fuel injected firearm

Tim May tcmay at got.net
Thu Nov 29 16:53:03 PST 2001


On Thursday, November 29, 2001, at 04:32 PM, keyser-soze at hushmail.com 
wrote:

> Have any of the shootingpunks on the list heard of constructing a 
> firearm from something akin to a internal combustion chamber?

H&K was a prime contractor on the "caseless ammunition" system being 
considered for a bullpup rifle to replace the .223 variants. Fired three 
flechette-like projectiles, no case. (Cases add weight, and in principle 
one could dispense with them.)

In principle one could also do what you are suggesting, by adding the 
incendiary ingredient, the oxiding ingredient, and the projectile all 
separately. I don't see a lot of advantages to this, as then running out 
of any one of the three means the remaining items are useless 
deadweight. Makes more sense to combine the three, whether in a 
conventional cartridge or in the caseless system. That guarantees all 
three are in equal supply, and in the right stoichiometric ratio, and 
also allows for better quality control (that is, cartridge makers spend 
a lot of effort fine-tuning the geometries and mixes).

If you mean something that runs on fairly conventional fuel, such as 
diesel or gasoline or alcohol, t's unlikely that enough muzzle velocity 
will be achievable in a reasonable-length barrel.

I did see a GyroJet pistol once. A rocket pistol, firing little 
rockets.  Early 60s. Very expensive. And suffered from the fact that 
each little rocket had to accelerate up to speed. Lots of chance for the 
target to move. Chief advantage was next to no recoil. Which is why 
rocket designs tend to be used with man-fired heavier pieces, e.g., 
RPGs, Redeyes, Stingers, etc.


--Tim May
"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only 
exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from 
the Public Treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for 
the candidate promising the most benefits from the Public Treasury with 
the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy 
always followed by dictatorship." --Alexander Fraser Tyler





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