In The Future...

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

You're just full of firearms info, aren't you? Were you a gunsmith in a previous life or something?

Nah, I have a passion for kinetic energy and an internet connection

[Ragnarok]

I thought I had both of those attributes. There must be an unseen X factor.

Energy is the weirdest of things. It hurts to think about it too much.

[dauphinoise potato]

I would personally love to make a semi-automatic, with an inch(ish) barrel and about 20 shots per refill, but I doubt that even coming close to the drawing board.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

I thought I had both of those attributes. There must be an unseen X factor.

An interest in penetration, perhaps. And a flair for getting the most out of search engines. It's all out there, you just have to find it.

[Hotwired]

Mmm.... most firearms information is actually of fairly limited value when it comes to air cannonry.

What you really need to browse is paintball guns

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

I disagree, as far as external ballistics are concerned there's everything to learn from powder burners - they might be using different means of propulsion, but the end result is still stuff flying through the air.

[DYI]

Those were some interesting air rifles, but I meant more along the lines of ones that your average person could actually obtain/afford.

This should be able to do ~1700fps and 6800 ft/lbs with a 1000 grain slug, and over 3000fps with a 250 grain slug, for 5100 ft/lbs of muzzle energy. Should be accurate out to a reasonable range with finned and saboted darts.

[ALIHISGREAT]

I disagree, as far as external ballistics are concerned there's everything to learn from powder burners - they might be using different means of propulsion, but the end result is still stuff flying through the air.

i agree as far as the external balistics go but your knowledge of air rifles is far more useful (for obvious reasons )

[Hotwired]

I disagree, as far as external ballistics are concerned there's everything to learn from powder burners - they might be using different means of propulsion, but the end result is still stuff flying through the air.

Ballistics are not confined to powder based projection alone, besides I meant more the cannons themselves which is generally the primary focus of design and spending. Not a huge amount is put into ammunition by comparision. It's generally about finding suitable, cheap and standard object/s to fire.

For example: this is a great source of inspiration for mechanisms for pneumatics but your average firearm is not a very helpful place to look when you're after a bolt which can seal the ammo feed and allow a blast of gas through/past it to fire a projectile.