It fires slugs cut from a 1/4 steel dowel. Currently working out a cap configuration that is less unwieldy then a 150 pound backpack. Need to solve the rail ablation issue, possibly by reversing the current direction each shot. Also need to get a hold of some tooling steel and make a roller system that will cut a dowel into uniform lengths, and crimp the trailing end into something that provides an aerodynamically stable shape. Either a drag cone like a pellet, or a flitch.
So it IS a real rail gun! So cool! Could you put a thin carbon sleeve over the rails to handle the ablation? Isn’t carbon electrically conductive? What are the rails made of? I know the military was having problems with rail wear but I think they just came up with the solution of “replace them every so many shots” (typical waste of taxpayer money). How fast are your projectiles? You could turn them to make them a bit more aerodynamic. Or what about a sabot design? Man I wish I could see a picture of what you built. Not asking - just wishing. Very envious of your project.
A sabot is a pain in the ass. The rails are brass. Carbon will still ablate. Ablation rate of various metals/alloys is something on the list to look at, I was thinking tungsten. I'm slowly making folded Mylar caps, rolled is simple but has high inductance. And I'm sure feds would love pictures also.
The reason I suggested carbon is because you can buy very thin carbon tubes from TAP Plastics. And I believe they're pretty cheap. The thought was that you'd cover the brass rails with them for firing and discard them after they're ablated too much. Just a thought. I'm cool with you not sharing pic. I'm most definitely not a fed (though I guess that's just what a fed would say). I'm just a dude who's dabbled in other projectile type projects and love this stuff.
(post is archived)