ArcFlash Labs' GR-1 Anvil Portable Gauss Rifle

[Arioch]

The first commercially available portable mass driver is here.



(Note that it has no iron sights.)

[Bamax]

Like all new tech iterations it is far bigger than what will replace it

I think future gauss guns would still be big, but most of that would be due to coolant tankage to keep the power supply from overheating.

The alternative os a heatsink material, but that only gives you a limited number of shots before the gun overheats anyway.

There was a what if thread about unlimited ammo guns... fantastic as that sounds it is not mean you can fire fire forever. The gun would overheat if you did. So yes . ... even impossible unlimited ammo guns nedd a way to cool them to keep firing nonstop.

[Cthulhu]

Oh, it's the Gun Jesus, but wielding something futuristic for a change of pace.

Such guns might be the weapons of the future, the only question is, how are we going to name them? "Firearms" doesn't work any longer, since there's no gunpowder. Electroarms? Magnearms? Beararms?

[Arioch]

Bearhugs.

[QuakeIV]

I haven't really looked into whether or not this constitutes new tech or if the performance could've been achieved for a while now, but its a neat demonstrator in any case.

Given the issues had in the video probably needs a bit of work to improve usability to get more people to buy it as a toy. Hopefully they put in the time for that in the production variant.

[Cthulhu]

The problem with such weapons is actually threefold, as far as I can see it:
1. Battery power. Current devices or portable generators do not offer the necessary energy storage density. Also, even live ammo is still "safer" than a big lithium-ion battery, considering their possible reaction to battlefield damage, "reload" speed and general handling.
2. Power output. In order to fire that mass driver with enough force, you'd need incredibly high peak output capabilities. Here, they circumvent that issue with capacitors, but even those are not yet powerful enough.
3. Magnet strength. Current magnetic coils cannot handle those energies, at least without cooling. We'd need either miniaturized cooling mechanisms, or the "holy grail" of applied physics itself, the ambient superconductor.

That makes we wonder, how high is the power density of Loroi handheld weapon cells? In Star Trek, for example, they could be set to overload, creating a "hand grenade" of sorts if the plot demanded for it.

[Tamri]

@Cthulhu, in general, any energy source of a non-chemical nature is explosive (however, chemical, especially highly efficient ones, like coal and oil, are fire hazardous or toxic-radioactive, especially in dispersive form) simply because it contains a huge amount of energy, which, if the storage is damaged, must go somewhere.

Out.

[Cthulhu]

@Cthulhu, in general, any energy source of a non-chemical nature is explosive (however, chemical, especially highly efficient ones, like coal and oil, are fire hazardous or toxic-radioactive, especially in dispersive form) simply because it contains a huge amount of energy, which, if the storage is damaged, must go somewhere.

Out.

What I mean is that common ammunition for hand-held firearms is far safer than a big li-ion battery. Modern cartridges won't necessarily explode, even if struck by bullets, but a battery will produce a really nice jet of flames if pierced. So, for the energy packs of the future that would need to hold even more charge, safety should be paramount as well.

[gaerzi]

I have got only one question: where's the pew pew sound? It only makes a faint "chnk" sound.

[dragoongfa]

I have got only one question: where's the pew pew sound? It only makes a faint "chnk" sound.

The proper gauss rifles of the future will inevitably let out a sonic boom when they fire in atmo and they will certainly kick like a bitch.

[ReneKay]

Interesting! Probably future electromagnetic weapons will use superconducting magnetic energy storage, especially once we finally manage room temperature superconductors.

I don't think coilguns will need much more of a radiator than conventional firearms, unless operated in a vacuum.

[Bamax]

I have got only one question: where's the pew pew sound? It only makes a faint "chnk" sound.

Actually that makes it and future interations a possible stealth weapon.

If no one see's or hears a muzzle flash and someone goes down... this is like a stealth crossbow virtually... only worse since there won't be an arrow lodged indicating from whence direction it came.

[dragoongfa]

I have got only one question: where's the pew pew sound? It only makes a faint "chnk" sound.

Actually that makes it and future interations a possible stealth weapon.

If no one see's or hears a muzzle flash and someone goes down... this is like a stealth crossbow virtually... only worse since there won't be an arrow lodged indicating from whence direction it came.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depends on the POV), the velocities in which a railgun is 'stealthy' are not lethal. The GR-1 broke 70m/s which is on par with low end air guns (a BB gun) and it's laughable when compared with hunting air guns of the 19th century. To be competitive with current day battle rifles the muzzle velocity should be at least twice the sound barrier, which immediately nullifies any stealthy characteristics.

[Arioch]

I think that for general battlefield use, gauss weapons won't replace gunpowder any time soon, as the former will be heavier, less reliable and much more expensive even when it becomes similar in performance. However, since a gauss weapon can be very quiet, I can easily imagine specialized applications. A subsonic round can be quite deadly to unarmored targets if the projectile is heavy enough; hollow point .45 ACP rounds are subsonic, but can still kill you plenty dead.

