Comments on: ORNL Builds Reticle-Compensating Sight with Laser Barrel Sensor

By: Neil Gibson

Neil Gibson — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 18:23:50 +0000

As previously mentioned this is just a miniaturised Muzzle Referencing System (MRS), as used for years with tank guns. The high accuracy needed for tanks guns firing with APDS and later APDSFS rounds necessitated the use of such systems.

The MRS measures any change in the muzzle’s point of aim from the initial recorded reference before the next round is fired, not during firing. The changes could be be due to uneven heating of the barrel (no thermal jacket), droop (gravity and heat related), barrel stresses (heating and prior round fired, aka barrel memory), etc, etc.

When using MRS, laser range finders, a gyro-stabilised gun, met station, various other sensors and a ballistic computer, modern tankguns can achieve accuracy in the order of 0.3 by 0.3 meters at 2,000 meters (about 0.5 MOA).

I have also seen them mounted on some artillery pieces, mainly self-propelled Western systems.

For more info, just do a search for muzzle referencing system.

By: matt

matt — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 06:30:03 +0000

I think we’ve only scratched the surface of where the government really is so far ahead of what the public knows.

By: Turd

Turd — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 03:12:48 +0000

like anything in that comes out of Oak Ridge is practical

By: Mr. T

Mr. T — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 22:49:50 +0000

This is just miniaturisation tanks have had this kind of equipment for at least a decade. You have and mirror on the end of the barrel and a laser on top of the barrel and laser light reflets ont to a an optic with a grid patern where . Look at small arms colimator that is basicaly how it works and determines deflection after that its just question of software that works out a firng solution ,as the barrel heats up it deflects a small amount if any tensions are present in material it can bend in random direction not just down POI shifts differently in every barrel if you are able to measure it prior the shoot and correct the reticle then when shooting you avoid any POI shift altogether ,same in regards to evironmental conditions you have slightly diffenrent POI in winter subzero than in sommer heat ,very advanced big guns also measure muzzle velocity in real time to adjust for changes in ammo.

By: Mikee

Mikee — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 01:55:41 +0000

I agree with John and Steve. All this high tech is very interesting, however, how is this going influence the behaviour of dumb bullets in external ballistics with a human trigger puller?

By: steve

steve — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:49:22 +0000

can’t see how this works. The effect of barrel vibrations cannot be corrected by an aiming device. You will be chasing the bullet hole since the vibrations are random. The only useful technology out this effort is the high resolution digital scope reticle.

STEVE: I agree 100% that the exciting technology for sport shooters is the high-resolution digital sighting system — something we’ve been waiting for. As for real-time compensation for barrel deflections, the jury is out. Maybe ORCL knows something we don’t about cyclical barrel modulations over the course of a firing string. Hopefully ORNL will do a demo with a real rifle that can show some real world benefits.

Big Guns
I suspect that this system was originally developed to aid long-range accuracy with big guns: Naval canons, artillery, and tank main guns. These long tubes obviously shake, flex, and droop as they are cycled. The ORNL system could help correct for trajectory variances caused by barrel “perturbations” that may be much more dramatic than what is seen on a rifle barrel. That’s my guess. I know the Abrahms has a sighting system that allows the tankers to shoot “on the move”. I suspect the ORNL system would add additional refinement to the military’s ability to accurize its big guns — particularly on a moving ship, moving tank, rolling vehicle, or even a howitzer-equipped flying gunship.

By: John

John — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:24:45 +0000

What is the point?
Are they assuming the shooter can re-aim for the new crosshair zero while the bullet is moving down the barrel?

Fat chance.