Most Exciting Modern Rifle Development

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azsixshooter

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I'm just wondering what you all think is the best thing to happen to rifles since the turn of the 20th century? New powder developments such as the slower kind that brought the .25-06 into its own? New cartridges like .204 Ruger, .338 Lapua, etc? New techniques in building rifles? New materials?

Personally, I love that I can get a modern rifle built for the 6.5x55 Swede. I love my CZ 550 American and it's a lot of fun to load for this strong action.
 
I'd like to see further development of the caseless round in various calibers and electric ignition. Would be nice to have this become more common and readily available. Believe that one rifle was introduced several years ago but met a lot of resistance to change from the norm.
 
Metallurgy and polymers.

Before, all you have was basic steel and wood. Today, there are various steels including chrome-moly that have changes the way barrels are made. Other metals, like aluminum and titanium have changed the look, feel and weight of actions and receivers.

Polymers are another major advancement. Though not always preferred, they can make just about anything out of plastic. Receivers, housings, triggers, you name it. They even make carbon fiber barrels (thin steel tube retained by carbon fiber wrappings) in certain applications.

There will always be nostalgia for the wood and steel. However, as raw material prices continue to climb, you will see more manufacturer's using different materials to save cost and stay competitive.
 
I'd like to see further development of the caseless round in various calibers and electric ignition. Would be nice to have this become more common and readily available. Believe that one rifle was introduced several years ago but met a lot of resistance to change from the norm.
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caseless would be nice, but you need a few technologies developed to make it work good.

higher ignition temperature propellants

some sort of insulation for the outer layer of the caseless that burns off but itself is not a propellant(can also serve as insulation for water exposure)

extraction in case of misfire since there is no extraction built into the bolt

the ignition system would need some thinking to since you could not have a conventional primer. possibly a low temperature burnable material that covers the primer material and seals out water. the mail issue is all materials but the bullet need to consumed when fired. this will result in several different materials being used: outside coating material, main propellant, shock sensitive primer material, and a much harder burnable material which is hard enough to act as a anvil for the primer and firing side of the primer. one other possibility would be an electronic ignition system, but this would require a battery. the main benefit of an electronic ignition system would be less moving parts and easier operation/construction.

there would be no cartridge to aid in sealing the chamber by expansion, so you would have to built all the internal components to a higher tolerance.

not having a brass case to carry away heat also causes some issues. any design will have to look at heat dispensation more carefully than conventional firearms.
 
Picatinny rails.
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I agree

Recently it's been the standardization of mounting accessories.

Over the past 100yrs or since the invention of the spitzer bullet just about the only noteworthy advances have been brought about through advances in materials
 
Since 1900, I'd have to say:

1. Semi-auto designs such as the Kalashnikov, Stoner, and others, such as the many Browning designs - 1911, BAR, 1919 MG, BHP, M2, on and on.

2. Better bullet construction

3. Better powders

4. Better metallurgy (stronger)

5. Better optics and more optical types.

6. CAD/CAM & CNC precision mfg

7. New cartridges: Too many great ones to list since 1900.
 
I'd have to agree with everything PremiumSauces said.

Some of the latest things which I like are the availability of turned match bullets for larger calibers at decent prices. It wasn't long ago when those larger calibers had no form of true match projectiles available. So I think the whole extreme-range hobby has boomed in recent years due to some of these factors.
 
I think that the discovery that small-caliber (.30 and down, by late 1800s standards) bullets can do as much or more damage than large-caliber ones when fired at a high enough velocity was pretty important. Imagine trying to make assault rifles in .45-70!
 
Well I'm not really sure if you mean since 1901 (dawn of the 20th century) or 2001 (dawn of 21st century).

If 1901, Premium Sauces has a great list. I would put spitzer bullets and reliable autoloading designs as tied for #1.

If 2001, I don't think a whole lot has changed in 7.75 years. In that time, I think super-high ballistic coefficient bullets, especially in the 6.5mm caliber, are a good development. (I'm not sure how much they were around prior to 2001, and I'm sure it's more than nothing.)

Me, I'm still waiting for caseless ammo, or as a runner up a biodegradable case made out of something that is dirt cheap. We can't afford to keep shooting brass cases, especially without reloading. This summer I was looking at copper prices per pound and comparing them to brass cases (70% copper) and scratching my head as it seemed like the cases were selling for the same or possibly even less than the value of the metal in them. I may have been slightly off in the math, but the fact is that the components of brass are becoming semiprecious metals.
 
BNG (Bold New Graphics)

I like the way firearms manufactures reintroduce the same firearm in various configurations year after year: Stainless, Composit Stock, New Chambering, Short Action, Long Action, Detachable Sling Swivels, Fluted Barrel, Target Muzzle Crown, and of course, "Tacticle"

And with the Bold New Graphics, we get another magazine article by someone paid to write it and published because of paid advertising.
 
2. Better bullet construction
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That's a great one. Ever since the Nosler Partition it seems like everyone is throwing their hat into the premium bullet arena and as consumers we're getting an excellent variety of choices out of it lately.
 
I want a Bolt action upper for an AR.....
That doesn't cost $2k.....

But best modern development. I would say... computers....

Not in guns, but getting to what is happening in fractions of a second, just a little better. Like knowing a certain rate of twist is better with a certain weight of bullet. Precision, down to fractions of an inch at hundreds of yards.

That is what I say makes new guns so great.
 
I'd like to see further development of the caseless round in various calibers and electric ignition. Would be nice to have this become more common and readily available. Believe that one rifle was introduced several years ago but met a lot of resistance to change from the norm.
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That was Remington. They had a few models with electric ignition. They even had a 700. I think they called it the ElectronX models or something. They died prety fast. They might be revived one day but I wouldnt hold my breath on it.
 
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