Re: Metal Storm

At 6:39 PM +1100 1/17/02, Alan and Carmel Brain wrote:
> No idea. As they're clip-on, part of the sight system should be
integrated
>with the barrel when high accuracy is required - this AFAICR is the
system
>used with the sniper rifle, which is designed to be good enough to take
>out a target at 2000m.
>For most applications, a 1/10 sec burst at 10,000 rounds per second is
>enough,
>especially if it's a 40mm...

And you will still have to zero the weapon. The sigting system on the 
Bradly is a pretty good sized set of kit.

> > How do you protect the weapon system under armor?
>Same way you do other comparable weapons. Usually you don't. When you
need
>to, you use multiple barrels.

But this will be a big box sitting on top of your armour, no?

>
>Take barrel out of shipping container.

takes 2 guys I bet.

>Remove existing barrel - noting how many rounds are still in, if not
empty.
>Put barrel in mount.
>Lock.

>Rather easier than changing a 25mm barrel. Definitely easier than
loading
>a mag with lost of 25mm rounds linked together.

Its still a 25mm barrel. It still has to be of a certain size that is 
able to hold that powder charge. Now instead of being tapered at the 
front and only thick at the breech end, its thick all along it's 
length. And its a different barrel with different mechanical 
properties that does need to be re-zeroed from the last one you just 
used.

How many rounds do you get in a barrel? 10-20? Each one of those 
rounds will have a different muzzle velocity because they will have 
traveled down a different length barrel. Sure you might be able to 
vary the powder portion per round, but, you've still got issues with 
the front rounds are going to be traveling down a shorter barrel and 
will still have differences in velocity from those in the back.

So to have 200 rounds on tap, I have to have 10 of these barrels in a 
mount that has to train and elevate. All are out of armor for the 
most part. To reload, I have to get out of the vehicle and climb up 
on top. No thanks. I'll clip several more rounds of 25mm AP in the 
turret base, count them out and hang them in the ammo bin.

>Remember - there is no brass. No cartridge case. Weight of 20 rounds of
>a normal weapon is:
>a)Electromechanical firing system, heavy enough to reliably hit the
round
>with a firing pin plus
>b)Firing actuator (trigger), safety etc
>c) Furniture and recoil systems capable of taking the shock.
>d) 20 cartridges, each able to confine the propellant without
ballooning too
>much.
>e) A barrel heavy enough to take the heat stress from 1000 rounds (say)
>before deforming.
>f) 20 lots of propellant
>g) 20 warheads

You are still going to have a big slug of metal where your breech is 
in the back are you not?

I still think I can more easily carry around 20 rounds of 7.62 in a 
small box than I can 20 rounds stuck up a tube strapped to my back 
with a given length barrel. Heck, I can more easily carry around one 
FAL, a SUIT Scope, and 6 extra	box magazines than I can 7 barrels 
each with its own train of ammo, a funny mount and spare batteries 
and 1 scope. (assuming your machine tolerances are perfect every time 
I change the barrels to the new mount.)

>Now delete a), d), e) and replace them with a chip, a battery, and a
barrel
>not a lot
>heavier than the 20 cartridge cases. Upgrade c) as needed for the ROF.
>
>If you've ever policed up the brass after a lot of rounds have been
fired,
>you know
>how freaking heavy it is in large quantities.

Yep. Not as heavy as the loaded brass. Ever pick up a .50 cal mg 
barrel? Imagine that with 10 rounds in it.
>
>Immediate Action/Gas Stoppage is even more hairy on an auto rifle. I
still
>think the "turn away and pray the mercury fulminate is completely
defective"
>bit is for the avians, even on a bolt action rifle.

Hmm, on the Fal if its a dead round, you turn the rifle away from 
you, hold the extraction lever that is opposite the ejection port and 
eject the round. Quite honestly though, misfired rounds out of decent 
ammo are wayyy rare. I've never had it out of the surplus US, 
Austrian, Greek, British or Portuguese ammo fail to function for me. 
The only problems I've was a batch of .303 British that was Pakistani 
and had very poor quality. Likely it could have been storage issues.

--
Ryan Gill	  |	   |	     rmgill@mindspring.com
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