Rail Gun Project

[hk940]

A while back I posted a thread about a rail gun project I was working on.
I don't know or can't find any pictures I might have posted, so here are some of the finished product.
It all started about ten years ago, a friend of mine bought the upper part at an auction, there was no base.
He asked me if I could make a base for it, I said I would try and not knowing much about rail guns at the time, I just winged it.
It came out OK but was not a tack driver that a rail gun should (it was .308 ).
During the time he had the gun I don't think he shot it much, then he called me and said had bought a newer one (in 6mmppc) and asked if I wanted the old one (complete with a Leupold 46X)
Of course I said yes.
After looking at his new one and taking some pictures of it and browsing the web.
I took off the wood bottom and mounted it to a piece of 6" u channel and made a new windage and elevation adjustments. I also reworked the front rest.
Range report, just a bug hole at 100 yards (.308 match)

 

[entropy]

Where are the electromagnets?

 

[hk940]

Right next to the flux capacitor

 

[Nature Boy]

Doc Brown, is that you?!?

Post some target pics when you can

 

[hk940]

Doc Brown, is that you?!?

Post some target pics when you can

Not Doc Brown here. I need to get to the range more, will post target pix when I get to range.

 

[jmorris]

I have always wanted to build one even played around a little with linear slides that were given to me in the past. I used “the helm” style elevation and repurposed an old micrometer head for windage.






Do you have more details on how you made the bearing surfaces and what materials you used, to keep the base/rifle return repeatable?

Is the 6” U channel steel or aluminum? What does it weigh?

Nice work!

 

[Dunross]

I'm confused. This is a firearm then?

 

[hk940]

It's a steel u channel the whole upper weights about 35-40#'s the lower about 25# the block the bbl is bolted into is about 5x5x8 steel

 

[gotboostvr]

I'm confused. This is a firearm then?

It's like a lead sled with the rifle built in.

 

[entropy]

But it's not a real rail gun, which uses electromagnets lining the "barrel" which are fired sequentially sending a ferrous projectile at very high speed.
I gotta stop watching Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory when posting. I think he's starting to rub off on me.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Reminds me a bit of the Mann Rest, what Dr. Franklin Mann referred to as his "shooting Gibraltar":



From his magnum opus:
http://www.castpics.net/subsite2/ClassicWorks/The_bullet_s_flight_from_powder_to_targe.pdf

 

[hk940]

Bazinga!

 

[hk940]

I have always wanted to build one even played around a little with linear slides that were given to me in the past. I used “the helm” style elevation and repurposed an old micrometer head for windage.

View attachment 1074759


View attachment 1074760

Do you have more details on how you made the bearing surfaces and what materials you used, to keep the base/rifle return repeatable?

Is the 6” U channel steel or aluminum? What does it weigh?

The upper half has a delrin strip bolted to the bottom of the rail with a 45 degree v milled into and two pieces with a 45 degree v milled into the bottom.
They are bolted to the sides of the rail. They ride on three delrin "pins" two on the E/W control at the rear and one at the middle front.
Parts of the W/E control were salvaged from the old front rest. Most parts of the W/E control were brass, delrin, stainless steel and aluminum.
Is that a Ruger pistol in the second picture?

 

[jmorris]

The upper half has a delrin strip bolted to the bottom of the rail with a 45 degree v milled into and two pieces with a 45 degree v milled into the bottom.
They are bolted to the sides of the rail. They ride on three delrin "pins" two on the E/W control at the rear and one at the middle front.
Parts of the W/E control were salvaged from the old front rest. Most parts of the W/E control were brass, delrin, stainless steel and aluminum.
Is that a Ruger pistol in the second picture?

Nice.

It’s a Clark custom 10/22 with a 16” Lothar Walther barrel.

 

[jmorris]

I'm confused. This is a firearm then?

Sure. One intended for a specific task but still a firearm.

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2016/01/unlimited-class-rail-guns-the-epitome-of-precision/

 

[Offfhand]

Back before the "rail gun" design concept arrived on the benchrest scene, rifles tended to look like this masterpiece. Built back in the 1960's or possibly before, was built for 1000 yard benchrest competition and fired up thru the early '90's. Chambered for a wildcat cartridge called the 7X300, it is the .300 Weatherby case necked down to 7mm and according the owner's notes was loaded with Sierra's 168 gr Match King bullet on top of lots of powder. I suspect it would be fearsome in 1K competition even today. When it was offered for sale as part of an estate I bought it mainly for the Unertl scope and Pre-64 M-70 action. But it remains intact because but I haven't had the heart to strip down this masterpiece of design and workmanship, not to mention the fabulous hunk of laminated woods from which it was sculpted. (One can only speculate on the time and effort involved.) Rifles like this are no longer being built because today's simple rail guns are much less expensive and time consuming and offer a greater degree of accuracy.

 

[Pat Riot]

I learned some today. Thanks everyone.

When I saw “rail gun” I thought of the electromagnetic gun project of the Navy.

 

[gotboostvr]

Back before the "rail gun" design concept arrived on the benchrest scene, rifles tended to look like this masterpiece. Built back in the 1960's or possibly before, was built for 1000 yard benchrest competition and fired up thru the early '90's. Chambered for a wildcat cartridge called the 7X300, it is the .300 Weatherby case necked down to 7mm and according the owner's notes was loaded with Sierra's 168 gr Match King bullet on top of lots of powder. I suspect it would be fearsome in 1K competition even today. When it was offered for sale as part of an estate I bought it mainly for the Unertl scope and Pre-64 M-70 action. But it remains intact because but I haven't had the heart to strip down this masterpiece of design and workmanship, not to mention the fabulous hunk of laminated woods from which it was sculpted. Rifles like this are no longer being built because today's simple rail guns are much less expensive and time consuming to make and offer a greater degree of accuracy.View attachment 1075598 View attachment 1075599 View attachment 1075600 View attachment 1075601 View attachment 1075602 View attachment 1075603

They certainly don't make them like that anymore.

That's an absolute beauty!

 

[bluetopper]

I've seen videos of some benchrest rail guns mounted on gas struts/shocks and the entire rifle and mounting recoils back on rails when fired.

 

[hk940]

I've seen videos of some benchrest rail guns mounted on gas struts/shocks and the entire rifle and mounting recoils back on rails when fired.

I am not that high tech yet, it does recoil back on delrin pins and v blocks but I have to push it back into battery.