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

----- Original Message -----
From: Thomas.Barclay <Thomas.Barclay@cbu.xwavesolutions.com>
To: <gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2000 11:28 AM
Subject: [SG2][DS2] Gauss Weapons vs. CPR

> The discussion continues.
>
> Assuming your vehicle is using an FGP or some other abundant energy

big snip

> 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 suspect the reason no one makes 10:1 ratio small arms rounds has to do
with structural failure of the round as it is being violently
accelerated
out of the barrel.  Remember, the round is being PUSHED out, and all
that
force is concentrated at the pushing end of the projectile, while for
gauss
weapons, that force would be distributed across the entire length of the
round, I assume.  In big guns, the large ratio rounds are all
sub-caliber
penetrators from saboted rounds.  The actual dimensions of the complete
round (including sabot diameter) do not tend to have very extreme
ratios.
This is the reason I gave the friendly natives of the Far Stars Union a
10mm
assault rifle--it fires saboted rounds.

Anyway, I may be off on this, as I'm not a mechanical engineer, but it
sounds right.

Rob