My 1.5KJ Home-Built Gauss Rifle!

I've finally finished my gauss rifle! This is about four months in the making. I may improve on it in the future, or build an entirely new and better one! But I want to take a break from coil guns for a while.
Disclaimer:
I'd consider myself to be a pacifist, and don't intend to use this on any person or animal. This project has merely acted as an outlet for my interest in electronics and electromagnetism. My aim has also been to create something cool to get others interested in science and engineering.
Coil Gun Design Guide:
docs.google.com/document/d/1Q...
Circuit Schematic:
imgur.com/gallery/nxMmSv1
Code:
create.arduino.cc/editor/benj...
Coil Chart & Simulator:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Music:
None of the songs used belong to me, nor do I make any profit from their use in this video.
'Mjolnir Mix' from Halo 2
'Just Jammin' by Gramatik

[@sublucid]

That’s an impressive amount of multidisciplinary engineering that went into this project. Super cool!

[@BenjaminMarshallScienceMan]

Thank you! I try to continuously teach myself skills that will be helpful in future projects.

[@AndroidFerret]

@@BenjaminMarshallScienceMan its sooooo are..wished I had the money to build one ... But ..why you think its 1500 joule ? A normal air soft gun has up to 1.5 joule on Germany..and a air rifle up to 7 or sometimes 15 ...and the 7 or 15 ones are similar to the power of your coil gun ..

[@AndroidFerret]

@@BenjaminMarshallScienceMan here ..thats more like a few thousand joule .. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHLWanh-qbCZjMU

[@AndroidFerret]

Also .please don't be offended..I REALLY like your work

[@BenjaminMarshallScienceMan]

@@AndroidFerret 1500 Joules is the amount of energy stored by the capacitors.

[@BlackHeartScyther]

Niceee! Its frankly refreshing to see a coilgun project that takes efficiency into account, I really love that spreadsheet. Anyone can design a good looking rifle, but if it doesn't have the performance to match then the proof is in the pudding as they say

[@BenjaminMarshallScienceMan]

Thank you! Though I don't think this design is fully optimized just yet though, as all the coils are the same. When mapping the field of various coils with my CNC, I had to manually increment the Z height by 1mm, and then actually write down the inductance and field values in a chart. So I got lazy, and just used one coil rather than optimizing a new coil for each stage. I do, however, have an idea for an automated field mapper that would increment the stepper motor, read inductance, read the field strength, and then send the resulting values to my computer to be automatically entered into a spreadsheet. That would make the optimization process much easier.

[@lyellhalton9149]

Yep 800 rowend magnet pull

[@theodorebear6714]

As a firearm guy I'm a big fan of your setting to drain the power from the weapon to make it safe so it won't shock you. You didn't have to make all the extra programs and devices that helped you make the rifle but it's amazing that you did. It's a great idea for making a 2nd iteration or making others for someone else.

[@lartas7960]

you also have to drain the power because it would become very dangerous, the capacitors could explode after some time.

[@ccncomics]

So refreshing to see someone taking the time to make something functional and pleasing to the eye. Outstanding. Thank you man, hope you never lose your quality of work

[@bigworknoscales]

This guy probably could do amazing things if he designed a product that there is a market for. Probably the best damn thing I have ever seen and I work in an engineering development space.

[@alanmalcheski8882]

you haven't seen that plasma rifle the guy had that has gas filled glowing bullets then.

[@MR-backup]

@@alanmalcheski8882????

[@erasethepatterns1]

I thought he was developing Hawaiian camouflage@@alanmalcheski8882

[@JanstonCordell]

There'll be a market for gauss rifles once there's a refined concept available. I'd buy this one, assuming it wasn't for an exorbitant price.

[@MR-backup]

@@JanstonCordell Gonna have to beat 2-3k+ FPS for that to happen; for now: CR Explosive Munitions is still King.

[@Pyroteam2025]

This video needs wayy more attention. The amount of engineering is huge and the end result amazing. Big respect for this

[@limitlessenergy369]

The engineering is pretty simple to people who know average electronics. Coils shrink quarters into thinner than dimes lol

[@metahertzuk]

@@limitlessenergy369 Theory engineering is very different to actually *doing* engineering! I agree with Pyroteam2025, he's built physical and software tooling for testing coil efficiency, a tool for counting windings vs manual mistakes; all of this screams good engineering principals to "automate toil". Show me what you've done?

