The Hacksmith: Building a Halo Infinite MA5 RailGun

2022-01-27 | By The Hacksmith

License: See Original Project

This project was created by Engineering Superheroes of Hackmith Industries.

DO NOT ATTEMPT to Re-Create

Most futuristic and science fiction stories share a common thread when it comes to weapons — they don’t use gunpowder. These futuristic societies have opted for renewable energy over finite resources (with the occasional exception, like Dilithium crystals in Star Trek). Hacksmith Industries has already made several energy-based weapons on Maker.io like the Star Wars lightsabers, Zarya’s particle cannon, and some high-powered Mjolnirs.

Aligning with Halo Infinite’s 2021 release, the Hacksmith Industries team decided it was time to make significant improvements to their previous railgun design. Halo is a futuristic game, so why not give it a futuristic weapon? Check out how it works in the video below!

How Does it Work?

Hacksmith team member Charles had the task of replacing nearly everything in the 2019 coilgun design. Coilguns and railguns operate on similar principles — they use electromagnetism to propel a projectile through a barrel. When electricity runs through a section of the barrel, the projectile will be attracted to the middle of the coil. If the entire barrel were powered on simultaneously, the projectile would float in the center.

A diagram of the previous Hacksmith Industries coilgun design.

Sections of the coil/barrel need to be powered ON and OFF at the right time to make the projectile move forward and gain speed. The first coilgun could only fire one projectile before reloading. Charles’ upgraded model adds a magazine to push new projectiles into the barrel after pulling the trigger. He also drastically reduced the size and weight by fitting a battery into the railgun’s stock rather than having to tote a battery around with it.

All of these improvements were made possible by Charles’ controller system. See how it was made in the Scheme-It diagram below!Schematic and BOM

More Hacksmith Video Game Creations on Maker.io

• Far Cry 6 CD Launcher
• Wattson’s Tesla Turret from Apex Legends
• Crysis Exosuit
• Rainbow Six Siege Twitch Drone
• Fortnite Krypton Slicer Sword
• Making Frostmourne's Aura Come to Life
• Rainbow Six Blitz Shield
• Torbjörn's Turret From Overwatch
• Just Cause Grappling Hook Gun