Comically Absurd Rifles & Bullets

[KJ_Lesnick]

I. Comically Absurd Rifles

By this, I mean some of the following

• Rifles that are designed for unusual purposes: I don't know, like simulating the damage caused by a micro-meteor impact
  
• Rifles that are designed for anti-material purposes: (Anzio 20mm)
  
• Some custom design some moron who subscribed to the notion that there is no such thing as too much bang for your buck
  

II. Comically Absurd Bullets

By this, I mean projectiles that fit the following description

• Unusually large
  
• Unusually shaped
  
• Are actually capable of being fired out a gun whether or not their ballistic characteristics are ideal
  

.
While I'm out it I'm curious about the following

1. I was wondering how fast a person could get a 7.62 round up to provided the following

• The bullet was around 180 grains
  
• The casing was necked down to accommodate the smaller bullet while carrying the maximum amount of gunpowder possible
  

.
2. What use would a projectile with a high fineness ratio (12/1 or 18/1) have either

• Using normal rifle shapes
  
• Using a perfect cone
  
• Using a flared oblique shape for minimum drag
  

.

[Weaver]

1. I was wondering how fast a person could get a 7.62 round up to provided the following

• The bullet was around 180 grains
  
• The casing was necked down to accommodate the smaller bullet while carrying the maximum amount of gunpowder possible
  

IIRC there's an absolute limit on how fast any chemically propelled projectile can go, which is set by the rate at which the propellant gas can expand. Putting more energy into it after that just makes the gas hotter, not faster. High velocity tank guns are pretty much at this limit now, which means the figure must about 1,750 m/s.

[dadlamassu]

II. Comically Absurd Bullets

By this, I mean projectiles that fit the following description

• Unusually shaped
  
  

The Puckle gun fired square section bullets (bottom right in the picture)

[PR19_Kit]

The .220 Swift was a pretty absurd looking assembly. The bullet was tiny and mounted on a relatively huge cartridge, but it produced an ultra high muzzle velocity of something over 4000 ft/sec IIRC.

I had occasion to use a Winchester Model 70 chambered for the .220 Swift back in the '60s and it was remarkably accurate and seemed almost impervious to cross-winds, but the darn thing didn't half kick! So much so that I tended to flinch before firing, not recommended for accurate shooting.

[Rheged]

II. Comically Absurd Bullets

By this, I mean projectiles that fit the following description

• Unusually shaped
  
  

The Puckle gun fired square section bullets (bottom right in the picture)

I seem to recall reading that the square bullets were to be used in "the colonies" and that round bullets were to be used in European fighting.

[dadlamassu]

The square bullets were to be used against "non-Christians" (particularly Ottomans) because it was thought they would do more damage and so "persuade" the survivors of the benefits of converting to Christianity.

[pyro-manic]

Two-stage gas guns are used to generate stupid velocities for research.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-gas_gun

For crazy velocities with a 7.62ish bullet, have a look at "wildcat" cartridges based on the .338 Lapua Magnum and the like.

[kerick]

Two-stage gas guns are used to generate stupid velocities for research.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-gas_gun

I had not heard of such a gun, even for research. Makes me wonder........ could this be mounted in a turret.......... If the initial charge, piston, light gas and projectile were all combined in a cartridge......? That'll be my story, and I'm stick'n to it!

[pyro-manic]

The question is, why? What purpose would it serve? And how enormous would the turret have to be to accommodate it?

[perttime]

Perhaps not comically absurd ... but I find the 20mm Lahti L-39 rifle quite interesting.

"The Lahti L-39 is a Finnish 20 mm anti-tank rifle used during the Second World War. It had excellent accuracy, penetration and range, but its size made transportation difficult. It was nicknamed "Norsupyssy" ("Elephant Gun"), and as tanks developed armour too thick for the Lahti to penetrate its uses switched to long range sniping, tank harassment and with the L-39/44 fully automatic variant, an improvised anti-aircraft weapon."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahti_L-39


(Wikimedia photo)

[PR19_Kit]

The Boys anti-tank rifle was in the same league. It was also called 'The Elephant gun' by it's users, great minds think alike. 

It used a 0.55" round that had a muzzle velocity of 2,500 ft/sec and was reasonably effective against early WWII period more lightly armoured vehicles, but was rapidly outclassed and replaced with the PIAT in service. The recoil of the Boys was really diabolical even though it was fitted with a slide mounted barrel, shock absorbers and a hefty muzzle brake.

It was even used in Finland too.

[DarrenP2]

Boyes were still being issued in 1944

[eatthis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5-WUmu7NVY   

check out chuck norris at 4:22 

[NARSES2]

The Soviets were big users of AT rifles right through to the end of WWII and some of those were massive. Either that or all the lads carrying them in photos were 5 foot or under. I've often wondered if these were used for harassing fire sort of thing. Make tank crews stay buttoned up ? Can't imagine them being effective on late war armour

[rickshaw]

The Soviets were big users of AT rifles right through to the end of WWII and some of those were massive. Either that or all the lads carrying them in photos were 5 foot or under. I've often wondered if these were used for harassing fire sort of thing. Make tank crews stay buttoned up ? Can't imagine them being effective on late war armour

The Soviets used them against the flanks and rear of the AFVs they faced in German hands.  They tended to be quite effective apparently at either penetrating the lower hull armour (often about 10-25mm in thickness) or in killing the AFV's crew if they were fighting heads out.

My father who fired the Boys during WWII always said it "had a kick like a Mule!"   As he was a fairly slight man, I wouldn't be surprised if he was telling the truth.  The US Marines used Boys, especially flown across the Pacific to them, in their raider units as anti-Materiale' and personnel rifles, during the early part of the Pacific War.