[@_XRMissie]

Gauss rifle that actually spins the projectile? This is immediately leaps and bounds ahead of practically any other I've seen on this platform.

[@YautjaSpacePirate]

I think it bounced off the wall.

[@layersofpoliticaljokes5337]

"I'd consider myself to be a pacifist, and don't intend to use this on any person or animal. This project has merely acted as an outlet for my interest in electronics and electromagnetism. My aim has also been to create something cool to get others interested in science and engineering." This is the kinda thing where the game character would find this and a note containing this quote in this dudes house in the middle of combat or the post apocalypse.

[@AndiAston]

This is absolutely awesome. Your engineering skills and the quality of this video are top notch. Keep it up 👍

[@stringercorrales6627]

I’m more blown away he made Microsoft Excel add-ons for this.

[@MovieGasm]

Very Impressive.

[@adora_was_taken]

let's see paul allen's gauss gun

[@tudor2051]

I am speachless at the amount of research you did for making a weapon like this amazing work !

[@mikepommer4130]

Very impressive man, very impressive indeed! All the time and engineering that went into this must’ve been a massive commitment, respect. The gun itself is so freakin cool! Lol, enjoyed the hell outta this video, and having ‘Just Jammin’ playin in the back as well 🔥

[@evaupfold1842]

This is probably the most featured, intricate, and cool looking gauss gun I've ever seen on KZbin :) awesome to watch and cool to see documentation!

[@Lesservector]

Just came across this video, and holy moly man. You have gone above and beyond. It's good to see people out there doing what company hire teams to do. And to top it off you just decide to share the information and hard work. That is a very generous things to do. I'm working on a Gauss gun design now but with a new concept for coils. Going to review what you shared. Also count me as subscribed now.

[@BenjaminMarshallScienceMan]

Thank you! Sometimes it's hard to stay motivated to build projects, but it's genuinely reassuring to see that people enjoy the effort.

[@celalbas3116]

@@BenjaminMarshallScienceMan ı just have a question. Can you fire multiple shots or whats the minimum required time that passed between 2 firings

[@wonkybiscuit2760]

Hearing that intro guitar riff still gives me goosebumps, over 2 decades later. Amazing engineering project, absolutely mind blowing!

[@user-nu2pj2ch7t]

im blown away by the amount of effort and different fields you implemented single handedly. Instant subscribe! cant wait to see what else you come up with in the future!!

[@PinchOfLuck]

Diligence and sheer attention to detail alone is is mind blowing. You have gone above and beyond.

[@mikelwrnc]

That round-spinning module is so dope!

[@BenjaminMarshallScienceMan]

Thank you! I'm working on a redesign that uses no moving parts. The barrel will have a stator built around it that creates a rotating magnetic field, and the projectile will act as the rotor of a reluctance motor.

[@spazzdafly244]

This is an awesome amount of information man. I've have been reading articles and text books all over for about a year trying to understand the math of solenoids and you put it all together in a calculator with stage readout.

[@montywilliams3459]

Hey man I would like to learn more about this stuff I would like to know what books you are reading

[@lung0fish1]

Masterfully done. Making your own tools to make your own tools, and you really created the whole package-- efficiency, looks, performance, portability. Impressive. And THANK YOU for the writeup.

[@theFishy_]

WOW! This was awesome!!! Why on earth do you have so little recognition? The project is god tier. Im hoestly amazed by how smart you are and how much time you put into this. Keep up the work!

[@michaelchase8779]

I agree with that fully.

[@MrRusty-fm4gb]

I’m surprised he doesn’t have Atleast 10mill views for this video. I’m inspired.

[@MAL1GNANT]

Doom is a great game

[@stringercorrales6627]

It’s because he’s not a brown bad boy with normie social skills like the Jews tell you to worship.

[@kenbaird7454]

The youtube algorithm rewards quantity over quality, and he doesn't have the quantity to become big. He does, however, have the skills to get a solid engineering job. You have to be a good entertainer to become good on youtube, and most engineers do not want to become good entertainers.

[@RedPixels_]

WOW! This is absolute nuts! Really shows the effort you put in this project, and you deserve waay more.

[@FHBStudio]

I know I could pull this off from scratch as well, the calculations in particular, and realizing that I get some sense of how much effort and frustration must have gone into a project like this. Absolute mad lad, props to you. Fav'd the video for later viewing a few more times. Your diligence and dedication to accuracy and optimization are great and laudable. Great work.

