Chemical bullets?

[spectre327]

I stumbled across a video on youtube that showed the use of Gallium or mercury to structurally destabilize aluminum.

Would it be possible to develop a munition that could deploy gallium or mercury to, over a short period of time, bring down aluminum structures or aircraft?

Or better yet, is there an equivalent reaction for steel? And if so, could it be feasible to develop a munition for that purpose?

Granted, I understand without a doubt this reaction takes time and would have to be of a support role. IE, deploy and retreat. After the reaction time, the system would fail, reducing exposure to the enemy.

 

[BogWalker]

I'm sure you could stick mercury in a .50 cal, but at that large a caliber I don't think it really needs the assistance. Smaller .30 cal bullets probably couldn't house a payload large enough to make a difference. Would never be adopted due to environmental concerns.

 

[spectre327]

technically speaking, with the speed at which gallium integrates into the surrounding metal, my thought would have been for instance, if we had anti-aircraft batteries firing upon opposing aircraft or even from other aircraft, the weakened structure would eventually collapse under the air pressure, requiring service time and putting that unit out of commission for a while.

Or in the event of a tank, nailing it a few times and after some period of time, or after continued fire, further rounds are capable of superior penetration.

I know this is far less effective than just pointing a big cannon with a big bullet and pulling the trigger but for those who cannot sustain an endured firefight due to inferior weapons, the primary concern would be to destabilize the defenses of the opponent and even the field.

 

[warthog]

Mercury bullets will work, filling a hollow point cavity less than completely full will produce a rather devastating bullet.
Problems is they need to be used shortly after you put the mercury into the cavity.
Otherwise the mercury will, for lack of a better way to describe it without getting technical*, ooze out and through the lead causing it to swell and therefore the bullet will no longer be able to fit the chamber.

*mediocrity rules!

 

[Pharmacist]

I like this idea. Each target would become a Superfund site, and be crawling with EPA bureaucrats spouting regulation and issuing fines.

 

[woodsie57]

Might be handy for those pesky drones the Govt. and PETA are stocking up on!

 

[spectre327]

Mercury bullets will work, filling a hollow point cavity less than completely full will produce a rather devastating bullet.
Problems is they need to be used shortly after you put the mercury into the cavity.
Otherwise the mercury will, for lack of a better way to describe it without getting technical*, ooze out and through the lead causing it to swell and therefore the bullet will no longer be able to fit the chamber.

*mediocrity rules!

Unless you use an alloy resistant to the effects of the mercury or other "filler"

If that's even available.

Yes It would be handy against drones. especially if this technology were employed in missiles. Just imagine, instead of a HE warhead, there is a liquid metal payload backed by a shaped charge of sorts to "spew" the contaminant on the opponent.