Hypervelocity Rifle

[Kweo53]

Don't know if anyone here has seen this, but I found it interesting:

https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/this-russian-company-plans-a-sniper-rifle-that-can-fire-1829496377

Your thoughts?

 

[diverdon]

Easy to make the rifle, medium to make the cartridge. Impossible to make a barrel that will have a decent life at a price that consumers will pay.

To have a barrel that would last 1000 rounds it would not be steel, most likely it would be Tungsten Cobalt, the cost for the material would probably be $200 to get it as a round shaped like a barrel perhaps $750 and to do a four stage edm process to rifle the barrel perhaps $1000 per barrel. That assumes that you have about 2M to set up the systems to do this and that you can sell enough to support the systems. Keep in mind a part that costs $1750 to make in a shop will need to retail for two to three times that amount. And to support the production system will need to sell $3500 barrels at a fairly steady pace.

 

[Spartan67]

And probably there topped off with Counter Sniper scopes.

 

[LRI]

Suddenly, 4400fps seems slow, lol.

Back to the drawing board.....

 

[BR7.62]

Sounds like Hitler's Gustav cannon in terms of barrel life...

 

[THEIS]

Hi,

Well the "plus" is that he already has all the machining and manufacturing equipment to make just such barrels and projectiles.
He is not depending on someone else to make any components for him, he makes them all.

Sincerely,
Theis

 

[shoobe01]

But, but, it's got anti-gravity speed!

I can't even just from the article. Jesus.

 

[Rootshot]

I am curious what kind of propellant innovation they have. If you can develop a propellant with a variable burn rate, you might be able to increase velocity dramatically without relying on a harsh initial pressure spike.

 

[300ATT]

A smooth bore sabot round might work: The M1A APFSDS rounds are 5,700 fps ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armour-piercing_fin-stabilized_discarding_sabot

 

[DAVETOOLEY]

I am curious what kind of propellant innovation they have. If you can develop a propellant with a variable burn rate, you might be able to increase velocity dramatically without relying on a harsh initial pressure spike.

duplex or triplex loading
Been done before
I don't think it ever was a total success

 

[THEIS]

Hi,

@Rootshot
They are working on a chemical explosion composition. Nothing in regards to gunpowder as we know it.
FWIW..Those of you that do not know Vlad....he has the money and backing by not only the Russian Government but a couple others too.

Sincerely,
Theis

 

[Rootshot]

Hi,

@Rootshot
They are working on a chemical explosion composition. Nothing in regards to gunpowder as we know it.
FWIW..Those of you that do not know Vlad....he has the money and backing by not only the Russian Government but a couple others too.

Sincerely,
Theis

Gunpowder is a "chemical explosion"

This may also be a legitimate application for gain-twist barrel rifling to decrease initial chamber pressure. I would also expect monolithic bullets would be used to prevent the jackets from separating from the core. They would likely also use barrels with a slow twist rate optimized to not over-stabilize the projectile at those velocities.

I speculate the longer term benefit of developing practical rifles firing hyper-velocity rounds is in mainstream infantry rifles. The primary thinking here is that we need to overcome the broad adoption of body armor by adversaries. A flatter shooting round also increases on target hit rate for minimally trained soldiers. Of course all the engineering concerns about building a platform reliable enough under heavy use needs to be addressed.

As to the recoil question....in an 6 lb rifle shooting 55gr bullets at 3000 fps, the recoil energy is 4.45 ft-lbs. At 6000 fps it's 10.94 ft-lbs. It's not quite a linear relationship but close enough to ask the question whether the shooter can conservatively handle about 2.5x the recoil of a round going half as fast. A 22 may feel more like a 308. That sounds reasonable given the potential benefit.

The larger concern would be muzzle blast. I would imagine a 6000 fps projectile would be hellishly loud at the muzzle and throw out quite a fireball. I'm assuming an overborne cartridge and maybe their propellant technology addresses this.

 

[THEIS]

Hi,

LOL yes it is but I am speaking chemical as in liquid ..that why I mentioned "Nothing in regards to gunpowder as we know it".

Sincerely,
Theis

 

[Mr.BR]

Hypersonic seems to be a catch phrase now in Russia but Lobaev is capable smith , learned craft in US at Speedy's and has own cut rifling bussines in addition the firearms manufacturing. High speed can likely only be attained with saboted ammo but i think considerebly higher velocitys are posible without excesive barrel burn in saboted ammo.

Last time it was tried in Styer IWS anti material rifle that was shooting 14.5mm flechetes weighing 510grains at 4.900 fps and penetrated 40mm or armor at 1000m in testing , barrel was a smothbore. trajectory peak shooting at 1000m was barely 800mm (31.4in) above line of sight so considerable point blank range

Styer actualy presented rifle as credible anti armor weapon , 40mm at 1000m at the time meant hull armor of a MBT from the side or any APC, IFV armor head on . Your typical MRAP has some 8mm of armor thickness, this punched trough 5x that at 1000m. Surely if armor penetration is not main goal a much smaller caliber could be pushed that fast.


Considering Tank APDFS are qute near 5500fps , you can bet it can be done in smaller caliber ,tank barrels in comparison to what we have on rifles are super thin pencil sticks with barely any metal thickeness in relation to the caliber


Styer IWS round and flechete

 

[THEIS]

Hi,

And I thought the 346gr .375 projectiles at 4200fps was sufficient lolol......May be time to neck that BMG down to 7mm sabot

Sincerely,
Theis

 

[shoobe01]

As to the recoil question....in an 6 lb rifle shooting 55gr bullets at 3000 fps, the recoil energy is 4.45 ft-lbs. At 6000 fps it's 10.94 ft-lbs. It's not quite a linear relationship but close enough to ask the question whether the shooter can conservatively handle about 2.5x the recoil of a round going half as fast. A 22 may feel more like a 308. That sounds reasonable given the potential benefit.

The larger concern would be muzzle blast. I would imagine a 6000 fps projectile would be hellishly loud at the muzzle and throw out quite a fireball. I'm assuming an overborne cartridge and maybe their propellant technology addresses this.

Those figures seem especially plausible as it's been decades since programs like ACR had several includes-recol compensation stuff, and the AN94 made it apparently production grade.

Muzzle? Suppressors are on the verge of being general issue. Also seems eminently solvable.

It's doable, but not sure I trust someone who doesn't even have a bench technology demonstrator.