Computationally Designed Co-based Alloy for Thermally Stable Machine Gun Barrel Liner

QuesTek Innovations LLC, a leader in the field of computational materials design, proposes to develop a new liner material and manufacturing processes, enabling a fully-lined machine gun barrel system to withstand the extreme conditions of sustained fire. Currently, warfighters must typically carry a minimum of two gun barrels into action due to the poor thermal capability of current machine gun barrels. Thermal breakdown of gun barrels during sustained fire is caused by many mechanisms, but is largely due to degradation of the gun barrel bore during exposure to the high-velocity hot propellant gases. Unprotected steel barrels quickly fail due to the combined effects of oxidation, carburization and high temperature. Current options to protect the bore only protect a portion of the barrel length due to manufacturing limitations or perform poorly under the extreme conditions of sustained fire. QuesTek’s program will involve Marine stakeholders and Army materials experts familiar with gun technologies, ensuring that the solution meets manufacturing, cost and other objectives. The Phase I Base program will demonstrate the capability of Co-alloys for thermally stable machine gun barrels by manufacturing and testing monolithic Co-alloy barrels. Alloys optimized for liner-sleeve barrel manufacturing at reasonable cost will be designed in the Option.