Talk:Gauss cannon

Coilgun vs Railgun

I do not think this is a coilgun. Coilguns use solenoids, the spiral electromagnets wrapped around the barrel. The Gauss cannon, on the other hand, with its electromagnets positioned parallel to the barrel, is bulit like a linear electromagnetic launcher, also known as the railgun. The way I see it, the Gauss cannon is a misnamed railgun.—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Shotfan (talk • contribs) .

Given discussion on other sites along similar lines this seems to be correct. I originally assumed, based on the name, that it was meant to use coilgun mechanics. The fact that it is misnamed deserves mention in the article in my opinion. --Quasar (talk) 16:01, 9 August 2016 (CDT)