Courtyard House: The Road to an Industrial Power

The manufacturing process of the sniper rifle went much more smoothly than expected.

The gun barrel is made of ultra-high strength alloy steel cold-forged with precision forming, and the stock and handguard made of composite aramid material are both lightweight and sturdy.

Chen Bin repeatedly measured the key parts with calipers, his eyes filled with amazement.

In terms of craftsmanship alone, this gun far surpasses all existing firearms.

However, when the test entered the live-fire phase, everyone's enthusiasm was dampened.

Lin Weidong selected the most advanced military rifle ammunition available at the time, loaded it into the magazine, pushed it into the chamber, and pulled the trigger. The gunshot was muffled and weak.

The bullet's initial velocity was far below the design standard, and when it hit a target 1000 meters away, it only left a shallow dent on the steel plate.

It can't even penetrate ordinary protective armor, let alone a 15mm thick homogeneous steel plate.

"How could this happen?"

Su Wanqing looked at the test data, her face full of confusion. "The gun's structure is clearly fine, so why is the power so different?"

Li Yichuan adjusted his glasses and said in a deep voice, "The problem lies with the gunpowder. The energy density of the existing gunpowder is too low, and the combustion speed does not meet the design requirements."

"If you can't provide enough thrust to the bullet, even the best gun will just become a fire poker."

Lin Weidong had already anticipated this outcome, and explained as he looked at the dents on the target.

"What we need is a special propellant with high energy density and low detonation velocity, which burns stably and leaves little residue, so that the bullet can obtain a continuous and uniform thrust in the barrel and achieve a muzzle velocity of 930 m/s."

"But the energy density of current military gunpowder is only 60% of what we need, which is far from meeting the requirements of anti-materiel sniper rifles."

Over the next few days, the research and development team tried various adjustments to the gunpowder ratios, and even mixed different types of propellants, but the test results were still unsatisfactory.

The bullet's initial velocity was only 700 m/s at most, and its armor-piercing capability was greatly reduced, putting the entire team in a difficult situation.

Even the veteran researcher who had previously placed unwavering faith in Lin Weidong couldn't help but sigh.

"If the gunpowder problem cannot be solved, even if this gun is built, it will not be as good as the existing large-caliber machine guns."

Lin Weidong knew he couldn't keep pushing forward, so he immediately approached Su Zhenbang: "Deputy Director Su, the gunpowder problem is a key bottleneck that we can't overcome on our own. We need to find professional ammunition research and development experts to help us."

Upon hearing this, Su Zhenbang immediately nodded: "I had already thought of that. The country's top gunpowder expert is at the military industrial base in the western suburbs. I'll take you to find him."

That afternoon, Su Zhenbang drove a military jeep, taking Lin Weidong straight to the western suburbs.

This military industrial base is hidden among the mountains, with high walls and strict security. Inside the base, there are many factories, and technicians in work clothes and patrolling guards can be seen everywhere.

A faint smell of gunpowder lingered in the air. This is a core weapons and ammunition research and manufacturing center in China, undertaking the task of developing various types of military ammunition.

Su Zhenbang led Lin Weidong into a laboratory building, where they met Zhang Qishan, a gunpowder expert, in an office filled with instruments.

Zhang Qishan was about forty years old, wearing a white coat, with some black gunpowder powder still on his hands.

"Old Zhang, this is Lin Weidong, the technical expert who previously developed the new type of bulletproof vest and designed the Type 95 rifle," Su Zhenbang introduced with a smile.

"I've come to ask for your help in solving a gunpowder problem."

"Lin Weidong?" Zhang Qishan reacted instantly and quickly stepped forward to grasp Lin Weidong's hand.

"I've heard so much about you! I've seen your design drawings for the Type 95 rifle; they're absolutely brilliant! And that bulletproof vest—the military factories are rushing to mass-produce it; the soldiers are eagerly awaiting its deployment!"

"If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know, and I'll do my best to assist you!"

