Gunlaunched

Gunlaunched refers to any munition that is propelled from a firearm, artillery piece, or other barrel by the energy of a propellant contained in a cartridge or charge. It is contrasted with munitions delivered by non-barrel means such as air-dropped ordnance or missiles that burn their propulsion after launch. The term covers projectiles fired from pistols, rifles, grenade launchers, tanks, and field artillery.

Examples include small-arms bullets, rifle grenades, under-barrel grenades, and artillery shells or tank rounds. Rifle grenades are projectiles designed to be launched from a rifle barrel using a separate charge or from a dedicated grenade launcher. Artillery shells and tank rounds are designed to be fired from large-caliber guns, often with stabilizing spin or fin guidance in the case of guided rounds.

Performance is described by internal ballistics (propellant burn, pressure, muzzle velocity), external ballistics (trajectory, drag), and terminal effects (ballistic impact, explosive payload, armor penetration). Design choices balance velocity, range, accuracy, lethality, recoil, and manufacturing constraints. Some modern gun-launched munitions employ guidance systems (e.g., GPS, inertial navigation) to improve accuracy, such as the 155 mm Excalibur shell.

Historically, gun-launched weapons have driven artillery development from smoothbore cannons to high-velocity guns and guided munitions. Safety and regulatory considerations govern propellants, explosive fillers, and handling. The term remains a functional descriptor in military and defense contexts.