Rail Gun ammo question


Rules Questions


I only have access to the d20pfsrd right now, so if the information for the rail gun there is inaccurate, I apologize.

Anyway,

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/technological-weapons#TOC -Rail-Gun wrote:


A rail gun uses gravitons to compress raw metal scrap placed in its sequencing chamber into hyperdense shells that it then accelerates to astounding speed and fires from its electromagnetically charged barrel. The weapon's rate of fire is slow compared to most other technological weapons, yet its relatively high damage combined with its potential for particularly grisly critical hits makes it a much sought-after weapon for long-range combat. Shots fired from a rail gun bypass an object's first 10 points of hardness, and can completely penetrate targets without hardness.

It says it uses "raw metal scrap". Does that mean it must be unrefined? What kind of metal can you use? Can you use silver/cold iron/adamantine/inubrix/viridium/etc.? If you cannot find "metal scrap" can you put your copper pieces in it (finally a use for them!)?

Or is this a "ask your GM" type of question?

Sovereign Court

I think "raw metal scrap" is supposed to mean nothing more than "solid slug of metal", as in emphasizing that there is no propellant and certainly no warhead.

For railguns to work, their ammo does still have to be machined to particular specification, so "scrap" is a bit of an unfortunate word choice.


haremlord wrote:

I only have access to the d20pfsrd right now, so if the information for the rail gun there is inaccurate, I apologize.

Anyway,

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/technological-weapons#TOC -Rail-Gun wrote:


A rail gun uses gravitons to compress raw metal scrap placed in its sequencing chamber into hyperdense shells that it then accelerates to astounding speed and fires from its electromagnetically charged barrel. The weapon's rate of fire is slow compared to most other technological weapons, yet its relatively high damage combined with its potential for particularly grisly critical hits makes it a much sought-after weapon for long-range combat. Shots fired from a rail gun bypass an object's first 10 points of hardness, and can completely penetrate targets without hardness.

It says it uses "raw metal scrap". Does that mean it must be unrefined? What kind of metal can you use? Can you use silver/cold iron/adamantine/inubrix/viridium/etc.? If you cannot find "metal scrap" can you put your copper pieces in it (finally a use for them!)?

Or is this a "ask your GM" type of question?

It means exactly that - any random piece of metal you find.

I know there's nothing that says it in there, and before anyone says "RAW!!!" that is how railguns really work.

Railguns use 2 or more parallel supercharged electromagnetic tracks to take anything - a bit of rock with ferrous metal in it, a coin, etc. - and fire it off at ridiculously high speeds.

At that point the aerodynamics of the projectile don't matter - we're talking things being fired so hard that they could break orbit from the ground if the railgun's charge is strong enough.

Right now real-life railguns are in their very-early stages of development & testing (the US Navy has tested railguns), but they do exist, yet they DO require aerodynamic projectiles. That's partially because our railguns aren't very strong, all things considered.

However, theoretical advanced railguns, especially space-based railguns, would be able to use anything (literally anything - everything reacts to magnetism to some degree or another as long as your magnetic field is strong enough) as a projectile.

Since the Numerian stuff from the Tech Guide is supposed to be Sci-Fi even by OUR standards, go with the Sci-Fi "grab a scap, throw it in the gun, and blow some heads off"


This part:

Quote:
A rail gun uses gravitons to compress raw metal scrap placed in its sequencing chamber into hyperdense shells

specifically reforms randomly shaped scrap into highly formed/smoothed 'shells', so there is no need to use preformed ammo. The gun forms it for you.


The US Navy's railgun is pretty awesome, actually. It's muzzle velocity is over 6500 fps. Compare that to the 16" main gun on most battle ships which has a muzzle velocity of 2500-2700 fps. The railgun is accurate to 100 miles; the 16" gun to 23 miles.

On topic: What I gather from the description of the item, any metallic material can be placed into the gun for ammunition. The weapon system then compresses the material into a properly shaped projectile and fires it. The rules do not differentiate between ferromagnetic metals and otherwise, so specialty materials like adamantium should be just fine, as long is it's described as being a metal.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber
chbgraphicarts wrote:
haremlord wrote:

I only have access to the d20pfsrd right now, so if the information for the rail gun there is inaccurate, I apologize.

Anyway,

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/technological-weapons#TOC -Rail-Gun wrote:


A rail gun uses gravitons to compress raw metal scrap placed in its sequencing chamber into hyperdense shells that it then accelerates to astounding speed and fires from its electromagnetically charged barrel. The weapon's rate of fire is slow compared to most other technological weapons, yet its relatively high damage combined with its potential for particularly grisly critical hits makes it a much sought-after weapon for long-range combat. Shots fired from a rail gun bypass an object's first 10 points of hardness, and can completely penetrate targets without hardness.

It says it uses "raw metal scrap". Does that mean it must be unrefined? What kind of metal can you use? Can you use silver/cold iron/adamantine/inubrix/viridium/etc.? If you cannot find "metal scrap" can you put your copper pieces in it (finally a use for them!)?

Or is this a "ask your GM" type of question?

It means exactly that - any random piece of metal you find.

I know there's nothing that says it in there, and before anyone says "RAW!!!" that is how railguns really work.

Railguns use 2 or more parallel supercharged electromagnetic tracks to take anything - a bit of rock with ferrous metal in it, a coin, etc. - and fire it off at ridiculously high speeds.

At that point the aerodynamics of the projectile don't matter - we're talking things being fired so hard that they could break orbit from the ground if the railgun's charge is strong enough.

Right now real-life railguns are in their very-early stages of development & testing (the US Navy has tested railguns), but they do exist, yet they DO require aerodynamic projectiles. That's partially because our railguns aren't very strong, all things considered.

However, theoretical advanced railguns, especially...

Any SciFi railgun would still operate more efficiently and accurately with formed piece of metal (not withstanding this railguns design which makes ammo on the fly, which is weird) a real world railgun design to operate inside an atmosphere needs to care about aerodynamics and drag to maintain accuracy over range, as well as to maintain the kinetic energy of the projectile over that range.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
deusvult wrote:

I think "raw metal scrap" is supposed to mean nothing more than "solid slug of metal", as in emphasizing that there is no propellant and certainly no warhead.

For railguns to work, their ammo does still have to be machined to particular specification, so "scrap" is a bit of an unfortunate word choice.

The gun in question spends a fair amount of time converting metal scrap into shells that can be fired, hence the low fire rate.

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32

This rule is meant to allow you to use a rail gun any time you can find a source of Charge - like most other technological weapons, instead of forcing you to constantly find 'rail gun bullets' while the guy using the laser rifle just needs silverdisks. You are overthinking this.

To answer the OP: It's supposed to mean 'whatever metal you have laying around', even though even scrap iron has a value per pound in the CRB. It's best just kind of handwaved.
Copper pieces would be appropriate - copper is extremely conductive and is used as the (part of) projectile in several real-life railgun prototypes.

I don't think the intent is to allow you to use special materials - mostly because the quantity needed, and therefore the cost, in undefined. For that kind of thing, you should talk to your GM. (As an aside, I can see how a system designed to crush relatively soft base metals like lead, iron, and copper into slugs might have a harder time with adamatine and glaucite.)

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