Gun barrel

Abstract

A gun barrel for a gun has an elongated tube with an axial bore extending completely through the tube from the breech end to the muzzle end. The tube and the contact surface in the axial bore, which contains propellant gasses behind the projectile and engages the projectile while guiding it toward the target, are made of Nitinol having a transition temperature lower than the lowest ambient temperature at which a gun with the barrel is designed to be operated, or of a Nitinol formulation consisting essentially of 60% nickel and 40% titanium. A first sleeve may be mechanically coupled to the barrel tube by shape memory contraction thereon to prestress the barrel tube in compression. The first sleeve may be made of a Nitinol composition having a Martensite state and an Austenite state existing naturally on opposite sides of a transition temperature lower than the designed normal lower ambient temperature in which the gun operates, whereby the sleeve composition remains in the Austenite state during operation of the gun and provides substantial compressive preloading of the tube during operation. A second sleeve of a Nitinol composition having a transition temperature higher than the designed normal operating temperature of the gun is encased within the first sleeve, whereby the second sleeve composition remains in the Martensite state during normal operation of the gun and provides substantial damping of vibrations and whipping of the gun barrel in operation.