Miniature Gun for Subscale Ballistics

Author(s):

Logan Shannahan, Tristan Bacha, and Christopher Meredith

Abstract:

Full-scale and microscale ballistics experiments are used extensively to probe material behavior in conditions relevant to Army applications. However, full-scale experiments are expensive and slow, while microscale experiments have questions of scaling effects. Miniature ballistics experiments fill the gap, allowing fast experiments on small, but still mesoscale, samples. Several miniature ballistics experiments are described using a novel miniature gun system. High throughput is demonstrated, with 60 experiments completed in two afternoon laboratory sessions. Multiple applications for cold spray metals, protection polymers, and soft armor concepts are shown, demonstrating the usefulness of miniature ballistics.