Future of Firearms

[marksiwel]

What do you see the future of Firearms being?

I see more Concealed Carry type pistols popping up.

I think the 6.5 Grendal could be the new "hot" round for Rifles

I dont know, what do you think?

[seamusTX]

It's a mature technology. Everything that can be done has been done, until another John Moses Browning comes along.

Some of the more interesting avenues of invention have been limited by the feds, for example, compact sound suppressors. It would be really neat to have a pistol that was about as loud at a door slamming.

- Jim

[ELB]

It's a mature technology. ...

- Jim

I think this is one of the reasons the AR platform is still the military's main longarm -- there are rifles and carbines that are better, e.g. more reliable, more lethal at combat distances, etc, but the military doesn't see the improvement as big enough to change the whole logistics tail (which is the major part of the expense). So they go for the quantum leap with the Objective Combat Weapon and similar programs. When I worked in military acquisition, it seemed we either ran "commodity" type acquisitions -- i.e. buy more of the same from the most cost effective bidder (the least expensive one that meets the spec) or we swung for the fences (which is a much bigger acquisition effort). As long as you were going to gen up for the effort, you might as well try to get a big leap out of it. Those that can escape the main stream acquisition process, like SOCOM, go off and buy improved AR-style weapons, wristwatch GPSs and the like.

As far as firearms in general go, I agree it is hard to see something really radical coming as long as firearms means powder, bullet, barrel. Some interesting semi-radical ideas include caseless ammo (which the military is working on). That would be a significant change, much more so than yet another caliber/cartridge.

A fully ceramic gun would be kind of cool and scare the bejabbers out of the non-2A crowd. Especially if fired caseless ammo and had Seamus's compact suppressor on it...

[seamusTX]

I can't see an alternative to the rifled steel barrel (except for shotguns, which are perfect in their own way). A genius much smarter and less lazy than I will have to improve on that.

Caseless ammunition would be interesting, but what we have now works fine. It's not even expensive when the market is rational.

For the U.S. military, replacing a million or so weapons and all their support systems is a major hurdle. I was thinking more of private purchases for innovation.

The military is going more for long-range and remotely operated weapons, like the Predator drone.

- Jim

[karl]

I think, when it comes to improving and advancing technology we can never say for sure one way or the other, especially when we're not industry experts. What may seem illogical to you or me may be the very next thing produced. No one saw penicillin coming.

[HankB]

It's a mature technology. ...

- Jim

I think this is one of the reasons the AR platform is still the military's main longarm -- there are rifles and carbines that are better, e.g. more reliable, more lethal at combat distances, etc, but the military doesn't see the improvement as big enough to change the whole logistics tail . . .

True . . . I recently put together an AR carbine as my "go to" gun, but despite the undeniable ballistic superiority of the 6.5 and 6.8 rounds, I stuck with the 5.56. Ammo is available EVERYWHERE, and not being in the military, I don't HAVE to limit myself to FMJ. (I also got a regular gas system; EVERYONE makes parts for them, whereas all the gas piston systems are different.)

The manufacturers are sort of spinning their tires now, trying to come up with something new; Hornady's "Light Magnum" ammo is an improvement, and the last 20 or 30 years have seen improvements in terminal ballistics thanks to improved bullets . . . but these are incremental advances. (BTW, do we really need THREE new short .300 magnums? Winchester and Remington each have theirs, and now Ruger came out with one. Similar ballistics, yet they're not interchangeable. Silliness.)

Sighting optics are improving - riflescopes with integrated laser range finders and even ballistic compensators are coming on line. These features will probably be standard in 10 or 20 years.

Anyway, I don't think the next quantum leap in firearms will take place until we have battery technology that lets us make a practical, man-portable mass driver; and that may not happen in our lifetimes.

[tboesche]

Phased plasma rifle inteh 20 watt range.

Sorry! Could not resist!

[Purplehood]

Seriously. Gauss Rifles. Man-portable Rail-guns.

[marksiwel]

Phased plasma rifle inteh 20 watt range.

Sorry! Could not resist!

Hey, just what you see pal.

[Beiruty]

Laser guided rifle launched Ammo. Rain Storm Type systems. Hyper velocity ceaseless projectile, 6X-7X current velocity speed.

[joe817]

Perfection of the old Gyrojet technology that never got off the ground, or better yet "phaser pistols & rifles". I see the latter as a real possibility when we gain that technology in the future.

[marksiwel]

Perfection of the old Gyrojet technology that never got off the ground, or better yet "phaser pistols & rifles". I see the latter as a real possibility when we gain that technology in the future.

Yeah but do you think they will let US carry a Phaser or even privately own one?

[USA1]

"phaser pistols & rifles". I see the latter as a real possibility when we gain that technology in the future.

shhh..they have that now , we just don't know about it...ever heard of Roswell...area 51 ...

[Purplehood]

Perfection of the old Gyrojet technology that never got off the ground, or better yet "phaser pistols & rifles". I see the latter as a real possibility when we gain that technology in the future.

Yeah but do you think they will let US carry a Phaser or even privately own one?

If the Constitution has not changed by then, Yes. After all, when that document was forged the height of technology were muzzle-loaded weapons.

[bdickens]

Phasers!