Russian mechanical artillery

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Has anybody got information about a sort of mechanical gun, throwing projectiles by torsion force and not by chemical explosives, tested by the Russian Army in 1908 and then (probably during World War 1, in 1917-18, or just a few years later) by the French Navy (the gun was built by the Fonderie de Ruelle and was known as B.50)? This "gun" launched disc-shaped projectiles and was designed by gen. Aleksandr M. Bezobrazov. Here there is just a passing reference to this weapon, and some examples of other Russian/Soviet projects of mechanical artillery: http://www.gameru.net/forum/lofiversion/index.php?t37158.html .
 
Well this ...is a surprise.

Extremely interesting. I'd hate to have to cool one of these or try to aim it (coriolis forces...) Any estimate as to the maximum muzzle velocity you could get out of this type of device?

J.A. Korobov's device sounds quite interesting... I hope I understand it correctly... although I'm not sure.
 
...also - what could be done with modern materials and a near-vaccuum for the disk with a magnetic bearings? How much power would be needed?
 
There was also a centrifugal tank machine gun called CP (or TsP, for centrifugal machine gun) proposed in the USSR in 1934. It was to launch 13.5 mm steel balls at 3000-6000 rpm.
Muzzle velocity was to be 360 m/s, range just 1000 m. The gun mounted in a BT-5 tank needed an additional electric generator, occupied the whole turret, leaving no place for the crew and another armament, and the tank would be 1000 kg heavier than in standard version armed with a 45 mm cannon and 1-2 mgs. The project was eventually dropped, I have no idea if any CP prototypes were built.
 
Projectile launchers using centrifugal forces emerge from time to time - I can recall one such proposal being made only a few years ago. They are usually accompanied by claims that they are recoilless, which is obvious nonsense. Most of them also can only fire spherical projectiles, which is a terrible shape for both aerodynamics and penetration, drastically limiting their range and effectiveness.
 
According to an Italian article published in the late Twenties, Bezobrazov's machine launched disc-shaped projectiles (not ball-shaped, which instead were launched by other machines) at a muzzle velocity of 250 m/s.
 

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