Arcflash Labs, a new entry in the hobby shooting market, is now taking pre-orders for the GR-1 Anvil, an 8-stage semi-automatic high voltage gauss rifle. This electric gun accelerates metallic slugs over a series of coils at speeds up to and over 200 feet per second. “It is the most powerful coilgun ever sold to the public,” said Arcflash.
Electronics enthusiasts and tinkerers have been making similar devices for a while, usually as proof-of-concept designs or just one-off plinkers. These have largely been equivalent to gallery guns, but the GR-1 Anvil is pretty significant in terms of power.
“The GR-1 uses the world’s most advanced capacitor charging system, a dual clamped quasi-resonant inverter, which allows the GR-1 to fire up to 20 rounds per minute at full power or up to 100 rounds per minute at 50 percent power,” said Arcflash.
The Anvil fires “armatures,” which “are literally just 12x32mm steel dowel pins,” according to Arcflash. The 1232 armatures or pins weigh 27 grams, which works out to about 416 grains. Those projectiles move with about 40 foot-pounds of force, but the gauss rifle can propel 679-grain slugs up to 52mm long for up to 75 foot-pounds of force at the muzzle.
While that’s relatively low-velocity compared to conventional firearm ammunition, because of the heavy weights of the projectiles it’s still kind of impressive. The GR-1 has a modular magazine system with 1232 magazines, 1242 mags and 1252 magazines, corresponding to 12x32mm, 12x42mm and 12x52mm projectiles.
The performance combined with the fact that this is the first real commercially produced coilgun available, the GR-1 Anvil has some real potential. But it’s not cheap. People who pre-order an Anvil will get a bit of a discount, but the price is still $3,375. Magazines are steep, too, starting at $54 and running up to $59.
See Also: A Look Into the Future: Engineer Showcases Portable, 3D-Printed Railgun
The ammo isn’t super cheap, either, from $11 to $16 for a pack of 10. But obviously the GR-1 can fire a wide variety of metal bits, any ferromagnetic slugs that fit down the pipe. A trip to the hardware store will yield lots of options, although Arcflash won’t claim responsibility for damages due to improvised ammo, which is pretty standard for conventional guns, too.
With an unloaded weight of about 20 pounds, the Anvil lives up to its name. Anvil shooters will get a workout while practicing their marksmanship skills, unless they have a bench to shoot from.
Expensive, underpowered, heavy … none of that really matters for the GR-1 Anvil. This is a gauss rifle, an electric-powered slug thrower. And they’re for sale.
For more information visit Arcflash Labs online.
Wow!! Gotta get me one to mount on my flying car!
If it came with an integral hotplate and cell phone charger, might be tempting. 🙂
If they could make it cheap, or get some plans in your hands to make one yourself, I might be interested. Because it doesn’t use a combustable propellant, it’s absolutely not a firearm. (Nice kick in the nuts to the BATFE). More like the category of a crossbow. It’s also likely to be quite quiet. So perhaps a use could come along for this. But sadly, not in this form as it’s presented here at this exorbitant price.
A slingshot can launch projectiles at over 250 feet per second. $9.00 at Walmart.
Can I plug it into my Tesla?
Todd.
Is it more powerful than a slingshot?
Having a “first” is not as great a thing as it sounds when you consider the price. It’s a toy, and if you have the bucks, sure, why not?
You can buy a tank too. If you can afford it, you can probably afford to feed it. They don’t get good mileage.
I would pay a pretty penny for a working rail gun. It would be worth it.
As a ‘Mechwarrior’, I’ve been using a Gauss Rifle for years. 🙂
When backpack powered, (affordable) rail guns with rifle ballistics become a reality, I might be interested.
Wow, twenty pounds AND can shoot a full 20 rounds per minute… truly amazing! Only twenty pounds, huh?! That’s what, three AR’s?! And twenty super blunt slugs at a speed of 200FPS?! An AR for $500 will shoot as many rounds as you have at a rate of 5-600 rounds per minute and never stop! There’s a reason our government doesn’t use these toys in any real world case, they’re a true joke in every manner of the word! A gun that never ever stops to work as long as you have the gun and ammo versus one that has super heavy projectiles that makes for a lot more weight to hump, is three times as heavy as what’s currently used, shoots surely very very inaccurate rounds since think about the shape of rifle rounds today(they’re pointed for many reasons!), and worst of all renders itself totally useless more and more with every shot fired! What’s not to love about this thing?! And notice this POS wasn’t at all fired in the lame video where they don’t forget to mention rocket scientists built it, but some how forgot to show it in use! That’s because they have and know if anyone saw it used they’d laugh and wouldn’t even get a sale from the super rich nerd who normally buys crap like this! This POS is less than a gimmick! Thanks for the laugh though!
Relax:
1. It’s a interesting toy/gadget; another one of many examples of American innovativeness in firearms and weaponry.
2. The authorities are not mandating that you have to get one, and employers are not requiring that you get one or lose your job!
3. Makes sense, right?
Not impressed, yet.
This is a commendable effort, but come on . . . $3,375 for something that’s little more than a novelty? That’s one expensive paperweight.
If mass mass is inversely proportional to acceleration, and it launches a 679grn rod @ 200fps, same acceleration force would launch a 40grm stainless steel pin @~ 3300fps.
