Important firearms innovations

[Chemistry Guy]

If I had to list the 5 most important firearms innovations of the last 300 years, in no particular order, my list would include:

smokeless powder
rifling (I know this was invented earlier, but it wasn't adopted until 19th century)
breech loading small arms
self-contained cartridges
Interchangeable parts (more a manufacturing process than a firearms innovation, but it brought firearms to the masses)

Although you may disagree on the contents of this list, these innovations are clearly earth-shakingly major. Do you think that there will be future innovations that are as revolutionary as these? Will our grandchildren marvel at our 'obsolete' firearms? If so, what types of things will be common, if not standard, a century from now? Here's my guess:

practical caseless ammunition
Computer-enhanced optics (kind of like the stuff they are working on with advanced sniper rifles, but standard on every firearm)
Electrical energy used for propellant ( I guess not a firearm anymore)
computer controlled gyroscopically guided bullets

 

[Officers'Wife]

I believe I would have to include the percussion cap in this list. Possibly as a replacement for 'self contained cartridges' as they are not possible with without primers.

 

[pioneer461]

I believe I would have to include the percussion cap in this list. Possibly as a replacement for 'self contained cartridges' as they are not possible with without primers.

The History Channel ran a series on guns several years ago. According to them, the development of the percussion cap was not well received by various governments at the time. It was thought that faster reloading and firing ability would lead to increased violence and blood running in the streets. One city in Italy outlawed them.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

[Vonderek]

Nothing really new in the last 100 years. I suppose one could argue the use of polymers in the last 30 years however those guns (at least the handguns anyway) are still chambered for cartridges developed at the turn of the 20th century.

Your list of possible future innovations is interesting however will rely heavily on electronics & energy sources. As such, it will be prone to breakdowns and dead batteries. Therefore, I don't see "low-tech" firearms ever becoming obsolete.

 

[Bubba613]

the big advances have been:
Materials. Not just polymer as a standard but steels are much different now too.
Manufacturing techniques. Cad-cam technology has improved machining of parts, creating smaller tolerances. MIM as well.
Calibers. At least in handguns. In 1936 you had 45acp, 9mm, 38spc, 38S&W, .38Super, .32acp, 32 Smith (and related revolver cartridges), .25acp and .22. I am sure I've missed a few moribund calibers.
Today there are many more, like .40S&W, .44mag, 500mag, 10mm etc etc. Much more power in a handgun.

 

[Carne Frio]

The future will go beyond firearms and will
be able to project or transmit energy into
distant targets. Similar to the Air Force
flying laser, which detects, tracks and targets
with one laser, then fires the larger one to
put heat energy into the target.

 

[Justin]

Your list of possible future innovations is interesting however will rely heavily on electronics & energy sources. As such, it will be prone to breakdowns and dead batteries. Therefore, I don't see "low-tech" firearms ever becoming obsolete.

I think this is a misnomer. You can now buy Aimpoint scopes that run on watch batteries, yet have run times measured in the thousands of hours, and are able to take the abuse of harsh environments and combat conditions.

The biggest innovation in the last ten years has been the introduction of relatively cheap optics that are robust enough for continuous field use; Eotech and Aimpoint dot scopes, and the Trijicon ACOG. Those sorts of things would have been unheard of on service guns in the very recent past.

We may see further integration of electronics, but on a consumer level, expect it to be things like scopes with built-in laser range finders.

In the meantime, it seems a lot of scope companies are doing what they can to create a do-all combat optic. A number of companies have released or are developing scopes that are 1x-8x. I'm kind of wondering if the introduction of these scopes will be the next step up from the use of ACOGs or dual optic setups using both a magnified scope and a 1x dot for close range shooting.

 

[Vonderek]

Scopes are one thing. I was referring more to this statement:

Electrical energy used for propellant ( I guess not a firearm anymore)
computer controlled gyroscopically guided bullets

 

[Hatterasguy]

Optics and NV are the biggest inovations in the last 50 years. The Germans started to play with NV at the tail end of the war, but it ended before they could really get many units into service.

 

[pikid89]

Scopes are one thing. I was referring more to this statement:

Quote:
Electrical energy used for propellant ( I guess not a firearm anymore)
computer controlled gyroscopically guided bullets

Remember how hard the remington 700 etronix failed?

 

[Buck Snort]

"Remember how hard the remington 700 etronix failed?"

