Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. A railgun is an entirely electrical gun that accelerates a conductive projectile along a pair of metal rails using the same principles as the homopolar motor. Railguns use two sliding or rolling contacts that permit a large electric current to pass through the projectile. This current interacts with the strong magnetic fields generated by the rails and this accelerates the projectile. The U.S. Navy has tested a railgun that accelerates a 3.2 kg projectile to 2.4 kilometers per second (seven times the speed of sound). Railguns should not be confused with: Coilguns (Gauss guns), which are contactless and use a magnetic field generated by external coils arranged along the barrel to accelerate a magnetic projectile. Railway guns, which are very large artillery pieces placed on railway tracks and predominantly used in and between the American civil war and the Second World War. Railguns, a type of sporting rifle generally used in Benchrest shooting.
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