[SG2][DS2] Gauss Weapons vs. CPR

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? :) 

But someone hit on a relatively large advantage to gauss rounds: No
dangerous propellants. (Okay, batteries are dangerous, as is an FGP, but
you
already have those anyway). No need to bunker your ammo on the back of
the
turret with blow out panels on top. Gauss rounds might splinter if hit,
but
won't explode. 

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...

Are accelerators fragile? Is a magnet (even an electromagnet) fragile?
I'd
say the lighter the weapon, the more likely you will have a reliability
issue (this is a generic comment not just applicable to gauss). I'd also
say
that the newer the technology, the more fragile. But mature gauss
technology
is probably robust, reliable, and cheap. It's everyone's call to
determine
if that is where the GZGverse is. I suspect we haven't quite reached the
age
where this is ubiquitous yet. (Though, if current US tank development
plans
come to fruition, we may see mass drivers on the battlefield in 20
years). 

A gauss rounds high velocity will make it more accurate. Anyplace you
can
get an external power source (plug into the local grid, such FGP power
from
your tank, whatever), you can dispense with battery weight. The rounds
will
probably be germ free (barring loading hollowed casing with nastiness)
due
to the high heat they'll be subjected to. 

A gauss round will probably overpenetrate against unarmoured targets
because
it'll be designed to hit armoured targets. A fragmenting version may be
available for lightly armoured targets. Since, in many engagements,
you'd
rather wound than kill, you really are fairly happy to just poke a small
hole in an enemy through his armour. Anyone remember the nasty
triangular
bayonet? Hard to tell how bad a wound was. Imagine a gauss round... 

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.

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

Thomas Barclay
Software Specialist 
Defence Systems
xwave solutions
www.xwavesolutions.com
v: (613) 831 2018 x 3008

Alea iacta et pessimo resulto factura est.
 
Ave, Caesar! Te morituiri salutimas!