Lin Weidong didn't stand on ceremony and directly presented the technical parameters he had prepared: "Expert Zhang, we need a special propellant to be adapted for anti-materiel sniper rifles."

Zhang Qishan took the parameter table, his expression growing increasingly serious as he read it: "Energy density of 1.2 kJ/g? That's almost double that of existing military propellants. Maintaining low detonation velocity and stability is no small feat, but it shouldn't be a major problem!"

"I happen to be researching new types of composite propellants recently, and perhaps I can adjust the formula to meet your requirements."

Lin Weidong pressed his advantage, producing bullet design blueprints: "At the same time, we also need matching bullets, which will use tungsten-core armor-piercing projectiles."

"The cartridge case is made of high-strength brass, and the warhead is optimized with a wind cap to ensure stability during long-distance flight."

When Zhang Qishan saw the bullet's design parameters, he was completely shocked.

"Such high armor penetration requirements? If this bullet could be manufactured, it could penetrate not only armored vehicles, but even the side armor of light tanks!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it attracted the attention of the other technicians in the office.

Everyone crowded around, and upon seeing the complete specifications of the sniper rifle and ammunition that Lin Weidong had brought, an uproar ensued.

"An effective range of 2000 meters, is this a sniper rifle or an artillery piece?"

"15mm armor penetration, 1500 meters range? That's outrageous data, it's practically like building artillery shells!"

"With this gun, as long as we determine the enemy's approximate location, even blind firing will cause damage; walls won't stop us!"

The discussion grew louder and louder, attracting even the technicians from the neighboring laboratory, who gathered around the blueprints and discussed them endlessly.

Zhang Qishan pulled Lin Weidong and Su Zhenbang aside and began to discuss in detail the optimization schemes for gunpowder formula and bullet structure.

The group engaged in an in-depth discussion about gunpowder formulas, bullet structures, and manufacturing requirements, talking from the afternoon until late at night.

The office was brightly lit and packed with interested technicians, all captivated by this cutting-edge anti-materiel sniper rifle.

They offered their suggestions, and many even volunteered to participate in the bullet development work.

"This young man is really something else."

An experienced technician looked at Lin Weidong and praised him sincerely.

"The design is so advanced that it pushes the power of sniper rifles to new heights."

The final plan was not finalized until late at night.

Zhang Qishan's team was responsible for the formulation of special propellants and the manufacture of bullets. They adopted a new composite propellant formula, and the bullets used a tungsten core armor-piercing design. The cartridge cases were made of high-strength brass to ensure accuracy and durability.

Upon returning to the research institute, Lin Weidong did not remain idle but led his team to further optimize and test the sniper rifle.

During this time, he adjusted the bolt locking mechanism, optimized the rifling twist of the barrel, and added a detachable bipod to improve shooting stability.

Meanwhile, he secretly installed a pre-designed grenade launcher kit.

This is his trump card reserved for sniper rifles. By changing the kit, the sniper rifle can be quickly converted into a grenade launcher, compatible with 35mm armor-piercing grenades and high-explosive grenades, enabling multi-purpose combat.

To reduce mass production costs, Lin Weidong also simplified the gun body structure and changed some precision parts to stamping processes, which greatly improved production efficiency and reduced manufacturing costs while ensuring performance.

The discussions within the research institute never ceased throughout the week.

Many people began to question Lin Weidong's test results with ordinary bullets, seeing that they were mediocre.

"I knew it! There's no such thing as a gun that powerful; it's all bark and no bite."

"This gun is just for show, a waste of resources!"

Surprisingly, Chen Bin remained convinced of Lin Weidong's design.

Finally, a week later, Zhang Qishan personally brought the first batch of special propellants and bullets to the research institute.

Also delivered was an 8x scope manufactured by the optical factory according to Lin Weidong's blueprints.

Once all the parts were assembled, a jet-black, imposing anti-material sniper rifle was finally presented to the public.

With its long barrel, smooth stock, and scope gleaming with a faint blue light, the gun exudes a chilling and intimidating aura.