Ot: Yikes !!!

[Black_Knyght]

I stumbled across this, and thought "Holy Hell, that's a LOT of firepower !!!"


http://www.metalstorm.com/


http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9706/28/super.gun/

[Randallw]

I've known of it for years. At one point I considered investing in it as emerging technology but they've been working on the idea for years and haven't managed to mkae a substantial return yet, last I checked.

It turns up in a few books, mostly sci-fi. The Axis of Time Trilogy has them as PD. Very useful shooting down ME 262.

The legacy of Aldenata has them mounted on M-1s. A tank chasis with six metal storm barrels blasting away at aliens.

[Baron Munchausen]

It's a lot of firepower in the short term. High-speed photography has shown that the bullets are only centimeters apart. Quite an effective weapon for 'last ditch' air defense & such things. But precisely because of the sheer volume of metal it puts in the air (quite an appropriate name they have for it! ) it's not good as a main weapon. Reloading is apparently very slow, and of course the volume of ammo you have to carry is rather high per shot. It would not be wise to use thing as a 'main' weapon.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Yeah, it's pretty much an application-specific weapon.

[Randallw]

Well it has a very high ROF. Accuracy is better as the rounds being so close together means they all hit the same area. I've heard stuff like you can preload stuff like HE, then a flare, then AP, though I have my doubts about that as how can you know you'll want rounds in a specific order. Think Judge Dredd where he calls what round he wants. Of course a lawgiver is also an O'Dwyer pistol. From what I gather you don't carry new magazines but spare barrels. For PD purposes it's good as instead of a gatling type Aegis system you have a stream of fire on target .Descriptions say it looks like a sci-fi laser beam.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

True, but try replacing a tank barrel in the middle of a battle. Or making an auto-replacement system for a tank.

I do think it is a good idea, but it's not an automatic - Pun not actually intended this time, but sure - replacement for traditional guns.

[Bwaha]

As a gun owner I think that the accuracy of this system must really stink. The first projectile has no barrel length to go thru, and when you get enough barrel to impart a spin to the bullet you have already fouled it. Just a thought.