At one time, such a device as a Gauss rifle became widespread among science fiction writers and computer game developers. It is often used by invincible heroes of novels, and it is she who usually appears in computer games. However, in fact, the Gauss rifle practically did not find application in modern world, and this is mainly due to the features of its design.

The fact is that the action of such a rifle is based on the principle of mass acceleration based on a running magnetic field. For this, a solenoid is used, in which the rifle barrel is placed, and it must be made of a dielectric. The Gauss rifle uses only those made of ferromagnets for shells. Thus, when current is applied to the solenoid, it appears in it which attracts the projectile inward. In this case, the impulse must be very powerful and short-term (in order to "accelerate" the projectile to and at the same time not slow it down inside the solenoid).

This principle of operation gives the model advantages that are not available for many other types. small arms. It does not require cartridge cases, is characterized by low recoil, which is equal to the momentum of the projectile, has a great potential for silent firing (if there are sufficiently streamlined projectiles, starting speed which will not exceed. At the same time, such a rifle makes it possible to fire in almost any conditions (as they say, even in open space).

And, of course, many "craftsmen" appreciate the fact that a do-it-yourself Gauss rifle at home can be assembled virtually "out of nothing".

However, some design features and the principles of operation that are characteristic of such a product as a Gauss rifle have and negative sides. The most important of these is low efficiency, which uses 1 to 10 percent of the energy transferred from the capacitor to the solenoid. At the same time, multiple attempts to correct this drawback did not bring significant results, but only increased the efficiency of the model up to 27%. All other shortcomings that the Gauss rifle has stem precisely from the low efficiency. The rifle requires a large amount of energy to operate effectively, it also has a bulky appearance, large dimensions and weight, and the reloading process is quite lengthy.

It turns out that the disadvantages of such a Gauss rifle cover most of its advantages. Perhaps with the invention of superconductors, which can be classified as high-temperature, and the advent of compact and powerful power sources, these weapons will again attract the attention of scientists and the military. Although most practitioners believe that by this time other types of weapons will exist, far superior to the Gauss rifle.

The only field of application of this type of weapon, which is already profitable in our time, is space programs. The governments of most space nations planned to use the Gauss rifle for installation on space shuttles or satellites.

Used directly to hit the target.

In the first case, the magnetic field is used as an alternative explosives in firearms. In the second, the possibility of inducing high voltage currents and disabling electrical and electronic equipment as a result of the resulting overvoltage, or causing pain effects or other effects in humans, is used. Weapons of the second type are positioned as safe for people and serve to disable enemy equipment or lead to the incapacity of enemy manpower .; belongs to the category of non-lethal weapons.

The French shipbuilding company DCNS is developing the Advansea program, during which it is planned to create a fully electrified surface combat ship with laser and electromagnetic weapons by 2025.

Types of electromagnetic weapons

Defeat missiles and precision-guided munitions with EMP weapons

• anti-radar missiles with their own radar search radars;
• ATGM of the 2nd generation with control over an unshielded wire (TOW or Fagot);
• missiles with their own active armor search radars (Brimstone, JAGM, AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire);
• radio-controlled missiles (TOW Aero, Chrysanthemum);
• precision bombs with simple GPS navigation receivers;
• gliding munitions with their own radars (SADARM).

Usage electromagnetic pulse against the rocket's electronics behind its metal casing is ineffective. The impact is possible for the most part on the homing head, which can be large mainly for missiles with their own radar in its capacity.

Electromagnetic weapons are used to destroy missiles in the complex active protection"Afganit" from the Armata tank platform and the Ranets-E combat EMP generator.

Defeat by EMP weapons of means of conducting guerrilla warfare

EMPs are effective against guerrilla warfare weapons, as consumer electronics have no protection against EMPs.

The most typical objects of EMP damage:

• radiomines and mines with electronic fuses, including traditional amateur radio devices for terrorist and sabotage actions;
• unprotected from EMP portable infantry radio communication devices;
• consumer radios, cell phones, tablets, laptops, electronic hunting sights and similar electronic household appliances.

Protection against EMP weapons

There are many effective means protection of radars and electronics from EMP weapons.

