Re: [SG2][DS2] Gauss Weapons vs. CPR

>From: "Thomas.Barclay" <Thomas.Barclay@cbu.xwavesolutions.com>
>Reply-To: gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
>To: gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
>Subject: [SG2][DS2] Gauss Weapons vs. CPR
>Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 11:28:16 -0400
>
>The discussion continues.
>
>Assuming your vehicle is using an FGP or some other abundant energy
source
>(likely in a HT vehicle), you'll have the power source to drive the
>accelerator for a railgun. On a personal level, your battery is
probably in
>the magazine. Is battery + lighter rounds better than cased or caseless
CP
>rounds? Depends on your battery tech, don't it? :)

One option which would not work for rapid fire weapons might work for a 
gauss sniper rifle - a smaller battery and a capacitor - the battery
doesn't 
have the juice to fire a round, and doesn't try - it merely recharges a 
capacitor which stores up enough juice for one shote, fires it, then has
to 
recharge.  Again, a very very slow rate of fire - but for an expert
sniper, 
stealthy and capable of delivering a one shot one kill attack, it might
be 
useful, since it would provide a lighter weapon.

>Snip< Also, resupply is easier. I actually suspect it will be cheaper
to 
>produce
>ferromagnetic slivers than it ever will be to produce a bullet plus
>propellant. Again, this argument boils down to manufacturing. But if
you 
>can
>go to space, I hope you can find a cheap way to produce a tightly
spec'd
>gauss round for a minimal cost. It might even be an automated factory
(dump
>in metal - either as ore or recycled damaged vehicles or whatever - get
out
>gauss gun rounds). The Alarish might NEVER run out of ammo...

I pointed out the resupply/space saving issue.	But it's not just a 
strategic logistical advantage - from the view of the individual tank
crew, 
the advantage is also an increase in the number of rounds they can
store, 
which increases the amount of time they can stay on the line before
having 
to rearm.

>Are accelerators fragile? Is a magnet (even an electromagnet) fragile?

No more so than say, loads of propellant.

>And, as Oerjan pointed out, CPR guns can have a 10:1 l:d ratio on the
>rounds... maybe... I don't know about that. I assume there is a reason
this
>has never been done with smaller calibre small arms rounds. Probably a 
>gauss
>round for a smaller weapon could actually (due to higher V) have better
>flight characteristics that can't be achieved with a CPR round without
a
>ridiculous amount of propellant, but I don't know. I just know I've
never
>seen a rifle round or MG round in that configuration yet for a CPR gun.

What's a CPR gun? Forgive the ignorance, I'm still learning.

>Anyway, regardless of wizzo technology, the idea of hurling 4mm needles
>around at ridiculous velocities is very sci-fi and pretty cool.... :)

And in tyhe end, isn't that what all of this is REALLY about, at least
in 
the context of this list?

Brian Bilderback
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