Check this gun out

[Classicvette63]

Not sure if this should be in the rifle or shotgun category, never seen anything like it. Would be interesting if it worked.http://www.military.com/soldiertech/...DREAD,,00.html

[TreeDoc]

My Second Ammendment Right assures that I can have one. I need one for Squirrel Hunting!

[DaMadman]

I dunno sounds pretty out there. would be really great weapon if it works though.

I only forsee one problem with having this technology and that is by definition it wouldn't be a firearm?? Could lead into some issues that I could ponder upon.

[DaMadman]

Originally posted by TreeDoc
My Second Ammendment Right assures that I can have one. I need one for Squirrel Hunting!

I don't think it would fall under the firearm category, TD... no lisence or background check required. hehehehee

as defined by Dictionary.com

fire·arm ( P ) Pronunciation Key (frärm)
n.
A weapon, especially a pistol or rifle, capable of firing a projectile and using an explosive charge as a propellant.

no explosive charge = Not a firearm ?????

[Rocky Raab]

Roundballs (even with aerodynamic dimples ala golfballs) suffer from very high drag, and will curve in flight in addition to a high sink rate. Golfballs do, baseballs do, and so will these. So accuracy isn't as simple as he seems to think.

Roundballs also have low mass for their diameter. So we have a short range, low energy weapon. Usable and even desirable in some instances, but hardly the miracle replacement for all weapons now in use.

[MarkL]

Well, there's no hyperbole in THAT article!

Heatless, frictionless, recoiless; must be using some new kind of physics.

[DogYeller]

I'm kinda worried about that 360 degree field of fire.

[TreeDoc]

Roundballs (even with aerodynamic dimples ala golfballs) suffer from very high drag, and will curve in flight in addition to a high sink rate.

Ahhh...therein lays the beauty, Grasshopper! You could drop a load of "sinkers" right into a fox hole or shoot a guy around the corner with a "curve" ball!

[Andy L]

I was thinking the same thing, DY. That 360 degree field of fire bothers me.....

As for accuracy, if you cant get the thing hit with 120,000 rounds, you got more trouble than roundballs curving.

Andy

[MarkL]

Some of the math in that article doesn't quite add up. Consider this little nugget.

"Unlike conventional weapons that deliver a bullet to the target in intervals of about 180 feet, the DREAD's rounds will arrive only 30 thousandths of an inch apart (1/32nd of an inch apart), thereby presenting substantially more mass to the target in much less time than previously possible."

By my calculations, using the other data given in the article (120,000 rounds/min at 8,000 feet/sec), the rounds would be four feet apart, not 0.030 inches.

It might also be fun to calculate the power requirements. First you need the mass of one .50 or .308 steel sphere, then calculate the kinetic energy it would have at 8000 fps, then multiply by 2000 rounds/sec to get the energy required per sec, then convert to kilowatts. I'm betting the electrical generator you'd need would be a lot bigger than the 28 pound gun.

[TreeDoc]

On the contrary, by my calculations, utilizing a Flux Capacitor generating 1.21 Jigowatts should be quite satisfactory for properly propelling the projectiles..........as well as a 1985 Delorean.

[Slim-Zippy]

I just want them to tell me that my 18-volt Bosch drill battery pack will be able to power the civilian hunting version. I'm tired of buying rechargable batteries.