Measures are applied in three categories:

1. blocking the input of a part of the energy of an electromagnetic pulse
2. suppression of induction currents inside electrical circuits their rapid opening
3. use of electronic devices insensitive to EMI

Means of resetting some or all of the EMP energy at the input to the device

As a means of protection against EMP, AFAR radars impose "Faraday cages" of cutting off EMP outside their frequencies. For internal electronics, simply iron shields are used.

In addition, a spark gap can be used as a means of discharging energy immediately behind the antenna.

Means of opening circuits in the event of strong inductive currents

To open the circuits of internal electronics in the event of strong induction currents from EMP, use

• zener diodes - semiconductor diodes designed to operate in breakdown mode with a sharp increase in resistance;

Every fan of science fiction is familiar with electromagnetic weapons. Such technologies are depicted as a combination of mechanical, electronic and electrical components. But what does such a weapon look like in real life does it even have the slightest chance of existing?

Technological features

The Gauss rifle is interesting to researchers for several features at the same time. The implementation of this technology will avoid heating weapons. Consequently, its rapid-fire qualities will increase to previously unknown limits. Moreover, the embodiment of technological ideas into reality will make it necessary to abandon cartridge cases, which will greatly simplify shooting.

By default, the Gauss rifle can shoot thin narrow projectiles with the highest penetrating power. Cartridge acceleration in this case absolutely independent of diameter.

For the functioning of the weapon, recharging with an electric current is sufficient. As for the known schemes, there are practically no moving elements in their structure.

Shooting principle

Currently, the weapon remains at the development stage. According to the idea, it should shoot with iron cartridges. However, unlike firearm counterparts, shells are set in motion not by the pressure of powder gases, but by the influence of a magnetic field.

In fact, the Gauss rifle works according to a rather primitive principle. Along the barrel is a series of electromagnetic coils. Cartridges are loaded from the magazine mechanically. One of the coils pulls up the charge. As soon as the cartridge reaches the middle of the barrel, the next coil is activated, due to which it is accelerated.

Sequential placement along the barrel of an arbitrary number of coils theoretically allows you to instantly disperse the projectile to unimaginable speeds.

Advantages and disadvantages

electromagnetic rifle in theory, it has advantages that are unattainable for any other known weapon:

• the ability to select the speed of the projectile;
• lack of sleeves;
• execution of absolutely silent shots;
• little return;
• high reliability;
• wear resistance;
• functioning in the airless, in particular outer space.

Despite a fairly simple principle of operation and a simple design, the Gauss rifle has some drawbacks that create barriers to its use as a weapon.

The main problem is the low efficiency of electromagnetic coils. Special tests show that only about 7% of the charge is converted into kinetic energy, which is not enough to set the cartridge in motion.

The second difficulty is the significant consumption and long-term accumulation of energy by capacitors. Together with the gun, you will have to carry a fairly heavy and voluminous power source.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that in modern conditions there are practically no prospects for implementing the idea as small arms. A positive shift in the right direction is possible only in the case of the development of powerful, autonomous and at the same time compact sources of electric current.

Prototypes

Currently, there is not a single successful example of the creation of highly effective electromagnetic weapons. However, this does not interfere with the development of prototypes. The most successful example is the invention of the engineering bureau Delta V Engineering.

The developers' fifteen-charge device allows for fairly rapid-fire fire, releasing 7 rounds per second. Unfortunately, the penetrating power of the rifle is only enough to break glass and cans. The electromagnetic weapon weighs about 4 kg and fires 6.5 mm caliber bullets.

To date, the developer has not yet been able to achieve success in overcoming the main drawback of the rifle - the extremely low starting speed of the projectiles. Here, this figure is only 43 m / s. If we draw parallels, then the muzzle velocity of a cartridge fired from an air rifle is almost 20 times higher.

Invention of Gauss in computer games

In sci-fi games electromagnetic gun acts almost as the most powerful, rapid-fire and truly deadly weapon. It's funny, but the bulk of the special effects are uncharacteristic of this invention.

The most striking example is the pistol and Gauss rifle, which are available to the characters of the cult series of Fallout games. Like the real prototype, the virtual weapon functions on the basis of charged electromagnetic particles.