[@georgesokolov4155]

An amazing amount of work has been done!

[@Mikey8028]

Great stuff man. You clearly worked very hard on this. Best gauss gun I've seen. This deserves more views!

[@Idaho278]

I’ve been wanting to start a project like this for a long time, but a Gauss gun has always seemed way too intimidating to safely approach, so I can’t thank you enough for providing your own information.

[@matthewseals8110]

I really like your solution to apply a spin to the projectile. that was a very clever touch!

[@gamesonly8342]

Amazing wow! Absolutely love the efforts you put in to all of this.

[@blacklabel6223]

It’s a small thing, but I really appreciate the high quality audio. There’s was a notable difference between what I had been watching and the audio clarity and depth in this

[@snorring_worms]

i currently also building a coil gun. you did something i also want to do which is honestly such a obvious thing what all the others didnt do. spinning the projectile for stabilisation. well, i still have a long way to go. currently i'm designing the charging circuit. Well done sir.

[@PeterMiller-pd1pk]

Easily the most well engineered coil-gun i've seen on this platform, bravo!

[@iammrpete]

Really enjoy watching your progress. thank you, Ben 😊

[@DrPatchwork]

You never cease to impress, thank you Papa Marsh ;)

[@broadviewmedia6211]

Thanks for a great analysis! Well done!

[@bandospooky]

Good job man! This is a great project. Kudos on putting in the work. The results are very impressive, especially how close you got between measured and simulated results.

[@williamfraser]

Truly Superb effort! Impressive in every aspect, well done.

[@NOPerative]

I was impressed with its clean esthetic. Fault test is milspec as hell - very nice. Coil discharge is pretty awesome too. Fantastic job. Master Chief approves.

[@guyfromostrava]

Well done. The finished product looks amazing!

[@DMKushneryk]

Good on you for the amount of effort and documentation passed on in this project... you should be proud of yourself.

[@nero9248]

Amazing work! I'd love to see a short video about the capacity of your gun to fire needles. Less impact energy, but far more speed. Keep up the great engineering!

[@BenjaminMarshallScienceMan]

Coil guns are rather unintuitive because a smaller projectile will not necessarily go any faster. The reason for this is that a smaller projectile has less metal mass for the magnetic field to pull on.

[@thombrannan2589]

@@BenjaminMarshallScienceMan I was just thinking as I was watching, what about a packet of flechettes?

[@urgencepc4563]

Very impressive!! Another winter project on the back burner now...

[@joet8218]

The inclusion of the readout on the display and the automatic self check and discharge are next level

[@lordjellyfish4745]

2 years into the future and I'm happy to say that I found this on the home page. Really sick build, definitily plan to do some research on it, thx 4 guides

[@joseantoniogambin9609]

Well done! Congratulations.

[@alirezarostamifard6404]

Impressive job, well done. Here are just some advice that might help you since I worked a lot on coilguns for my uni project. Try using some washers at both ends of the coils made of epoxy and ferrite.and also try to minimize the airgap between the barrel and the projectile.and don't underestimate the effects of good aerodynamics on the bullet. you can also use a stepped coil geometry for the first coil, and since the projectile passes the the coils with different speeds, you may wanna use different inductance and capacitance values for each stage. Nevertheless, excellent job.

[@DuaneMckenzie80]

Would rifling the barrel, say with ecm, increase the accuracy of the projectal ?

[@adammcinnes5615]

I was thinking the same thing about the stepped coil spacing (I am not an engineer, but it seems similar to how simple magnetic accelerators work). He mentioned possibly cooling the coils, which made me think of the water-cooled coils used in induction forges. Would using a modified version of something like these make for better coils for creating a stronger field as well as being able to cool the coils?

[@codyoxcutter]

This video deserves waaaaaaaay more views! Impressive stuff man!

[@RomanNumural9]

The amount of work that went into this is epic!

[@zer0nix]

High Int: Building a coilgun Low Wis: firing it indoors You're a wizard Ben!

[@joshuacarter4484]

Um I'm pretty sure this is a low key resume for a elite company testing/ building secrete prototype weapons of this manner from this brilliant young man. Wow brotha you have a major successful future ahead of yourself

[@rudymagadan6066]

Like arcflash labs?

