[Cosmoline]

Please feel free to add additional ideas. These are just the ones I could think of.

[Gewehr98]

I voted for the first choice. Seems to me the OICW is a white elephant that will take a backseat with the current war front(s) sucking up the military budget. The M16A4 is a good bit easier on the taxpayer's pocketbook, being derived from an existing weapons line.

Of course, that never stopped the military from trying to get things purchased, like the Crusader artillery system. :D

[Hkmp5sd]

I think the next major change will be to an AR type weapon using caseless ammunition and a ton Buck Rogers gadgets hanging off of it.

[COHIBA]

standard 14" BBL 5.56 MM using M16 mags. bullpup design w/ a 20mm grenade launcher mounted ontop. NV optic w/ remote camera hooked into helmet visor for looking/ shooting around corners. i though everyone knew this. thats the reason HK's opening a US factory. DUH!

[Schuey2002]

It will probably be a continuation of the AR theme...

I'd like to see the H&K G36 get adopted in some form or another but in a larger caliber...;)

[MarineTech]

The OICW is shaping up to be a real disappointment. The system itself seems fairly decent, but it's too heavy/unwieldy/expensive for everybody. I saw an article recently that this may be produced and issued out 1 per squad or 1 per platoon much like the M203 is. It won't replace the M203, but will serve in addition to it.

[Artful]

I understand that SOCOM is looking at 45 caliber weapons for quicker knockdown & either heavier 22's or larger caliber for long range performance.:p

[Marcus]

The OICW is a farce,think Sgt. York self propelled AA system.... Basically a really heavy .223 pistol with a downsized grenade launcher in a package with the ergonomics of a large suitcase. :barf: I`d like to see us go with something along the lines of the G-36 but American designed and made. A truly modern, well thought out and robust design that allows modular expansion systems without becoming an overcomplicated crew served cow of a weapon. For caliber I`d like to see something in the 6-7mm range with more suds than 5.56 NATO. IMO .223 was,is and will always be a varmint round intended for small thin skinned targets. Marcus

[Braz]

Hey, only what'cha see pal :D

[cratz2]

After we renounce France as an ally for the next 100 years and put a more US-friendly fellow in power in Iraq we will cease membership with the UN and will adopt a scaled-down SAW-type weapon with a polymer lower with accessory rail and a light-weight chrome-lined 18" barrel . It will be chambered in 6x47 and will fire an as-yet-unannounced 70 Gr Hornady SST bullet and will have a parallax-free pop-up dot sight that ranges from 1x to 6x in addition to AR-type sights.

This will also be available in a mini AK-sized version with a 10" barrel that fires a sub-sonic .338 caliber loading for recon/entry use.

Best of all, one will be issued to all law abiding citizens over the age of 24 for free.

Hey, a guy can dream, can't he? :p

[Monkeyleg]

The future assault rifle will be...

banned for civilian possession.

Get real.

[natedog]

The FN-2000 looks promising.

[Sactown]

Judging by the number of plasma fans. Maybe the forty-five caliber long slide with laser point sight will be the future sidearm.

[clem]

I think it will be simular to the AR types, but with a larger caliber. The .223 just ain't getting the whole job done.

Of course, this is just my opinion.

[Destructo6]

Hey, given a choice, I'll take the Phase Plasma Rifle any day of the week. Since he really knows his guns, a Terminator's opinion lends a lot of credence.

Lacking that, I'll take the rest of the weapons he took, without having gone through a background check (or paying for that matter!).

[sanchezero]

For the near future...

http://www.quarterbore.com/kac/sr47.html

For the distant future I'm thinking gauss rifles :) .

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

I dunno...I just can't warm up to the idea of anything that requires a silicon-human interface, takes batteries, has fragile, environment-sensitive optical sighting systems, and has a battalion of engineers back at the depot to maintain it after being in the field longer than 4 days.

Rocks and sticks are reliable. Infrared and ambient light optics probably won't hold up to real-world battlefield conditions on a recoiling firearm. Personally, as great as it sounds to have GPS aiming, satellite links for intel, and laser ranging rotation-couting frangible rounds that shoot behind cover probably just ain't gonna cut it when it gets full of mud, sand, goo, etc.

and the Energizer Bunny is too cute to be a killing machine op.

Even though I like the idea of going to a 6.5mm AR based weapon, I think I just limited myself to a Trapfed Sprungloose for basic reliability. So much for rate of fire, but there again, you CAN hunt bears with chihuahuas, it just takes 500 of them.

The AR10 system in 300WSM sounds promising, though, for positive stops. Make sure it's got a decent muzzle brake on it. A tip o' the lid to J.D. Jones.

Regards,
Rabbit.

[Cosmoline]

I'm going with the Trapdoor Springfield, or frankly anything in .45-70. When the crab-men and their halibut-headed masters rise from the depths and civilization collapses under their onslaught, smokeless powder will be a thing of the past. We'll have to rely on basement black powder mills, and the old cartridges will be all the rage.

[Blain]

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/projects/aliens/ripleym41_low.jpg

[Chaz]

What was the name of that rifle they had in Robocop?

I LIKE IT!!!!!!!

[seeker_two]

Pentagon's already looking at a modified M-16/M-4 that fires a 6.8 mm bullet in a case similar to the 5.56. Cheaper to modify existing stocks than buy completely new weapons. May even see field testing in Iraq by US-SOCOM.

As for a civilian version...:scrutiny:

[Minute_Of_Torso]

It'll have to have some way to send and receive email. And, OH! it also ought to be able to play CD's and DVD's . . . everyone knows we can't fight a war without email and entertainment!

Seriously, though, I would think that we've already made major steps in the "small and fast" cartridge areas (1911 to M9, M1 to AR/M-16-types) so I'm hoping that we go in the other direction a little bit: larger caliber probably on a variation of the AR theme.

BTW, I'd rather have a plasma rifle in the 40 MEGAwatt range!

[Stephen Ewing]

Seeker_two, I beg you, as only a man who holds that varmint cartridge in contempt can beg, please give me a hint where I can find info on this 6.8mm improvement so I can go worship at the altar and pray that it comes to pass?

Then, if we can just get a design that doesn't :cuss: where it eats, maybe something like an FNC clone, I'll be content that we've found the One True Rifle.

Steve

[T.Stahl]

HK G11. :D

[seeker_two]

Seeker_two, I beg you, as only a man who holds that varmint cartridge in contempt can beg, please give me a hint where I can find info on this 6.8mm improvement so I can go worship at the altar and pray that it comes to pass?

Evan Marshall's Stopping Power Forum (http://forums.stoppingpower.net)

You'll have to register & do a search to find it, but that's where I found the info. Pretty reliable source, too.

Personally, I wish they'd upgrade it to a .308 NATO round, but that's just me...:evil:

[Jrob24]

I figure in 20-40 years infantry will have some kind of powered exoskeleton suit so carrying an OICW won't be cumbersome

[Andrew]

How about a nice 100mm Rifle, to be used with a nice new Gundam or GM Mobile Suit:D

[Stephen Ewing]

Seeker_two, I thank you.

Steve