In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. the Gauss gun has a low rate of fire, which is close to the qualities of real-life prototypes. At the same time, the weapon has the highest power. According to the description, the gun operates on the basis of the energy of anomalous phenomena.

The Master of Orion games also allow the player to equip spaceships Gauss guns. Here, the weapon fires electromagnetic projectiles, the damage strength of which does not depend on the distance to the target.

Gauss gun (gauss rifle)

Other names: gauss gun, gauss gun, gauss rifle, gauss gun, booster rifle.

The gauss rifle (or its larger variant gauss gun), like the railgun, refers to electro-magnetic weapons. At the moment, combat industrial designs do not exist, although a number of laboratories (mostly amateur and university) continue to work hard on the creation of these weapons. The system is named after the German scientist Carl Gauss (1777-1855). With what fright the mathematician was awarded such an honor, I personally cannot understand (I cannot yet, or rather I do not have the relevant information). Gauss had much less to do with the theory of electromagnetism than, for example, Oersted, Ampère, Faraday or Maxwell, but, nevertheless, the gun was named after him. The name stuck, and therefore we will use it.

Operating principle:
A Gauss rifle consists of coils (powerful electromagnets) mounted on a barrel made of dielectric. When current is applied, the electromagnets are switched on for a brief moment one after the other in the direction from receiver to the muzzle. They take turns attracting a steel bullet (a needle, a dart or a projectile, if we talk about a cannon) towards them and thereby accelerate it to significant speeds.

Weapon Advantages:
1. No cartridge. This allows you to significantly increase the capacity of the store. For example, a magazine that holds 30 rounds can load 100-150 bullets.
2. High rate of fire. Theoretically, the system allows the acceleration of the next bullet to begin even before the previous one has left the barrel.
3. Quiet shooting. The very design of the weapon allows you to get rid of most of the acoustic components of the shot (see reviews), so shooting from a gauss rifle looks like a series of subtle pops.
4. Lack of unmasking flash. This feature is especially useful at night.
5. Low return. For this reason, when fired, the barrel of the weapon practically does not lift up, and therefore the accuracy of the fire increases.
6. Reliability. The gauss rifle does not use cartridges, and therefore the question of poor-quality ammunition immediately disappears. If, in addition to this, we recall the absence of a trigger mechanism, then the very concept of “misfire” can be forgotten like a nightmare.
7. Increased wear resistance. This property is due to the small number of moving parts, low loads on components and parts during firing, and the absence of combustion products of gunpowder.
8. The possibility of using both in open space and in atmospheres that suppress the combustion of gunpowder.
9. Adjustable bullet speed. This function allows, if necessary, to reduce the speed of the bullet below the sound. As a result, characteristic pops disappear, and the gauss rifle becomes completely silent, and therefore suitable for secret special operations.

Weapon Disadvantages:
Among the disadvantages of Gauss rifles, the following are often cited: low efficiency, high energy consumption, big weight and dimensions, a long time for recharging capacitors, etc. I want to say that all these problems are due only to the level modern development technology. In the future, when creating compact and powerful power sources, using new structural materials and superconductors, the Gauss gun can really become a powerful and effective weapon.

In literature, of course fantastic, William Keith armed the legionnaires with a gauss rifle in his Fifth Foreign Legion cycle. (One of my favorite books!) It was also used by the militarists from the planet Klisand, which brought Jim de Grise in Garrison's novel "Revenge of the Stainless Steel Rat." They say Gaussianism is also found in books from the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, but I have only read five of them. I didn't find anything like that, but I won't speak for others.

As for my personal work, in my new novel "Marauders" I presented the Tula-made Gauss carbine "Metel-16" to my main character Sergei Korn. True, he owned it only at the beginning of the book. After all main character after all, which means he deserves a more impressive gun.

