The Feasibility of Rail Guns as Assault Rifles: Realities and Future Prospects

Can a rail gun be made in assault rifle form? To address this question, we must first understand the current limitations of technology and explore potential future advancements. Rail guns are high-velocity electromagnetic guns that fire projectiles using electromagnetic forces. Focusing on the specific context of assault rifles, we will explain why a rail gun in this form is currently not feasible and discuss the hurdles that need to be overcome.

Current Technological Limitations

Advancements in weapon technology require significant input from various fields, including materials science, electrical engineering, and energy management. Current technology does not support the creation of a rail gun in the form of an assault rifle due to several critical challenges. Chief among them is the energy source required to power the weapon.

Needing an External Power Source

In the case of the rail gun used by the US Navy, it relies on a ship's generator to provide the necessary power for rapid fire. For an assault rifle to function effectively, the power source must be portable and lightweight, which is currently unattainable with current technology. Rail guns consume vast amounts of energy, and portable power sources that can maintain stable fire rates are non-existent.

Clarifying Misconceptions: Rail Guns vs. Coil Guns

There's also confusion between 'rail guns' and 'coil guns.' Rail guns use two parallel conductive rails and a sliding armature to generate electromagnetic forces to accelerate a projectile. On the other hand, coil guns (also known as solenoid guns) use coils of wire to generate an electromagnetic field and accelerate projectiles.

At least one home-made rail gun has been demonstrated but at 250 pounds, it is not very portable. Charging the capacitors required for the weapon is also a significant challenge. Moreover, the definition of an 'assault rifle' includes full-automatic capability. No existing rail gun comes even close to meeting these requirements. Additionally, they are not classified as rifles but as a different type of weapon.

Potential Future Advancements

Speculative advancements could potentially make a rail gun a viable assault weapon. Key areas to consider include:

Room Temperature Superconductors

Room temperature superconductors would significantly reduce the energy loss in power transmission, allowing for more efficient and compact power systems. This technology is still in the experimental and theoretical stages, but if developed, it could greatly enhance the feasibility of rail guns as portable weapons.

Power Sources and Cooling Systems

For a rail gun to be practical as an assault rifle, it would require a lightweight and powerful portable energy source, such as much more powerful rare earth batteries or miniature generators. Additionally, a cooling system to manage the heat generated by the immense energy discharge is necessary to prevent overheating and potential damage.

Existing Demonstrations and Limitations

Several demonstrations of homemade rail guns have taken place, though these too face significant limitations. As of the latest information, there have been at least two videos of man-portable rail guns made between 2010 and present. However, the power requirements remain a critical issue. These rail guns have typically been tested in a confined environment, such as a garage, where the energy output is limited. The projectiles of these homemade rail guns have a kinetic energy comparable to that of a bb shot or a .22 caliber round, which falls far short of the energy output of a modern assault rifle.

Given the complexity of power and ammunition management, it is unlikely that railguns will fully replace assault rifles in current military or civilian contexts. However, the technology could be suitable for specialized applications where precision and high energy output are critical, such as in a marksman's rifle, provided a suitable power source can be developed.

In conclusion, while the concept of a rail gun in the form of an assault rifle is intriguing, the current technological constraints make it impractical. Future advancements in technology, particularly in superconductors and power management, may bring us closer to realizing this vision, but significant challenges remain.