Gyrojet

Gyrojet is a family of unique firearms developed in the 1960s named for its method of gyroscopically stabilizing its projectiles. Rather than inert bullets, Gyrojets fire small rockets called Microjets which have little recoil and do not require a heavy barrel to resist the pressure of the combustion gases. Large caliber Gyrojets were even considered for an anti-tank role.

History

The Gyrojet concept was invented by Robert Mainhardt and Art Biehl, founders of MB Associates (MBA), a San Francisco Bay area defense company. The term "Gyrojet" is derived from "gyroscopic rocket". The concept was to use the recoil from the rocket propulsion to stabilize the projectile, similar to how a thrown football is stabilized by its spin.

Design and Function

Gyrojets, including handguns, rifles, and other variants, are unlike conventional firearms. They do not have a barrel in a traditional sense; instead, they have smooth bore launch tubes. The Microjet projectiles are .51 caliber (13 mm) rockets with angled jets that spin the rocket and stabilize its flight.

Variants

Several variants of the Gyrojet were developed, including a carbine variant, a rifle variant, and a pistol variant. There were also flare and lancejet (harpoon) versions produced. The Mark I model was the first Gyrojet produced and it was followed by the improved Mark II model.

Performance

While the Gyrojet concept was innovative, it was also impractical. Its rockets performed poorly at close range, its accuracy was not particularly good at any range, and it left the shooter without a useful weapon once its ammunition was expended.

Legacy

Despite its shortcomings, the Gyrojet has left a lasting impact on the world of firearms. It remains one of the few examples of a rocket-based weapon system that was not only produced, but also available to the civilian market.

See also

• Rocket
• Firearm
• MB Associates