack. It thus seems that submarines, which can fire ...
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Effectiveness of orbital railguns on ground or air-based targets?
For space-based warfare, would an orbiting satellite which was equipped with a railgun cannon be effective against a ground-based fort, or even an aeroplane, or another type of air transport? This is,...
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How would someone with electric superpowers make a railgun?
So, in my story, there's a guy that can produce electricity, and functions as pretty much an endless power supply of electrical energy. With that, I was wondering, what would be required to make it so ...
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Tank armaments: railguns vs coilguns
Assuming power can be provided, what would be the more practical primary armament for a tank using an electromagnetic cannon? I am looking for a good compromise between accuracy, cost and durability ...
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I am designing a quantum levitation gauss rifle for a novel that is powered by its own neutronium slugs. I need help with specifics [closed]
My idea us that through what can be defined as reverse tron lasers we have infinite neutronium and through an equilibrium of quantum levitation, a single massively dense object can offset its ...
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Limits on EM kinetic weaponry
I am looking for kinetic armament for spaceships. With nuclear reactors providing power, there is plenty of energy for kinetic EM weapons.
EM weapons come either as coil guns or as rail guns.
What ...
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What's a good way to classify railguns?
Most weapons and artillery are split by bore diameter, e.g. naval rifles of 203mm, 406mm etc.
Railguns and coilguns probably won't be classified the same way, I think. Cause if multiple models use a ...
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Best material and shape for small-arms railgun/coilgun amunition?
If you search this site for "railgun", you'll find a lot of questions and answers. But none seem to talk about what the ammo wouls be made off.
Considerations:
The small-arms have the energy storage ...
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Railgun-launched nuclear warhead
I'm making a world where sub-FTL interstellar travel is a thing, and so is interstellar war, but for the purpose of this question we'll assume the scale to be of a single system.
Spaceships have ...
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Using the Casimir effect with a railgun to reduce mass, size and recoil?
The civilization I've built has developed the technology for near limitless, sustained power generation. Through this advancement it's been possible for them to solve for Alcubierre's Bubbles and ...
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Handheld Weapons: Gas Expansion vs Coil Guns
What would make hand held coil guns viable weapons?
I have a science fiction setting that I would like to spice up with hand held sci-fi weaponry (coil guns, plasma weaponry). However, it may be too ...
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Railguns designs for hand held rifles and spacecraft
I'm writing a book and I want to use rail-guns for advanced space age factions in warfare.
I would like to make them as realistic as possible so I did a bit of digging myself, but most of the ...
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Fighting fire with fire: Railguns [duplicate]
In order to defeat railgun projectiles, I wish to create the Electromagnetic Reactive Armor, a defense that fights fire with fire, aka: intercepts the projectiles by shooting out another one, that ...
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Handling recoil of hand-held railguns
How can you handle the recoil of ultra-powerful sidearms?
In the near future, advances in warm superconductors, capacitors, and battery technology has led to railgun or coilgun projectile launching ...
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Could elephants evolve into living railguns?
Say in a post nuclear holocaust world, elephants managed to survive and adapt. It can consume and digest iron and steel and grow two rows of metallic tusks. When threatened the elephant will lift up ...
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Is there any advantage in a railgun/coilgun having multiple barrels?
I'm putting together a design for a large land based walker style weapon, the machine has missile rack above and 2 large railguns/coilguns/cannons on each side. Aesthetically I'd like the design of ...
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Railgun projectiles against ERA protection [closed]
OK so i am in a scenario that an enemy has a railgun and i can only rig a walker with ERA protection.
How effective an ERA can be against railgun?
ERA - Explosive Reactive Armour
https://en....
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What's a safer design for a relativistic kill vehicle?
A large railgun mounted on the spine of a mega-scale starship (20-32km) or an antimatter-powered missile launched outside the ship? For clarification's sake, when I say "safer" I'm referring to "safer ...
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How do spaceship-mounted railguns not destroy the ships firing them?
And I'm not talking about the wimpy 32 MJ kind we have in the real world, I'm talking about the superweapon kind. Anyone familiar with Knights of Sidonia and their flagship's Heavy Mass Cannons will ...
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Man-portable 5-20 MJ railgun?
Not to say it can be fired without a tripod and/or a mount to disperse the recoil, but could railgun artillery or anti-tank rifles work in a near future setting with miniaturized fusion reactors? I'd ...
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What kind of protection system could be used against railguns?
What kind of system using modern technology would be able to counter a railgun projectile on a vehicle (both land and sea)? Would a think slab of angled armour in the shape of "<" work to cover the ...
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What's more viable as futuristic infantry weapons, rail/coilguns or laser rifles?
To clarify, I don't mean "whoosh kapow" laser rifles and I don't mean the handheld rocket launchers or plasma cannons fiction often tries to pass off as railguns. The weapons I'm referring to operate ...
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How to build a tank equipped with a 1 GJ railgun
Not a tank that could survive being shot with a 1 GJ railgun (pretty sure nothing can survive that), but a tank that can withstand the recoil of a 1 GJ railgun that's been mounted to it.
Obviously, ...
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What are the advantages of a coilgun v.s. a railgun?
I want to know the pros and cons of hand held rail guns versus coil guns. They will be given to infantry who can easily lift the weapons. If need be they could have twice the strength of a normal ...
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