I’m guessing DARPA has this concept 2x as powerful, 1/2 the size.
DARPA? You do know that DARPA is just an agency that manages the development of new ideas. This company likely took this idea to DARPA, who evaluated it’s potential, possibly provided funding, gave direction, and continues to monitor their progress. DARPA isn’t a company or NASA-like building their own products in secret.
Understood on DARPA, yes. My guess is when they brought this toy to DARPA, they could have been financed for development of an actual weapon.
The interesting part I think is this version could launch a much lighter projectile at much higher speeds.
coils at speeds up to and over 200 feet per second. are people stupid? this just pisses me off when I hear this. the author sets the speed at a maximum of 200fps, then in the same sentence negates what he just said. the correct way of stating the speed would be: accelerates metallic slugs over 200 fps. how freakin hard is that
Baby steps. I read about coilguns in some 1940’s scifi.
Probably wind up in an Ollie’s bargain bin for $59.95..Nothing more than a conversational curiosity.
Is this classified as a “firearm”? It’ll be interesting to see where this is going. And to the author- stop showing your ignorance by using the term “pipe”. Its a barrel. In artillery we always referred to it as a tube. Pipe is for water or tobacco.
to quote the article from above: “the GR-1 Anvil has some real potential. But it’s not cheap. People who pre-order an Anvil will get a bit of a discount, but the price is still $3,375. Magazines are steep, too, starting at $54 and running up to $59.
GR-1 to fire up to 20 rounds per minute at full power or up to 100 rounds per minute at 50 power,”
This electric gun accelerates metallic slugs over a series of coils at speeds up to and over 200 feet per. The ammo isn’t super cheap, either, from $11 to $16 for a pack of 10second.”
O.K. that is enough! For the price of $3,375.00, I can get an awesome tricked-out AR, or I can get two very nice ones for that price. Mags for an AR $12.00 to $15.00 ea and those are 30 Rds Mags.
The above-forementioned gun fires 20 rds. a minute at full power(whatever that is) I can empty a 30 Rd mag in a little less time than that.
The rail guns fires metallic slugs at a speed of over up to 200 ft per second (is that a big deal) an AR is about 3300 fps….What did I miss? Why would anyone spend that kind of money on a very sub-par weapon…..Except it maybe the weapon of the future.
That should have read, “at 50 percent power.” Thanks for catching my mistake!
Novelty at best .
Interesting but the numbers in foot pound of energy don’t add up on your read .
You see 200 feet per second on 27 grains adds up to about 2.39 foot pounds of energy , an air gun in Canada is only allowed about 500 FPS or 5.7 joules or 4.19 foot pounds of energy .
In another paragraph you talk about 75 foot pounds of energy ….. , to clarify this needs to be rewritten , the numbers don’t jell .
This so called gun is a novelty at best .
It actually say “27 grams which works out to 416 grains.”
So his math is correct.
It’s 27 GRAMS, not grains, which is 416 GRAINS.
Only problem is that it runs on plutonium to generate 121 giga watts of power needed for it to get the ammunition up to 88 miles an hour !
For the anti-2nd amendment crowd this is just fuel for the fire.
Already available on the market…It’s called Bug-a-Salt
Proof of concept has been achieved. With advances in nanotech, in a decade it will be far more powerful!
Wonder what happens when folks find out that several companies make Ejector Pins in metric sizes. Image a company like http://www.ppe.com getting an order for 12mm unharden Ejector Pins??? Often wondered if “gun cranks” would flood companies like http://www.ppe.com if they knew how great SLIDE company’s WHITE LITHIUM EJECTOR PIN LUBE works to lube their firearms. (Ejector Pins typically operate at temperatures and pressures similar to a .38 special or .45 ACP, and I have used it for many many years,) Will Mold Makers now need to get a FFL to build Molds? They do work with tolerances that are +/- .0005″, and much better grades of steel than gun manufacturers typically use.
Ridiculous
Looks more like a toy and can’t imagine any usefulness of this product. Think I will stay with my AR-15.
Does it take Glock mags?
Well that’s underwhelming. Think I’ll wait for the phased plasma rifle in 40W range.
Ha ha no thanks!!
Wait for like 3-4th gen…if it sells, tech and specs will improve…then the gov’t will get involved
Well it’s certainly appropriately named the “Anvil”. It surely is big enough and looks heavy enough. At 200 feet per second this thing is slower than my compound bow. I’m pretty sure my slingshot is faster than it.
I like the idea but can’t see much of a purpose for it and I think i’t’s light years away from being useful.
Phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range.
The ftlbs of energy is like a 22 lr. Squirrels look out! The article didn’t describe noise and recoil??
Is it fair to say that the muzzle velocity beats the rubber band guns we used in 6th grade?
Sir Isaac Newton says that for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction. A 20 pound rifle firing a 420 grain projectile at 200 fps or less will have little or no material recoil. As to noise, i doubt there’s much. Magnetism tends to be pretty quiet.
To answer your question, a 20-pound gun that makes muzzle energy in the ballpark with a .22 is NOT going to have a problem with recoil. But low felt recoil is about the only practical thing I can think of say about it.
Could this coil gun potentially be used for any hunting applications?
It’s a 20 pound club, just gotta sneak up on em and start swinging.