A method making a gun barrel liner includes depositing material on a mandrel that has ribs or ridges corresponding to the rifling grooves in the liner. The material may be deposited using plasma spraying, with sprayed splats of material re-melted after deposition for at least part of the deposition process to reduce or eliminate porosity in the deposited material. The mandrel may be made of metal, such as a high thermal conductivity metal such as copper. The mandrel may have a channel therein or therethrough. The channel may facilitate flow of liquid though the mandrel, one example of such a liquid being a coolant (such as water), used to remove heat produced during the material deposition. Another liquid passed through the channel may be an etchant (or other fluid) that is used to dissolve or otherwise remove the mandrel after the material of the gun barrel liner has been deposited.

A composite projectile barrel is disclosed comprising a continuous fiber composite outer shell whose average effective coefficient of thermal expansion in the longitudinal direction approximately matches that of an inner liner. In one embodiment, the composite barrel comprises PAN precursor carbon fiber and a thermoset epoxy resin, with the carbon fiber wound at varying winding angles to form a plurality of regions within the outer shell. The finished barrel exhibits light weight, superior axial stiffness and strength, durability, and is reliably accurate.

A composite projectile barrel is disclosed comprising a continuous fiber composite outer shell whose average effective coefficient of thermal expansion in the longitudinal direction approximately matches that of an inner liner. In one embodiment, the composite barrel comprises PAN precursor carbon fiber and a thermoset epoxy resin, with the carbon fiber wound at varying winding angles to form a plurality of regions within the outer shell. The finished barrel exhibits light weight, superior axial stiffness and strength, durability, and is reliably accurate.

Methods of manufacturing metal, metal-matrix, metal-metal-matrix composite weapon barrels offer barrels with improved thermal performance and rigidity with no, minimal or negative weight increase. A barrel may include a barrel core surrounded by a lightweight, thermally conductive sleeve made from metal, metal-matrix composite (MMC) materials, also referred to as metal-matrix material. The barrel core and barrel sleeve may include aligning features to prevent separation and movement of the sleeve along the core. The disclosed methods provide for material combinations and part designs that prevent separation of their parts over the life of the weapon barrel and allow the barrel to perform at high cadence over the whole temperature range the barrel is used.

Methods of manufacturing metal, metal-matrix, metal-metal-matrix composite weapon barrels offer barrels with improved thermal performance and rigidity with no, minimal or negative weight increase. A barrel may include a barrel core surrounded by a lightweight, thermally conductive sleeve made from metal, metal-matrix composite (MMC) materials, also referred to as metal-matrix material. The barrel core and barrel sleeve may include aligning features to prevent separation and movement of the sleeve along the core. The disclosed methods provide for material combinations and part designs that prevent separation of their parts over the life of the weapon barrel and allow the barrel to perform at high cadence over the whole temperature range the barrel is used.

An automatic weapon system comprising a bolt driven gas operated machine gun operable in either an open bolt configuration or a closed bolt configuration including a reciprocating bolt assembly operable in either a semi-automatic mode or an automatic mode movable between a rear or open position and a forward or closed position and a firing chamber in combination with an ammunition magazine to automatically feed cartridges from the ammunition magazine to the gas operated machine gun for continuous fire of cartridges from the automatic weapon system including a cartridge feed mechanism to convert the linear motion of the reciprocating bolt assembly into rotary motion to incrementally position a cartridge from the ammunition magazine through a cartridge feed opening formed in the ammunition magazine into the firing chamber as the reciprocating bolt assembly moves between the rear or open position to the forward or closed position.

An automatic weapon system comprising a bolt driven gas operated machine gun operable in either an open bolt configuration or a closed bolt configuration including a reciprocating bolt assembly operable in either a semi-automatic mode or an automatic mode movable between a rear or open position and a forward or closed position and a firing chamber in combination with an ammunition magazine to automatically feed cartridges from the ammunition magazine to the gas operated machine gun for continuous fire of cartridges from the automatic weapon system including a cartridge feed mechanism to convert the linear motion of the reciprocating bolt assembly into rotary motion to incrementally position a cartridge from the ammunition magazine through a cartridge feed opening formed in the ammunition magazine into the firing chamber as the reciprocating bolt assembly moves between the rear or open position to the forward or closed position.

A gun barrel that consists of a frame tube that encloses a barrel tube that is used to induce rotation to a projectile. The gun barrel as a whole constitutes an electric motor. The barrel tube is a permanent magnet and acts as the rotor of the motor. The stator coils of the motor are located outside the barrel tube and are used to induce rotation to the rotor, i.e., the barrel tube.

A weapon barrel includes an inner core and an outer sleeve. The inner core has a first end, a second end, a bore extending from the first end to the second end, and an external surface extending from the first end to the second end. The inner core includes a material selected from the group consisting of a ferrous alloy, a non-ferrous alloy, a ceramic, a bonded ceramic, and a cemented carbide. The outer sleeve has a first end, a second end, an internal surface extending from the first end to the second end, and an external surface extending from the first end to the second end. The outer sleeve is disposed around and permanently joined to the inner core. The outer sleeve includes a material selected from the group consisting of a metal-matrix composite and a beryllium alloy, the outer sleeve material being located at and between the internal surface and the external surface of the outer sleeve.

A weapon barrel includes an inner core and an outer sleeve. The inner core has a first end, a second end, a bore extending from the first end to the second end, and an external surface extending from the first end to the second end. The inner core includes a material selected from the group consisting of a ferrous alloy, a non-ferrous alloy, a ceramic, a bonded ceramic, and a cemented carbide. The outer sleeve has a first end, a second end, an internal surface extending from the first end to the second end, and an external surface extending from the first end to the second end. The outer sleeve is disposed around and permanently joined to the inner core. The outer sleeve includes a material selected from the group consisting of a metal-matrix composite and a beryllium alloy, the outer sleeve material being located at and between the internal surface and the external surface of the outer sleeve.