Railgun

A railgun is a device that uses electromagnetic repulsion to accelerate a projectile. Currently the United States military is looking into the use of railguns as naval weapons, although it will be some time before the first railguns are mounted aboard a US navy ship. Railguns can achieve higher muzzle velocities than traditional chemically-propelled firearms.

Einhander is notable for being an avid fan of this technology.

Railguns in Science Fiction

Railguns are common weapons in science fiction; a few notable examples follow...

• In the Stargate universe, rapid-fire railguns are used by the United States as point defense weapons starting some time before the second season of Stargate Atlantis; they are used both as ship-mounted weapons and as towed AA emplacements (distingishable by blue tracers). The ones on Atlantis have 10,000 rounds and impact velocity of Mach 5 at a range of 250 miles.
• In the Warhammer 40,000 universe, the forces of the Tau Empire make use of railguns both in their navy and ground forces, with vehicle-mounted weapons on Hammerhead gunships, in their infantry as sniper rifles, and as shoulder-mounted heavy weapons on Broadside battle-suits.
• In the Halo universe, the UNSC uses large railguns, called "magnetic accelerator cannons," as their primary anti-ship weapon, as well as using smaller Gauss cannons on some ground vehicles.
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen includes a rather gratuitous scene involving a US Navy railgun mounted on a cruiser.
• Most races in Mass Effect use railguns as the primary ship-to-ship weapons and firearms.

Links

• US Military Railgun Test
• How Stuff Works on Railguns