3 ms·

To make a bigger explosion you need a bigger barrel and more powder charges. Eventually you hit a limit where you simply can’t create enough pressure to propel

To make a bigger explosion you need a bigger barrel and more powder charges. Eventually you hit a limit where you simply can’t create enough pressure to propel the projectile faster and not turn the barrel into a pipe bomb. For the most part many guns have already hit their practical limit in this regard. There is a good reason why battleships fell out of favor other than the US being the only blue water navy after WW2. Those big guns are a bitch they are slow to reload and you can’t be anywhere near the muzzle including good couple 100 yards of the bow of the ship when those fire. Also powder takes up space and weight, takes time to reload and it can explode when ignited. Having a gun with parts that don’t explode intrinsically when set on fire is a pretty big advantage for any combat vehicle or vessel, not needing to carry propellant for your rounds is also a huge plus because you can carry more rounds or other munitions and supplies.

UnpossibleJim 7y ago
It isn't only that, with a powder charge you are pushing the projectile with an explosion. That explosion will also cause a disturbance on a ship, until you get to a pretty enormous size, you have to calculate that into your trajectories. With a railgun, you have a series of magnets pulling a projectile forward incrementally faster. It's a lot less energy wasted into the environment, meaning a lot less energy put back into the ship. These larger guns could be put on smaller ships and calculated with greater accuracy with greater ease due to less wasted energy put back into the ship and gun, I'm guessing.
- Zelizz 7y ago
  What you are describing is a coilgun, a railgun uses a slightly different principle.
  - UnpossibleJim 7y ago
    Oh. Ok, I'll have to look into that. New project to look into for the summer =)
- mlonkibjuyhv 7y ago
  You are describing a coilgun.
chrisseaton 7y ago
> the US being the only blue water navy after WW2 The UK projected and fought a conventional blue-water naval war in the 80s.
jbattle 7y ago
The real reason battleships fell out of favor is that aircraft (and eventually missiles) are better at basically everything.

UnpossibleJim 7y ago

It isn't only that, with a powder charge you are pushing the projectile with an explosion. That explosion will also cause a disturbance on a ship, until you get to a pretty enormous size, you have to calculate that into your trajectories. With a railgun, you have a series of magnets pulling a projectile forward incrementally faster. It's a lot less energy wasted into the environment, meaning a lot less energy put back into the ship. These larger guns could be put on smaller ships and calculated with greater accuracy with greater ease due to less wasted energy put back into the ship and gun, I'm guessing.

Zelizz 7y ago
What you are describing is a coilgun, a railgun uses a slightly different principle.
- UnpossibleJim 7y ago
  Oh. Ok, I'll have to look into that. New project to look into for the summer =)
mlonkibjuyhv 7y ago
You are describing a coilgun.

chrisseaton 7y ago

> the US being the only blue water navy after WW2 The UK projected and fought a conventional blue-water naval war in the 80s.

jbattle 7y ago

The real reason battleships fell out of favor is that aircraft (and eventually missiles) are better at basically everything.