[Nemo]

Dirtside, I don't see this kind of tech becoming feasible until we have above room temperature super conductors - and can use them to create superconducting-electromagnets. There is too much waste in the system to maintain either rate of fire or even responsive fire on demand. This device needs time to prime a shot. And the weight has to come down as well. That needs entirely new materials science for energy storage and delivery. It's not something you can improve on through iteration of the device. By contrast, the feeding problems they experienced are something you can improve on.

I can't see a future for such a device at current tech level. Even in a niche. Not as a firearm, at least. To say nothing of the inherent danger it poses to anyone nearby with the EM pulse if they depend on a pacemaker or similar device.

What I can see is coil guns being a thing in space at some point - don't need to drag propellant mass around or have that hazard aboard. Can pack up the coils tightly and deploy them after launch or maneuvers. Can be built with current tech levels. Can serve purpose as weapons or civilian use. Thinking package return from ISS/Lagrange station.

[dragoongfa]

I think that for general battlefield use, gauss weapons won't replace gunpowder any time soon, as the former will be heavier, less reliable and much more expensive even when it becomes similar in performance. However, since a gauss weapon can be very quiet, I can easily imagine specialized applications. A subsonic round can be quite deadly to unarmored targets if the projectile is heavy enough; hollow point .45 ACP rounds are subsonic, but can still kill you plenty dead.

The niche is already covered by centuries old air guns, even in the 19th century there were certain marksmen formations that used air guns in various battlefields for stealth with acceptable effects. Modern airguns are far more capable and can even accept a wide range of ammunition, I even remember one of Dan Brown's novels (Deception Point) about how a black ops team used air guns that could accept a wide array of on the spot ammunition for stealth kills, in the particular instance they used compressed snow/ice to kill in the arctic without anyone being the wiser about who or even what actually killed their targets.

[Demarquis]

Anyway, no rifle of any kind is going to do much to counter a swarm of anti-personnel mini-drones.

[dragoongfa]

Anyway, no rifle of any kind is going to do much to counter a swarm of anti-personnel mini-drones.

Ready made counters for mini drones exist already, they haven't seen wide deployment because mini drone swarms haven't been widely deployed yet, some have gotten so small that they can even be given as a secondary armament on the individual level. There are even trial runs for anti drone targeting attachments for assault rifles with promising results.

Don't get me wrong, drones are extremely useful, promising and dangerous but they are not the next 'Dreadnaught' of warfighting.

[Mk_C]

Anyway, no rifle of any kind is going to do much to counter a swarm of anti-personnel mini-drones.

If you can carry a swarm of accurate, reliable, compact, long-range anti-personnel mini-drones in your trunk - then I can have a swarm of similar anti-personnel mini-drones in my trunk as well. I can also use some sort of a boosting system in order to give my drones a much higher velocity, making them capable of intercepting all of your drones and then some, maybe with some kind of a like a... solid fuel rocket booster on each one of them. Maybe we can utilize powdered solid fuel, in a single, versatile sealed package with our drones. I think I'll call it "cartridge".

But then, we could really use some way of amplifying the starting boost for our mini-drones. I dunno, maybe some kind of a launch system which helps us direct the exhaust and accelerate the launched drone, I'm thinking of like... a long, empty cylinder that I'd launch them from. A "barrel". if you will. Supplement said drone-launching "barrel" with some solutions for rapid loading and storage of additional "drone cartridges" (for a higher rate of fi~I mean, drone-launching) and we'll have a real solid platform on our hands. I propose we call it... "rifle".

A rifle burst-firing autonomous guided bullets? That sounds fucking ridiculous!

But when it's not "guided bullets fired from an automatic rifle", but "anti-personnel mini-drones launched in swarms" - it's suddenly not ridiculous, it's DA FUTCHAAA~

And if we try and not be insane with extrapolations of technological capacities and use a somewhat higher scale for the concept - well, that's just re-inventing guided artillery shots, which have been around for longer than most people in this thread have been alive.

[Demarquis]

@Dragoonfa: "Ready made counters for mini drones exist already, they haven't seen wide deployment because mini drone swarms haven't been widely deployed yet, some have gotten so small that they can even be given as a secondary armament on the individual level. There are even trial runs for anti drone targeting attachments for assault rifles with promising results."

Links! Or I can't respond.

@Mk_C: "If you can carry a swarm of accurate, reliable, compact, long-range anti-personnel mini-drones in your trunk - then I can have a swarm of similar anti-personnel mini-drones in my trunk as well..."

There are many counter-measures that might work well against a swarm of mini-drones, but a hand-held rifle isn't one of them, not even a shot-gun. Imagine trying to hit 50 or 60 grenade sized drones flying around your squad at 50-60 mph. And of course, because a swarm is a type of AI, they're coordinating their attack fly-bys. This is sci-fi, so I can project near future tech in such a way that the drones are sharing sensor data in real time. They are faster, tactically smarter, and cheaper than a human (so there are more of them).

Now, protecting yourself with an actual swarm of friendly drones, on the other hand, might just be the ticket.