New "super" gun to be tested

[fent]

Next month a new high-explosive munition will be fired in Singapore and then tested again by the U.S. Army, heralding what may be a sea change in weaponry: a gun that can fire 240,000 rounds per minute.

That's compared to 60 rounds per minute in a standard military machine gun.

Metal Storm Inc., a munitions company headquartered in Virginia but with its roots in Australia, has been developing a gun that can shoot at blistering speeds, albeit in short bursts as each barrel is reloaded.

A Metal Storm gun of any size -- from a 9 mm hand-gun up to a machine gun size or a grenade launcher -- has no moving parts other than the bullets or munition inside the barrel. Rather than chambering a single slug for each shot - very quickly in the case of machine guns -- the bullets come pre-stacked inside the barrel and can be shot all at once, or one at a time, as the shooter decides through the electronic controls.

Because there are no moving parts, the weapon is less likely to jam, and will presumably need less maintenance.

Lashing many barrels together increases the number of rounds per second. Once fired, however, each spent barrel has to be reloaded.

Screw the DC gun ban...where do i get me one of these?????

SOURCE (http://upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/view.php?StoryID=20060120-070112-5273r)

[Spence]

Screw the DC gun ban...where do i get me one of these?????To use a quote only BNG might understand: "I use my mutated anthrax...for duck huntin'!"

[akhhorus]

Also, the Navy has a ship with features a proto-rail gun. And we're working with Israel on a laser system that can stop bullets for the infantry.

[Spence]

And we're working with Israel on a laser system that can stop bullets for the infantry.Didn't Pat Robertson say he could alter the path of a bullet through prayer? Or was that a hurricane? Either way, the U.S. military and the National Weather Service should both be working with that guy.

[akhhorus]

Didn't Pat Robertson say he could alter the path of a bullet through prayer? Or was that a hurricane? Either way, the U.S. military and the National Weather Service should both be working with that guy.

I like Pat's pancake mix, makes me want to go whoring with Falwell.

[BurgundyNGold]

To use a quote only BNG might understand: "I use my mutated anthrax...for duck huntin'!"
Well, this is America. And as you know, we all have a constitutional right to bear doomsday devices. ;)

[CNYSkinFan]

Didn't Pat Robertson say he could alter the path of a bullet through prayer? Or was that a hurricane? Either way, the U.S. military and the National Weather Service should both be working with that guy.

Someone somewhere please test this hypothesis.

[Santheb]

WOW. That is amazing. I don't even understand how it's possible.

[dukeuch]

Didn't Pat Robertson say he could alter the path of a bullet through prayer? Or was that a hurricane? Either way, the U.S. military and the National Weather Service should both be working with that guy.

I'd love to see him involved in the development;

"Now Mister Robertson, just stand right here, don't move..."

[PyroGenic]

To use a quote only BNG might understand: "I use my mutated anthrax...for duck huntin'!"

yay futurama :)

I don't understand why you want to shoot so many rounds? It sounds like a pain to reload too.

[Ibleedburgundy]

yay futurama :)

I don't understand why you want to shoot so many rounds? It sounds like a pain to reload too.


just in case you ever have to kill 240,000 people that are standing in a single-file line. :)

[Patrick]

yay futurama :)

I don't understand why you want to shoot so many rounds? It sounds like a pain to reload too.

Hit the target the first time around you won't have to reload.

[fent]

i would imagine that a 240K round/second gun would be more for taking out buildings or massive groups than being a sniper rifle.

[Axegrinder]

I think that it would be a good deterent to a large army....perhaps China?

[BurgundyNGold]

I think that it would be a good deterent to a large army....perhaps China?
Or an ideal weapon for those with terrible eyesight.

[HAWGZHEAD]

Screw the DC gun ban...where do i get me one of these?????

SOURCE (http://upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/view.php?StoryID=20060120-070112-5273r)Woohoo!! I've been lookin fo a new squirrel huntin gun!

[PyroGenic]

i would imagine that a 240K round/second gun would be more for taking out buildings or massive groups than being a sniper rifle.

what about the handgun model? that's crazy go nuts

[Agrawog]

yay futurama :)

I don't understand why you want to shoot so many rounds? It sounds like a pain to reload too.

Actually the article made that part clear - it would operate as a defensive weapon against grenade or rocket attacks. Radar would track the incoming projectile and the gun would send out a wave of bullets to destroy the round. It would be similar to the existing CWIS guns mounted on destroyers today - although they go after bigger things like cruise missiles. The speeds are so fast that you would need many objects (bullets) to even hope to hit the target.

Now in maching gun or sub-machine gun mode we are talking about a true room sweeper. The only limitation would be the number of rounds a soldier could carry. I am thinking it would be simiilar to the mini-vulcan cannon Jesse the Body Ventura carried in the movie "Predator". He carried his bullets in a backpack. They came out so fast all you heard was a long ripping sound.

Either way - this sounds like a very specialized and expensive weapons system.

Sure is cool, though!

[suppitty]

just in case you ever have to kill 240,000 people that are standing in a single-file line. :)
It'll make my DMV trips shorter.