Oleg Shovkunenko

Reviews and comments:

Alexander 12/29/13
According to claim 3 - a shot with a supersonic bullet speed will in any case be loud. For this reason, special subsonic cartridges are used for silent weapons.
According to claim 5, the recoil will be inherent in any weapon that shoots "material objects" and depends on the ratio of the masses of the bullet and the weapon, and the momentum of the force accelerating the bullet.
According to claim 8 - no atmosphere can affect the combustion of gunpowder in a sealed cartridge. In outer space, firearms will also shoot.
The problem can only be in the mechanical stability of weapon parts and lubricant properties at ultra-low temperatures. But this issue is solvable, and back in 1972, test firing in open space from an orbital gun from the military orbital station OPS-2 (Salyut-3) was carried out.

Oleg Shovkunenko
Alexander is good that you wrote. To be honest, I made a description of the weapon based on my own understanding of the topic. But maybe something was wrong. Let's go through the points together.

Item number 3. "Silence of firing."
As far as I know, the sound of a shot from any firearms is made up of several components:
1) The sound or better to say the sounds of the operation of the weapon mechanism. These include the impact of the striker on the capsule, the clang of the shutter, etc.
2) The sound that creates the air that filled the barrel before the shot. It is displaced by both the bullet and the powder gases seeping through the cutting channels.
3) The sound that the powder gases themselves create during a sharp expansion and cooling.
4) Sound generated by an acoustic shock wave.
The first three points do not apply to Gaussianism at all. I foresee a question about the air in the barrel, but in a Gaussian rifle, the barrel does not have to be solid and tubular, which means that the problem disappears by itself. So point number 4 remains, just the one you, Alexander, are talking about. I want to say that the acoustic shock wave is far from the loudest part of the shot. Silencers modern weapons almost no fight at all. And yet, firearms with a silencer are still called silent. Therefore, the Gaussian can also be called noiseless. By the way, thank you so much for reminding me. I forgot to mention among the advantages of the gauss gun the ability to adjust the speed of the bullet. After all, it is possible to set a subsonic mode (which will make the weapon completely silent and intended for covert actions in close combat) and supersonic (this is for real war).

Item number 5. "Virtually no recoil."
Of course, there is also a return on gassovka. Where without her?! The law of conservation of momentum has not yet been canceled. Only the principle of operation of a gauss rifle will make it not explosive, as in a firearm, but, as it were, stretched and smooth, and therefore much less noticeable to the shooter. Although, to be honest, this is just my suspicions. So far, I have not fired from such a gun :))

Item number 8. "The possibility of using both in outer space ...".
Well, I didn’t say anything at all about the impossibility of using firearms in outer space. Only it will need to be redone so much, so much technical problems decide that it's easier to create a gauss gun :)) As for planets with specific atmospheres, the use of firearms on them can really be not only difficult, but also unsafe. But this is already from the section of fantasy, in fact, which your obedient servant is engaged in.

Vyacheslav 05.04.14
thanks for interesting story about weapons. Everything is very accessible and laid out on the shelves. Another would be a shemku for greater clarity.

Oleg Shovkunenko
Vyacheslav, I inserted the schematic, as you asked).

interested 22.02.15
"Why a Gaus rifle?" - Wikipedia says that because he laid the foundations of the theory of electromagnetism.

Oleg Shovkunenko
First, based on this logic, the aerial bomb should have been called the "Newton Bomb", because it falls to the ground, obeying the Law gravity. Secondly, in the same Wikipedia, Gauss is not mentioned at all in the article “Electromagnetic interaction”. It is good that we are all educated people and remember that Gauss deduced the theorem of the same name. True, this theorem is included in more general equations Maxwell, so that Gauss seems to be in the span again with "laying the foundations of the theory of electromagnetism."

Eugene 05.11.15
The Gaus Rifle is a coined name for the weapon. It first appeared in the legendary post-apocalyptic game Fallout 2.

Roman 11/26/16
1) about what Gauss has to do with the name) read on Wikipedia, but not electromagnetism, but Gauss' theorem, this theorem is the basis of electromagnetism and is the basis for Maxwell's equations.
2) the roar from the shot is mainly due to the sharply expanding powder gases. because the bullet is supersonic and after 500m from the barrel cut, but there is no rumble from it! only a whistle from the air cut by the shock wave from the bullet and that's it!)
3) about the fact that they say there are samples of small arms and it is silent because they say the bullet there is subsonic - this is nonsense! when any arguments are given, you need to get to the bottom of the issue! the shot is silent, not because the bullet is subsonic, but because the powder gases do not escape from the barrel there! read about the PSS pistol in Vic.

