The non-linear vibrations of a barrel, induced by the interaction with a high-speed moving projectile,
negatively affect the shooting accuracy of a weapon. This study presents a new method that determines
the non-linear behavior of the barrel with a passive vibration absorber and optimizes the absorber using
the genetic algorithm (GA). Since both the barrel geometry and its coupling with the absorber are nonlinear,
a new finite element method (FEM) approximation has been developed for the interaction of barrel
and projectile and combined with the classical finite element method. The final coupled equation of
motion of entire system has been solved by a step by step integration, and for minimum tip deflection
of the barrel, a GA has been then used in order to optimize the some parameters of the absorber. The
results of analyses of the proposed FEM model were compared, and a good agreement was seen with
the existing literature. In another example, the FEM–GA integrated optimization procedure was also used
for the optimization of a passive vibration absorber, and a more accurate result (0.5% better) was
obtained when compared to the experimental study given in literature.