Projectile launching apparatus

A projectile launching apparatus, comprising:

• a power source;
• a motor electrically connected to the power source;
• a control circuit configured to control a power supply to the motor from the power source;
• a cylinder comprising a piston reciprocally movable within the cylinder to define a gas chamber within the cylinder, the gas chamber capable of accommodating gas therein;
• a barrel cam arrangement driven by the motor, the barrel cam comprising a cam track and a cam profile, said profile comprising a rise region, said barrel cam being operatively coupled to the piston and configured to cause the piston to reciprocally move within the cylinder for compressing the gas within the gas chamber;
• a plurality of cam followers, wherein at least one of said cam followers of said plurality of cam followers is a stationary cam follower,
• a gas spring, the gas spring coupled to the piston and barrel cam such that when the barrel cam and piston are caused to move reciprocally the gas spring is energized;
• wherein the gas spring further comprises rollers that transmit the torque of the motor to the barrel cam allowing the barrel cam to rotate,
• wherein said plurality of cam followers is operatively coupled to and capable of engaging said cam profile of said barrel cam such that when the barrel cam is rotated, said plurality of cam followers engage the cam profile of the barrel cam for a portion of such rotation of the barrel cam to cause the barrel cam to move linearly to energize the gas spring, and wherein said plurality of cam followers thereafter disengage from said cam profile of said barrel cam,
• a breech assembly comprising
• a barrel,
• a projectile inlet port configured on the barrel, the projectile inlet port adapted to permit a projectile to be received within the barrel, and
• a bolt;
• wherein the gas received within the gas chamber is compressed by the piston due to rotation of the barrel cam in a manner such that the compressed gas is released from the gas chamber into the barrel, causing the compressed gas to expand in the barrel thereby causing the projectile to be launched from the barrel.