Yep, and the first portable computer turned out to be a loser too, but given enough time and effort the product improved and today we have laptops they couldn't even dream of back in the 1980's. Just because the first product out in a new field does not make the cut that does not mean that future models won't just knock out socks off.
__________________

 

[pikid89]

i just dont think that as conservative as this shooting hunting etc...(save the tacticool guys) demographic is, any manufacturer would be hard pressed to put somthing overly revolutionary into the firearms market

take for example the most popular weapon in america right now, AR pattern weapons, are ultimately a design that is about half a century old (not to mention the 1911)

im not saying either of those weapons are bad...im just saying that the firearms world is not generally known for is drastic and revolutionary evolutions in design...true, every once in a while it will happen (think AR again) but even when that came about it was not largely trusted

the etronX wasnt even that revolutionary, all they changed was the primer and the way it was activated...powder still blew up and slung a chunk o lead down range, yet even though the new primers were available to reloaders and were approx the same price as regular primers at the time, it still failed miserably

The biggest innovation in the last ten years has been the introduction of relatively cheap optics that are robust enough for continuous field use; Eotech and Aimpoint dot scopes, and the Trijicon ACOG. Those sorts of things would have been unheard of on service guns in the very recent past.

as far as my thoughts on this, as well as my earlier statement, i think it is apparent that most large changes are brought about by the government/ military trends....do you think that aimpoint or trijicon would be in business if the military had never shown any interest in those sort of optics?

 

[wishin]

I would class the chain gun as one of the inovations in firearms in the last 100 years.

 

[CWL]

Calibers. At least in handguns. In 1936 you had 45acp, 9mm, 38spc, 38S&W, .38Super, .32acp, 32 Smith (and related revolver cartridges), .25acp and .22.

Calibers have been around since the origin of firearms in the 1300's. Calibers came about as the only way to standardize bullets. Bullets were categorized by how many per pound of lead. I don't recall all of them, but 200 balls to the lbs = .22 round ball; 100 balls to the pound = .36 round ball; 50 balls = .44/.454 IIRC; 12 balls = .76 or the 12-guage, etc. Firearms were designed to accommodate these standardized diameters.

I think that the Minie-ball was the greatest innovations that made rifled weapons practical for military applications (though rifled weapons have been used in battle since at least the early 1600's).

 

[Telumehtar]

as far as my thoughts on this, as well as my earlier statement, i think it is apparent that most large changes are brought about by the government/ military trends....do you think that aimpoint or trijicon would be in business if the military had never shown any interest in those sort of optics?

As a counter to your point, if the government didn't have a monopoly on military quality/capable weapons, would the same lack of interest in the civilian world be present?

If civilians could own fully automatic weapons, and/or military grade weapons without the laws and stigma currently attached to them given our current political culture, how would that impact the market? Furthermore, what items would civilian markets inspire that military markets might not care for?

 

[Manco]

I keep thinking that I'm leaving something out, but here's one set:

Primer ignition
Self-contained cartridges
Repeating systems
Rifling
Smokeless powder

 

[Caliper_Mi]

take for example the most popular weapon in america right now, AR pattern weapons, are ultimately a design that is about half a century old (not to mention the 1911)

It isn't just the firearms industry. Most technology takes time to be fully developed, mature, and costs to come down to where they are standard. Look at cars: Electronic fuel injection was first offered by AMC in 1957. The first cars with ABS were sold by Chrysler in 1971. GM sold some of the first air bags in 1974.

Moving electronics from accessories (and triggers in the case of the Etonix system: http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/survival/gear/1277311) into being an actual propellant will take massive leaps in battery capacity. Right now you would have to lug around far too much weight in batteries to make a effective weapon.

 

[heron]

practical caseless ammunition

We may see this, maybe not. If it were available now, it may require a redesigned weapon to fire it (in semi-auto or FA, anyway). I think there could be lively debate or the necessity of it. Research is ongoing right now, and has been for a while.

Computer-enhanced optics (kind of like the stuff they are working on with advanced sniper rifles, but standard on every firearm)

Definitely on the way -- someday your scope will see through dark and fog, and compensate for range, moving targets, and perhaps even windage.

Electrical energy used for propellant ( I guess not a firearm anymore)

No way. Weight, complexity, and battery shelf life and power requirements are prohibitive, and I seriously doubt that will change.

computer controlled gyroscopically guided bullets

I think this is flat-out ludicrous for anything smaller than an artillery shell.

I don't think we'll see much change; present firearms technology has given us affordable, accurate and reliable weapons that are (mostly) relatively easy to service and operate.