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[Akura]

Another problem with caseless rounds is that the propellant comes into direct contact with the weapon, causing overheating when it fires, particularly for automatic weapons.

Yep, but this is the game with super alloy, and thats what the guns are made of (along with ceramic, which may actually be what the breach is made of...)

We don't really know the heat conductivity or dissipation of superalloy, and I'd doubt ceramic can handle the force of automatic fire.

[TheBronzePickle]

Considering the crazy stuff they've done with ceramics already (there was one I remember reading about in some obscure scientific journal I can't remember the name of that was basically rubber stone, though obscure scientific journals may not necessarily have the integrity of their more well-published peers...) I wouldn't be surprised if they had some kind of 'ceramic' that's basically nonconductive steel.

[duckman]

Why do H&K 12mm have a powder component? Aren't they just cobalt spikes that you insert into the rail gun?

[Aseaheru]

Should be.

[i2amroy]

Considering the crazy stuff they've done with ceramics already (there was one I remember reading about in some obscure scientific journal I can't remember the name of that was basically rubber stone, though obscure scientific journals may not necessarily have the integrity of their more well-published peers...) I wouldn't be surprised if they had some kind of 'ceramic' that's basically nonconductive steel.

Yeah, ceramics are one of the big areas of development right now in the material science world (along with all the crazy carbon-based stuff), so there's plenty of crazy new ceramic materials showing up even now.

[azmodean]

My whole point has been that actual caseless ammo doesn't use wads or shotcups.

I don't understand your objection, a sabot or shotcup isn't part of the case, it's part of the projectile.

[ollobrains]

how much effort has been put in on the coding side to make a cermanics arm of objects, weapons and other useful stuff

[andrewas]

My whole point has been that actual caseless ammo doesn't use wads or shotcups.
Suppose it's more of a technical issue than anything. Considering the thread, I see nothing unusual about that.

The important part of caseless is that the whole round is either vaporized or leaves the barrel. That means you don't need to eject the spent round, allowing for a simpler mechanism and faster rates of fire, if we can find materials that can stand the heat without the casing removing most of it.

Adding a wad doesn't change that.

[jocan2003]

One problem with caseless ammunition, unless you have high temperature resistant solid propelant you risk having your ammunition firing up without using the trigger. Most of projectile with casing also act as a way to dissipate some of the firing heat or receive heat of the barrel should it be too high and is ejected after.

Having semi auto weapon with caseless is in the realm of possibilty as the heat will radiate away before a new round is inserted or it will slowly build up but will most likely never reach critical temperature in the firing session while full auto risk raising the barrel and ammunition chamber up to critical temperature much faster and most likely before the firing session is over.

A 306 sniper rifle with caseless is much more likely to never reach critical temperature as you wont fire often while using the M249 with caseless (Name are only to reflect the type of weaponry and does not represent reality ) risk going over the critical temperature as the M249 is a support weapon mostly used in suppressive fire more than treat elemination.

[Darkmere]

So is there a reliable place to get limestone and sulfur and crap like that? I found a small stack of limestone in a mine but it's not enough to do anything with, let alone lots of concrete construction.

I'm hoping you can make a pickaxe and just mine for stuff? Maybe?

[gimlet]

Sulfur - I get a bunch from labs, limestone I think you can get when you dig, also I've seen limestone and I *think* sulfur in some hardware stores...

[azmodean]

One problem with caseless ammunition, unless you have high temperature resistant solid propelant you risk having your ammunition firing up without using the trigger. Most of projectile with casing also act as a way to dissipate some of the firing heat or receive heat of the barrel should it be too high and is ejected after.

The company http://www.defendtex.com/ in Australia has a technically caseless line of weapon systems, though it's not the traditional concept with discrete caseless rounds, instead they're stacked in the barrel.  They have patents on heat management, blowback prevention, and inductive electrical primer technologies, so they're probably keeping anyone else from working on traditional caseless ammo by holding those patents.

how much effort has been put in on the coding side to make a cermanics arm of objects, weapons and other useful stuff

Almost none, there is some pottery, but that's about it.  Ceramic weapons are rather specialized, what would the benefit be in the cataclysm?

[TheBronzePickle]

The benefit in the cataclysm would be the same as the benefit in real life: lightweight tools and weapons with properties that metals and plastics don't have (or don't have to a good enough degree).

Ceramic blades can hold the edge of hard steel without the weight or risk of corrosion. Ceramic firearms could resist wear and heat better than plastic and steel while still retaining a light weight.

Plus, ceramics can use more abundant materials than some important steel additives, which means that if the technology gets common enough, it might even be slightly cheaper than steel-based objects.

This is, of course, assuming that there's been a decent amount of ceramics research in this alternate reality.

[Rivet-the-Zombie]

Ceramic blades can hold the edge of hard steel without the weight or risk of corrosion.

We've already got this much - check out the RM42 knife.

[Sheb]

And if the question was about crafting, any high-tech ceramics are going to be beyond the capabilities of a survivor.