Gyrojet Pistol

[Arioch]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98c2t_uK5Uo


Reliability and accuracy problems aside, the loading and firing mechanism is laughable.

[NuclearIceCream]

I love that thing, such a hilarious weapon. Though I think I recall reading about how such concepts were considered for an astronaut gun.

[RedDwarfIV]

I love that thing, such a hilarious weapon. Though it is an interesting concept for an astronaut gun.

Maybe, except normal guns work in space. All the oxidiser they need is already there in the bullets.

[NuclearIceCream]

Maybe, except normal guns work in space. All the oxidiser they need is already there in the bullets.

Yeah but most guns have a good amount of recoil. My understanding was that these gyrojet gun had very little.

[icekatze]

hi hi

That gyrojet pistol and its rifle counterpart were pretty much the only gyrojets ever mass produced. As a first generation weapon of its type, I'd say it was respectable. I would imagine that a second or third generation gyrojet weapon would have been more reliable.

Normal bullets work in space, but that's not to say that normal guns would necessarily work in space. Complicated gas operated actions may have issues with the greater pressure differential, vacuum would make many common lubricants boil off, extreme cold followed by high temperature firing might crack important components, and a lack of radiators would make overheating an issue with repeated firing.

[RedDwarfIV]

Makes sense now.

Although when exactly an astronaut would need a sidearm whilst on EVA, I have no idea.

[elorran]

At the time it was designed they probably made some good innovations but that does still have a lot of issues. If they were going to design a gyrojet round these days it would be done differently and probably within other industry standards. I do know that you can get gyrojet rounds for a standard 12 gauge shotgun for example, though they aren't common.

[Suederwind]

Weren't those Gyrojet rounds in fact small rockets instead of conventional bullets?

The Soviets however, build those guns for their Cosmonauts: Link and a picture.
Ever heard of those, too?

[Arioch]

Although when exactly an astronaut would need a sidearm whilst on EVA, I have no idea.

I don't either, but this pistol would be useless even in that situation. It has a 6-round non-removable magazine, and no bullet catch; it must be loaded manually and the spring will eject the bullets unless you hold them in with your finger; if you just open the breech, all the bullets are ejected. Trying to load it or clear a jam while wearing spacesuit gloves would be next to impossible.

Those problems are specific to the gun/launcher, but the fatal flaws are inherent to the ammunition and really couldn't be overcome. Because the bullet has a muzzle velocity of only about 10 feet per second, any movement of the gun while firing or wind near the gun will have a much larger impact on the bullet's trajectory than a high-velocity bullet, making it inherently less accurate than a conventional gun. Also because of the low muzzle velocity, the rocket projectile needs about 8 feet to build up lethal velocity, making it useless at very close range.

[fredgiblet]

Although when exactly an astronaut would need a sidearm whilst on EVA, I have no idea.

When the Cosmonauts showed up to fight them of course.

[Alexandr Koori]

On our stations ("Almaz" program) was used space modifications of NR-23 gun.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... cannon.jpg
Gun TP-82 included in rescue kit of Soyuz ships.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... -TP-82.jpg

[Karst45]

Makes sense now.

Although when exactly an astronaut would need a sidearm whilst on EVA, I have no idea.

think back during the cold war and the space race between USSR and and USA and you may have a reason to carry a side arm that could work in space.

[NuclearIceCream]

Makes sense now.

Although when exactly an astronaut would need a sidearm whilst on EVA, I have no idea.

think back during the cold war and the space race between USSR and and USA and you may have a reason to carry a side arm that could work in space.

Exactly. Though I think a better astronaut gun would be one the astronaut couldn't drop.

[Karst45]

Makes sense now.

Although when exactly an astronaut would need a sidearm whilst on EVA, I have no idea.

think back during the cold war and the space race between USSR and and USA and you may have a reason to carry a side arm that could work in space.

Exactly. Though I think a better astronaut gun would be one the astronaut couldn't drop.

sometime simple weapon are more effective than complex one. for example an sling shot or if we look at similar environment, Harpon. may be only a one or 2 shot but still should make quite a lots of damage once it hit.

Actually i wonder, if you were in orbit at ISS altitude and were to shoot a crowbow bolt retrograde. would it deorbit? now i want to shoot satellite with a crowbow!

[Arioch]

Actually i wonder, if you were in orbit at ISS altitude and were to shoot a crowbow bolt retrograde. would it deorbit? now i want to shoot satellite with a crowbow!

It would just fall into a lower orbit... unless it was an unimaginably powerful crossbow. ISS orbital velocity is 7700 m/s, while a typical crossbow bolt is about 90 m/s.

[discord]

a buddy of mine had this strange idea, gyrojet is not exactly stupid really, but you need some space age tech and out of the box thinking for it to shine....
gyrojet smart missile sniper rifle....mini missiles, could have a effective range of.....several km, and guided it would not have the 'target moves after shot is fired' problem.
the biggest problem really was thinking too short ranged.

[Karst45]

a buddy of mine had this strange idea, gyrojet is not exactly stupid really, but you need some space age tech and out of the box thinking for it to shine....
gyrojet smart missile sniper rifle....mini missiles, could have a effective range of.....several km, and guided it would not have the 'target moves after shot is fired' problem.
the biggest problem really was thinking too short ranged.

well... at this point you better have laser guided rocket no?

[Arioch]

Guidance would probably be provided by fins or a rolling-airframe thruster, so you could have a conventional bullet be guided just as easily as a rocket bullet. The rocket bullet might have slightly longer range and do slightly more kinetic damage than a conventional bullet (because the velocity peaks during flight rather than at the moment of firing, but I doubt that would overcome the reliability advantage of the conventional method of firing a bullet.

[Nemo]

If youre willing to throw conventional thinking out the window, you could use a standard explosive propellent in the barrel with a rocket assisted sabot on exit. Overly complex for the actual intended use... sounds perfect someone call Congress.

More seriously, there is no reason to use something as complicated as a rocket pistol, or rifle for that matter. Its a neat gadget, but its a hanger not a banger.

[icekatze]

hi hi

A rocket pistol is really no more or less complicated than a conventional gun. The gyrojet pistol here is actually significantly less complicated than most modern handguns, with a breech loaded internal magazine and a single action trigger. The ammunition is still simply primer, powder and projectile.

The gyrojet was not a "banger," because it was relatively quiet to fire. The rockets made a faint hissing sound, but nothing even close to the bang of a conventional gun.