While you spent your downtime watching episode after episode of Mr. Robot and puttering around the house, this fellow spent his extra time developing a working railgun. Yes sir, I’m not even joking.
Reddit user NSA_Listbot (a.k.a. David Wirth) made use of a 3D printer to make the frame of the weapon, and an Arduino chip to keep an eye on voltage and temperature level. It looks kind of like an enormous Super Soaker, however this is not a toy. David’s railgun launches metal projectiles at a speed of 560 miles per hour, and fires with 1,800 joules of energy per shot.
Railguns are insane gizmos that fire projectiles utilizing electro-magnetic forces, so called for the parallel rails they use to guide and drive the metal slug. They can attain a high level of kinetic energy in the absence of a classical shaped charge, and are presently being looked into by the military for usage in warfare.
Even making use of a fairly soft metal like graphite for his projectile, Wirth’s railgun still made significant imprints in a steel-backed target. According to Wirth, the projectile “vaporized.” Cripe!
Do you know what would be even better, though? Ripley’s combination flamethrower/pulse rifle from Aliens. Which one of you can make me one? 😛
