Table of Contents
Are Railguns destructive devices?
A rail gun is not, for legal purposes, a “firearm”. It is also not a “destructive device”, all the definitions of which require “propellant”, which is absent.
Does a railgun shoot a projectile?
A railgun is a linear motor device, typically designed as a weapon, that uses electromagnetic force to launch high velocity projectiles. The projectile normally does not contain explosives, instead relying on the projectile’s high speed, mass, and kinetic energy to inflict damage.
Can a railgun shoot a projectile into space?
Railguns can acheive a muzzle velocity of a projectile on the order of 7.5 km/s. The Earth’s escape velocity is 11.2 km/s. It seems to me that a railgun style launch device built into a deep shaft such as an abandoned mine could reasonably launch a vehicle into space.
Do railgun projectiles spin?
Railgun launching Spin-Stabilized Projectile. The method of driving the projectile to rotate is using electromagnetic force. And the armature moving forward is also driven by electromagnetic force. By controlling the electromagnetic force, it can control the muzzle velocity and the rotation rate of the projectile.
How does a magnetic rail gun work?
How Does a Railgun Work? The basic principle behind a railgun is that it uses an electric current to create a magnetic field. Current travels from the power source up one rail, through the projectile which acts as a connecting wire, and back down the other parallel rail.
How does an electromagnetic railgun work?
You have two parallel rails (thus called a railgun) and a moveable projectile that is also like a wire. An electric current goes down one wire, across the projectile and then back down the other rail. This magnetic field then pushes on the projectile with the current running through it to propel it out of the railgun.
How far can railgun shoot?
110 nautical miles
Railguns use magnetic fields created by high electrical currents to accelerate a projectile to Mach 6, or 5,400 miles an hour. The velocity is sufficient to give the EMRG an effective range of 110 nautical miles, or 126 miles on land.
Can we use railguns to launch satellites?
No, a rail gun projects a small, low-mass object at extremely high velocity through a linear muzzle to provide kinematic explosive damage. A electro-magnetic catapult, a similar technology, could be used to launch objects into orbit.
What is an electromagnetic rail gun?
Electromagnetic Rail Gun ProposalRail guns have long been seen as a “Holy Grail” of naval weapons, as the technology promises hypersonic launch velocities without the use of conventional propellants.
How does a magnetic projectile travel across a wire?
An electric current goes down one wire, across the projectile and then back down the other rail. In between the two parallel rails, both of the magnetic fields due to the rails points in the same direction and make a stronger magnetic field.
What is the muzzle velocity of the railgun?
The railgun was fired at 10.64MJ (megajoules) and the 7 lbs. (3.2 kg) test slug projectile attained a muzzle velocity of 8,268 fps (2,520 mps). A newer launcher is now under construction that will allow multiple shots and energies approaching 30MJ.
What is the difference between a railgun and a coilgun?
Maybe I should also point out that there is a difference between a railgun and a coilgun. A coilgun uses a series of electromagnetic coils to accelerate a ferromagnetic projectile. For the railgun, the projectile is accelerated because of a current running through the projectile.