Oleg Shovkunenko
Roman, are you by chance a relative of Gauss? Painfully zealously you defend his right to this name. Personally, I don't care, if people like it, let there be a gauss gun. As for everything else, read the reviews for the article, where the issue of noiselessness has already been discussed in detail. I can't add anything new to this.

Dasha 12.03.17
I write science fiction. Opinion: ACCELERATION is the weapon of the future. I would not attribute to a foreigner the right to have primacy in this weapon. Russian ACCELERATION FOR SURE WILL ABOVE the rotten west. It's better not to give a rotten foreigner the RIGHT TO CALL A WEAPON BY HIS SHITTING NAME! The Russians are full of their wise men! (undeservedly forgotten). By the way, the Gatling machine gun (cannon) appeared LATER than the Russian SOROKA (rotating barrel system). Gatling simply patented an idea stolen from Russia. (We will henceforth call him Goat Gutl for this!). Therefore, Gauss is also not related to accelerating weapons!

Oleg Shovkunenko
Dasha, patriotism is certainly good, but only healthy and reasonable. But with the gauss gun, as they say, the train left. The term has already taken root, like many others. We will not change the concepts: the Internet, the carburetor, football, etc. However, it is not so important whose name this or that invention is named, the main thing is who can bring it to perfection or, as in the case of a gauss rifle, at least to a combat state. Unfortunately, I have not yet heard about serious developments of combat gauss systems, both in Russia and abroad.

Bozhkov Alexander 26.09.17
All clear. But can you add articles about other types of weapons?: About thermite gun, electric gun, BFG-9000, Gauss crossbow, ectoplasmic machine gun.

In all famous computer games, the final, most powerful weapon in the game is the famous Gauss gun. He is portrayed as a mixture of electronics, electrical and mechanics. It has many coils and shoots small steel balls, bullets or rods. This is how she looks in Fallout or Syndicate, if anyone remembers. But what does it look like in real life and does the phrase Gauss gun have even the slightest reason to claim it?

The Gauss rifle is the intended weapon. It is capable of firing ferromagnetic projectiles (read iron). Instead of the pressure of powder gases, a magnetic field is used to accelerate the bullet. The principle of operation is quite primitive: along the bore there are several electromagnetic coils. Mechanically, the first bullet enters the bore from the magazine. The first coil turns on and pulls the projectile. When the bullet reaches the middle of the coil, it turns off and the next one turns on. A cascade of several such coils is capable of accelerating a bullet, theoretically, to arbitrary speeds.

Simple ins and outs of fantastic technology.

The scheme is attractive to designers due to several features at once. First- there is practically no heating, therefore the rate of fire of such weapons can be extremely high. None high pressures, no temperatures. Second- there are no sleeves, which means that the breech of the weapon is greatly simplified. Third- bullet acceleration does not depend on the diameter, which makes it possible to shoot narrow, thin bullets with significant penetrating power. Electricity is sufficient to operate this weapon. The circuit itself is simple and contains almost no moving parts.

What are the disadvantages of the Gauss gun? Yes, in fact, a little, just one: it does not work. So far, it has not been possible to create a sufficiently compact and sufficiently light model that would fire acceptable projectiles at an acceptable speed. Minor features make it almost unacceptable for use in weapons and most likely it will remain a toy.

That does not prevent the creation of prototypes that are very reminiscent of real weapons. small engineering office Delta V Engineering created a complete prototype automatic rifle Gauss, with a fifteen-round magazine. It looks very impressive and even works, properly crushing cans and bottles at a speed of 7.7 shots per second. The weight of the Gauss rifle, proudly named CG-42 without the weight of the ammunition, is 4.17 kg. The bullet has a caliber of 6.5x50mm. Here is a demo:

Unfortunately, there are no options to overcome the main drawback - low muzzle velocity - no. This impressive and fantastic rifle has only 43 meters per second. This is quite enough for a war with banks and old computers, but even for a battle with an army of cats is already not enough. For comparison, the muzzle velocity of a bullet fired from a “three-ruler” is twenty+ times greater.