[@madscientistlife]

Liked and subscribed! I appreciate what it took to accomplish that. You have my respect for your enginuity engineering and taste. Excellent work brother!

[@joshual1497]

you just humbled and inspired me. you are a master engineer, bravo

[@valentineX1X]

I hope the firearms industry hooks you up. With a team behind you and more resources I'd love to see what you could make, especially when it comes to dmrs and snipers.

[@ElMiKy75]

don't see much of a future for this type of weapon either, since due to their manufacturing nature they are limited in power and speed In addition to the fact that the weapons industries in the future will also create new, more powerful and improved weapons.

[@ColonelSandersLite]

Not gonna happen. While this is a very cool personal project, it's final muzzle energy is about 24 joules. That's about a tenth of what a little .22 lr can deliver and less than a hundredth of what a .308 brings to the table. All of that in a package that's unwieldy and unsafe outside of a very controlled environment.

[@rhamlet5290]

@@ColonelSandersLite I guessed 20J. Where did you get 24?

[@ColonelSandersLite]

@@rhamlet5290It's stated right on his display readout. I also fiddled with his spreadsheets and that seemed to match his numbers there.

[@ColonelSandersLite]

@@rhamlet5290 Oh BTW - 20 vs 24 vs 28 really doesn't matter that much when we're talking about orders of magnitude. Point is that this general ballpark is functionally useless as a weapon. He has to scale up the output by an order of magnitude to even meet a .22, which is widely considered the bare minimum. Two orders of magnitude to reach the sort of output we already get out of a package that size. It's cool, but nowhere near useful. Honestly, I think I could make a toy spring gun in this power range with relative ease.

[@trappstarr310]

Ur a freaking genius dude

[@vineetwilson5277]

Amazing work mate! Sad that I couldn't see it any sooner. Very impressive work. Instant sub!

[@bartoszjakubowski9609]

Its amazing how you made it all happen and also how bright and clever you are

[@aspopulvera9130]

Imagine one century later... A real life cricket from men in black is born

[@mandudeguy558]

Isnt the cricket a really big laser beam? Its been a while since Ive seen mib

[@ericcmcgraw]

I am very impressed by your efforts to characterize and simulate the electromechanics, especially the accuracy of the predictions. Did you simulate the back emf from the moving magnetized projectile? I assume the energy transfer would show up in the coil as a back emf and be dependent on the velocity. Did you simulate this much detail, or just assume a simple capacitor/inductor circuit? I would be really interested in an in-depth explanation of your characterization and simulation process.

[@BenjaminMarshallScienceMan]

Thank you! The simulation accounts for the projectile increasing the inductance of the coil, and also the energy stored in the coil aswell as the resulting back-emf across it when the IGBT turns off. The one thing it doesn't account for is the hysteresis of the projectile inducing a current in the coil.

[@BenjaminMarshallScienceMan]

I completely missed the last part of your comment. I would enjoy making a video about the specifics of creating an excel simulation, though I don't think many people would watch it. I'd be happy to make one if people showed enough interest. Alternatively, I'd be happy to get into discord with you and tell you all about it.

[@ericcmcgraw]

@@BenjaminMarshallScienceMan No problem! That's understandable; I agree that a video might not be the best format, but perhaps a new section in your design guide showing the theory/math behind the spreadsheet formulas would be nice. I may eventually be interested in reproducing the simulation in python, as that could open up possibilities for numerical optimization which could squeeze even more performance out of the system.

[@BenjaminMarshallScienceMan]

One possible avenue for extra performance is mentioned in my design guide, though I was having trouble simulating/building it. You should be able to redirect the back-EMF of the coil at the end of the shot into the next stage with a diode. This would result in the next stage experiencing a voltage spike right at the beginning of firing. Such a voltage spike would serve to get current flowing through the coil more quickly, thus building a field more quickly. It also has the advantage of drastically reducing the fall-time for the previous coil since you dont have a flyback diode causing the current to loop through the coil.

[@mew5178]

I can't believe this has existed for 2 years and ive just scene it wtf its a masterpiece

[@rowanhaigh8782]

That was amazing! I’m blown away by what a single person is capable of designing and building such a device!❤

[@RedneckBallistics]

1.5 kJ is in the ballpark of 223 rem, an actual rifle cartridge. Different mass/speed, but damn impressive.

[@Antagonius]

This has only 24 J muzzle energy, not 1.5 kJ. See 2:27. With 1.5 kJ there would be a hole in the door behind his shooting range.

