Going Boom
One thing that always puzzles me is that the range of a cartridge is more or less standard. The propellant may change but so far, the range does not improve noticeably. This is in spite of the fact that we have more powerful explosives than gunpowder.
More knowledgeable readers will understand that a more powerful propellant will result in a more robust firing device. This means a new weapon unless you want to risk the original weapon exploding. One possibility is that you can shrink the cartridge and still get an improvement in kinetic energy.
One fact about gunpowder is that it is exactly a low explosive substance. You literally have less of a bang for your buck. Gunpowder does not actually detonate. It combusts at a subsonic speed. This process is called deflagration. Before you think this is a side effect of using gunpowder, one must keep in mind that moderants are actually added to gunpowder to slow down the rate of burn.
The entire purpose of the propellant in the cartridge is to create gas under high pressure to push the bullet. The problem with using high explosive is that you will supersonic combustion. This supersonic combustion creates extra stress on the cartridge casing, gun barrel, etc. This is fine if the gun used is disposable but most people want repeated usage of their weapons (especially if they miss).
More knowledgeable readers will understand that a more powerful propellant will result in a more robust firing device. This means a new weapon unless you want to risk the original weapon exploding. One possibility is that you can shrink the cartridge and still get an improvement in kinetic energy.
One fact about gunpowder is that it is exactly a low explosive substance. You literally have less of a bang for your buck. Gunpowder does not actually detonate. It combusts at a subsonic speed. This process is called deflagration. Before you think this is a side effect of using gunpowder, one must keep in mind that moderants are actually added to gunpowder to slow down the rate of burn.
The entire purpose of the propellant in the cartridge is to create gas under high pressure to push the bullet. The problem with using high explosive is that you will supersonic combustion. This supersonic combustion creates extra stress on the cartridge casing, gun barrel, etc. This is fine if the gun used is disposable but most people want repeated usage of their weapons (especially if they miss).
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