If it knocked a heavy block of copper & iron
plus whatever else was inside it 50ft- and hard enough to embed itself in a wall- your projectile would have been accellerated at a huge speed. Though not THAT huge as its accelerator magnets would have repulsed the body as well, shortening the distance of track that was doing the accelerating.

I'm skeptical that a max of 3kW supply (230V @ 13A- and that'd need a hefty rectifier) could have provided the neccesary power to push a 2m long gauss gun that far with that distance- though it would certainly have quite a kick to it!

So "Pics or it didn't happen" and I'm off to the lab to try it out...

Edit: I just had a quick refresher look at the gauss gun principle- and a 2m long mains powered one- especially with a big-ass cap on each coil- one would be bloody powerful so I guess it's not utterly impossible. Are you sure of the distances involved though?
( uberdeity Wondered why Owen Lars knew of the term "hell" on, Wed 18 Feb 2009, 13:17, 1 reply)

Other variables
230V, 13A and I'm guessing at least 30 years of retelling-induced exaggeration.
( Scrumper, Wed 18 Feb 2009, 13:22, closed)

Great story,
Unfortunately, complete fiction.
(keyboardman, Wed 18 Feb 2009, 15:28, closed)

I doubt it's complete fiction
Because I don't doubt he built a gauss cannon.

But I do seriously doubt the distances involved.





*Wanders off, looking for the bits to recreate experiment*
( MatJ LOOK, Wed 18 Feb 2009, 17:25, closed)