this post was submitted on 20 Oct 2023
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Japan Becomes 1st Country Ever To Fire Electromagnetic Railgun From An Offshore Vessel::Japan has successfully test-fired a medium-caliber maritime electromagnetic railgun from an offshore platform, as it continues to advance its defenses in the face of burgeoning regional security threats.

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[–] makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 year ago (3 children)

My mate in high school used to make these. He'd wind his own electromagnetic little tunnel thing, apply current, and the little metal projectile used to shoot through walls. Was pretty amazing.

[–] SpacePirate@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

That’s a gauss gun, not a railgun. Still cool, though.

[–] makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago

Ahhh ok. He'd do them with the capacitors from disposable cameras that the local camera store would give him.

[–] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I assumed they were synonyms ? how do they differ ?

[–] papertowels@lemmy.one 2 points 1 year ago

They're pretty similar, in that both use electromagnetic forces to launch a projectile.

Gaus cannons use a field around the projectile, applied by wires wrapped around a tube, whereas railguns use two rails touching the projectile to conduct the magnetic field through the projectile.

Did you go to high school with the Hacksmith team?

[–] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

That's pretty cool, and dangerous