Why railgun metallurgy lags behind the concept

Do railguns have a practical future, or are they inherently unworkable weapons?

They remain plausible, but barrel metallurgy has yet to catch up with the demands of the technology.

The railgun is not inherently impractical. The central obstacle is the metallurgy needed to make its barrel survive service conditions. The electromagnetic launch principle can work while the physical weapon still wears or fails too quickly for operational use. Component durability is the practical bottleneck.