This collection of gauss weapons use rare earth magnets to
accelerate projectiles to damaging speeds. They work using the
same concepts as a coil gun, but instead of just one projectile
travelling along a length of guide track, there are many
projectiles that work in a chain reaction. A series of magnets
are placed at equal distances along the track. Each has a couple
of large ball bearings on the muzzle side of the magnet. The
first ball bearing is fired using mechanical force – like a
spring mechanism – and accelerates as it approaches the magnet
due to the attractive force of that magnetic field. When it
impacts the magnet it sends one of the ball bearings on the
opposite side down the track where it will accelerate when it
nears the next magnet in the chain. The weapon above achieves a
final projectile speed of about 68 miles per hour, breaking six
fluorescent tubes in a row on at the right side of the
apparatus. Still prefer rail guns that use electromagnets? Check
out this gauss pistol kit that is about