RE: Low Tech Scenarios

Jim spake thusly upon matters weighty: 

> The difference is in the impulse of the recoil. Given the time it
takes to
> accelerate the round to velocity, if we looked at a graph of force vs.
time
> for the chemical round, there would be a huge initial spike that
dropped
> off very raplidly; in other words most of the chemical round's
acceleration
> takes place in the first few milliseconds of the firing cycle.

Except that if you want the high velocities for penetration and KE 
and you want the high cyclic for volume of fire, then you're looking 
at actually producing a *greater* sum of forces to accelerate the 
rounds in a given time increment in a mag-gun than in a chem-gun. 
Which translates to more total recoil. 
 
> Magnetic or grav-powered weapons, however, will over the same time
have a
> force vs. time chart that looks like a long mesa; a pulse up to the
force
> level, that level holds until the round leaves the barrel, then drops
off
> almost instantly.

In order to go hypersonic in a short barrel, and get a high cyclic, 
the time the round will be accelerated will probably be SHORTER than 
a matching chem-gun. Therefore the mesa will be pretty damn slim. I 
agree with the shape, but I suspect it would be more like a high 
short step function than a long shallow one.  

> Someone firing a machinegun feels recoil as if it were a jackhammer;
> repeated sharp impulses. Someone firing a full auto railgun would feel
a
> solid, steady push, with a rhythmic *absence* in recoil as each round
was
> cycled into the chamber.

As mentioned above, to get hyper sonic velocities, a high cyclic, and 
a reasonable barrel length, you're going to end up with (I agree) a 
smooth push, but it's going to start suddenly (since I assume you 
want your first round out of the barrel as fast as any of the others) 
and keep pushing back at you VERY HARD. This might be something that 
requires some sort of gas shock or some sort of recoil compensation 
system (gas?) perhaps - perhaps only viable on PA. 

If the average grunty wants an easily controllable gun with a 
moderate steady kick, he'll have to settle for lower velocities and 
lower cyclics (admittedly this stuff may even be situationally 
adjustable) which is probably fine anyway since you don't want to 
overpenetrate, and you can't carry (even with gauss needles) an 
infinite weight of ammo. 

In short, you may get better performance out of a gauss rifle, but it 
isn't a miracle weapon (and it depends on low weight, low volume, 
high power source of energy). It probably is basically the equivalent 
of the SG2 advanced combat rifle, vs. the chem-gun normal assault 
rifle. 

Again, this all boils down to newton's laws regarding reactions and 
gravity (as to how much weight a grunty can carry, hence how fast his 
gun should fire). 

Tom. 
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