[@topsecret1837]

I think this design could be improved dramatically with cryogenic cooling or use of superconductors.

[@BenjaminMarshallScienceMan]

I actually incorporated temperature into my simulation after making this video. Reducing the temperature of the coils down to 0 degrees celcius only had a miniscule impact on final velocity. I think I'd have to get them much cooler to see any serious improvement. As for superconductors, unfortunately copper doesn't superconduct at low temperatures like other metals. And building a coil out of superconducting material is a bit outside my skillset at the moment.

[@divinesoul23]

This is insanely impressive! Well done!

[@jacksonnc8877]

Instant subscribe video. Bro mad respect for the hard work you have put into this !

[@brenmarshall643]

Super cool coilgun! I want to try to build one, so can you post the 3d files?

[@GamesWorldRus]

Mass Effect gun !😄

[@jeremywalker666]

I am envious my friend. Well done

[@tech-daddy]

Very much involved here. Great work to make all this tech come together! Subbed!

[@joachimbratowsk6115]

Omg you are like 15 People in one… speechless! I hope that you’re awesomeness is something that you’re aware of. And precisely as the previous guy says “Multidisciplinary” that’s unique. Elons former wife is on an tour Explaining to everyone that he’s success came with understanding Engineering and Marketing. You’re probably gone be headhunted by big companies soon if’s that haven’t happened it’s because you’re haven’t gotten the attention you deserve.

[@lt5932]

good job son

[@BenjaminMarshallScienceMan]

Thanks dad.

[@ricksummerfield784]

You have done a great job, you should be proud, thank you for taking the time to make this video for us, we love it

[@TheMichaelBeck]

Amazing design and engineering. 👏👏👏

[@villageidiot8718]

Awesome! I want one. Looking forward to see what future developments you make on this.

[@begerbingchilling]

Idk if it is a problem, but an ergonomic design choice might be to make the capacitors in line with the barrel and making them a sort of foregrip

[@anonimanonim2]

pls make uzi's railgun

[@Bionic-Man]

Fr that’d be epic

[@user-xm8yp5qb7t]

ok this guy put in all the work and pretty much free sourced it to us which is something not very many other creators do he needs more

[@leonarddelage3887]

Holy crap you're awesome. And thank you so much for making all of these resources accessible to all!

[@joppepeelen]

wow this is the best version i've seen!

[@Shadobanned4life]

Your talent and skill is something to be very proud of ! Thank you Sir.

[@hyperactivists9390]

fantastic and detailed project great to see

[@armwrestlerjeff]

You did a seemingly impossible feat, well done , and wow 👏👏👏

[@teambridgebsc691]

Impressive design and a great build, looks good and works.

[@jdcpe17]

this is great and thanks for describing how to do it!

[@jjeairborne8428]

Im proud of you, you are a true engineer. Cheers mate!

[@aegoni6176]

That is the single coolest thing I have ever seen on youtube, and its CRIMINALLY UNDERRATDE!

[@QuintBUILDs]

Always wanted to make something like this. Very clever idea spinning the rod prior to firing!

[@giosanchez90]

Amazing work, some really impressive interdisciplinary engineering here 👏🏻

[@sidneyswerissen3910]

I love the design!

[@ReallyRisky]

Wow, thanks for the info! Very cool of ya!!

[@brucehouston6226]

I am impressed, great job

[@VicSWebb]

Awesome creation. Thanks for sharing

[@Krack2805]

props for providing ur work w00t

[@jamesbunda3406]

You sir are very talented. Very very impressive!!!

[@3th1xs]

Good video, awesome build, I absolutely love this!

[@DeltaGodWasTaken]

Amazing video man, I loved it,. keep up the good content

[@noop9k]

Just read your design doc. Incredible work. I had some of the same ideas myself but nowhere close to what you did. Awesome.

[@paoutlaw129]

That is awesome my friend. I love it!

[@anonjohn9760]

Late to the party, but I _must_ commend you on your build AND your generosity in sharing it with us plebs. If only I had your chops I'd be making all sorts of cool gadgetry myself...

[@splinteredmind4949]

Nice work on keeping your code tight and efficient enough to run all of that in under 600 lines. Impresive.

[@cfunkbooya]

You just earned my subscription, you are one smart dude and thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@TheLightmagi]

Wow. just amazing work.