Hi Guys,

You may or may not have come across a company calls Metalstorm that make some pretty advanced and powerfull weaponary (great aussy inventions). The main interest I have is finding out how they manage their multibarrel/multiload firing system. I am familiar with pyrotechnics and understand the principles of a roman candle firing systm, but the inventor has done some thing different and can safety electrically fire these barrels and loads in any setting. Eg. single shots, burst or just plan old auto. The big bonus to these systems is they are loaded to the gills with ammo and one of the earlier hand held propotypes was capable of holding 600 rounds and if I recall could fire 30,000 rounds per minute (no I am not exagerating). Image what this would do to a hard target with light to medium armour.

If you want to have a look at www.metalstorm.com, you can see what I mean by the effectiveness of these inventions.

If you have some ideas on the firing system, beyond an electrically fired roman candle system, I would like to hear it.

http://www.metalstorm.com Fixed link

It has superimposed loads, that is the only similarity to a roman candle... The delay and ignition schemes are electronic, not pyrotechnic.

The rounds are self contained. The ignition is electrical, apparently by an induction mechanism, with no thru barrel wiring required thereby. I wonder how high a pressure and velocity this system is currently capable of, the uses as a grenade launcher or mine distribution system do seem more in line with the apparently low pressures used. They claim it functions as either a rifled or smoothbore. They also have some interesting claims about the velocities and "chamber" pressures of multiple rounds "in flight" in the same barrel at the same time- I'd like to sit down with their engineering staff, they're a bit cagy on what they've put out in their FAQ!

If I remember right, there was something like this I saw on another forum a while ago, not sure if it was the same company or not. I think thier biggest gun was able to rip 1 milllon rounds per minute statistically.
They had a video of shooting it at plywood and the wood was annhialted.

Yes, it was metal storm that made that gun.

They hold the world records for the fastest firing projectile weapon (for some 36 barreled monstrosity), the fastest firing handgun (O'Dwyer Vle), and the most sophisticated handgun ( also the O'Dwyer Vle).

Thanks for the information Bert. I suppose the next question or idea to bounce around is - What techniques can us poor technically/engineering deprived home weapons people come up with that may give us similar results if not the same results (but have to be realistic here and assume this is not going to happen)?

I can envisage the use of some small but heavy barrels to accomodate an electricially fired (most likely a simple squib) to each barrel. this would of course mean each barrel would result in a full auto rate of fire from each barrel. The loads would have to be light for safety sake, but if the loads (propellents) were spaced with enough gap this would reduce the pressure created by each individual shot. A little like the high/low principle that is used in the 40mm grenade (a high power charge that disperses quickly into a larger confined area and becoming a more gentle low power push). I know this principle is great for lobbing grenades (fond memories of using the m79 in my old army days), but very low power for sending a bullet out at high speed.

Any ideas people?

MANY PREVIOUS TOPICS ABOUT THIS! :rolleyes:

UTFSE!