Next big innovation

[WoofersInc]

I had a friend stop by from out of town. We were doing the old pull everything out of the safe for him to drool over since he lives in Cali and can't have most of what I own. We started discussing innovations in firearms. We found that for all practical purposes there hasn't been a major innovation in firearms for some time now. Granted guns have gotten better as materials and manufacturing have improved. However there are still gun designs being used that are 100 years old or more. Granted I do like my 1911's.
So the question is what does everyone think the next major breakthrough innovation will be?...

 

[Kind of Blued]

You could find some good discussion if you do a search here.

A couple that I recall are a further move toward non-lethal tools
and caseless ammunition a la the HK G11.

 

[jakemccoy]

If you have a great idea, I suggest starting with a search at www.uspto.gov. Then, search all the boring technical publications you can get your hands on. There are many, many innovations that don't make production or your favorite magazine. I'm not discouraging you. I'm helping you save time and money. If your innovation has been published before, basically forget about getting a patent on it. Without a patent, you personally wouldn't make any money off its production, unless you mass produced the thing yourself.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

Revolver mechanisms will improve.

I believe we soon will see an improved self-cocking double-action revolver, somewhat like the Webley Fosbury or Mateba but much better-designed.

Yes, I'm working on it.

 

[Animal Mother]

There have been some fantastic innovations in firearms over the years. Granted the innovations are more evolutionary than revolutionary, but that's been the case with firearms for a long time. Just think of the innovations we've had within just the past few years with optics, polymer frames, and hollowpoint design. I think optics have the greatest potential for a great deal of improvement. Just compare the ACOG to the iron sights we all used just a few years ago.

 

[jeff-10]

One day we will move away from a brass cased cartridge. It won't be a G-11 style caselesss round.

 

[moooose102]

laser pistols

 

[Justin]

Much of the innovation is being done in the world of competitive shooting. For example, the mainstreaming of optics on combat guns has deep roots in practical shooting sports.

 

[Kind of Blued]

I could see some form of a hybrid optical/thermal scope, meaning both images overlayed in some ratio in order to "double confirm" your targets. It'd be useful for military and police use in the case of terrorists using concealment in a sniper/standoff situation.

To be honest, I actually saw something similar on some TV show... Their idea was way more complicated and unlikely however. Three terrorist were holding a bus of people hostage after blacking out the windows. A radio man somehow "lock them in" with a computer, and the computer WIFI'd a moving reticle into their digiscopes so they just had to "follow it" and stay on target... They radio-sync'd the three shooters to hit all three guys at once.

While "smart guns" are potentially more likely to be abused than used, it could definitely be useful for police. Then again, it would make sense to make every officer in the department compatible with every gun in the department, likewise with an entire family, or at least set of parents.

We would also hope that somehow mankind could figure out how to make something extremely complicated, electrical, and computerized, which cannot and will not ever fail when you need it to save your life.

 

[claiborne]

Luke, I am your father.

Back to the future with light sabres and phazers.

 

[Grassman]

What about "smart weapons"? I have seen stories about guns that have small computer components that only let the owner fire it. Don't ask me how......fingerprints,body heat I don't know.

 

[Jaws]

Yeah. Individual soldier rifles haven't improved much in at least last half a century. Sure few new materials here and there, a new scope, and so on, but when you look how much other fields have evolved is almost scarry.
Just look at the quantum loop forward in the detection, tracking, targeting and specially guiding systems. With the constant reduction in weight of the electronics and sensors, we could expect this to find their way into smaller and smaller systems. Back in WW2 many fighter planes didn't have a reflex gunsight. Now every soldier in a modern army, and any sport shooter can have one on his rifle. We still burn powder to throw a slug at the bad guy tho.

There are many areas in science that kind of hit a brick wall. Look at the aircraft propulsion systems. Jets were flying combat missions back in WW2.
We break the atom in a nuclear reactor and what do we do with the energy from the reaction??? boil water, make steam and use century old turbine to turn a negligible part of that energy into electricity.:banghead::banghead:

 

[taliv]

assuming everyone else is having the same problem i am... hopefully the next big innovation will be a rifle/cartridge combo that is good at both CQB and Mid-Range distances.

 

[grumpycoconut]

I would like to see man portable magnetic rail guns or "Hammer's Slammers" style power(plasma?) guns.

 

[zombienerd]

I would like to see man portable magnetic rail guns

I am working on a prototype for one The only issue so far is lack of decent power in a portable size.

If my "calculations" are right, A CQB silent weapon would be easily made, but it wouldn't be lethal over 20-30 yards or so.

The day they master nuclear fusion, I'd bet on mini reactors

 

[DRYHUMOR]

Heads Up Display

Look to your target, the weapon tracks to it, double blink to fire.

 

[misANTHrope]

There are many areas in science that kind of hit a brick wall. Look at the aircraft propulsion systems. Jets were flying combat missions back in WW2.

I'm not sure it's correct to say that science has hit a brick wall here. The jet engines of today are only related to the ones used in WWII by virtue of basic operating principles. The way these principles are applied, the technology, new materials, and computer control are a huge change.

The Jumo engines that powered the ME 262 put out about 2000# of thrust each, at a thrust-weight ratio of roughly 1.2. Contrast that with the P&W F119, which powers the F-22 Raptor. On the one hand, it weighs over twice as much as the Jumo, but on the other hand, it puts out nearly eighteen times the thrust, based on P&W's claim of 35,000#... and I wouldn't be surprised if they're conservative about that, given that this engine is used in our most modern fighter.

I suppose one could make the argument that this doesn't represent new technology, but rather refinement of existing technology... but I'd disagree there. In the end, it becomes a bit of a judgment call and personal opinion starts to set in...

 

[Penzanse]

Ammunition

The next big breakthrough will be caseless rounds. They will work in pistols. longarms, or revolvers. They are "rounds" that are 3 sided.....get it?

Trounds!

 

[Lightninstrike]

Electrically fired caseless rounds.

 

[MikePGS]

In the immediate future, the innovations will be on the optics side. We're already seeing that in things like the new iPhone that calculates ballistics. Soon enough we'll be able to track a target via scope with the range and elevation automatically adjusting for us. All we'll need to do is pull the trigger, in this brave new world.

 

[resonance]

Innovation? (and a little bit of Wednesday silliness):



Yes, that's the Halo plasma rifle.

 

[MTO]

DRYHUMOR said:

Look to your target, the weapon tracks to it, double blink to fire.

I sure hope I'm pretty far from your field of vision/fire if you ever get something in your eye.

 

[Gungnir]

Innovation wise, I think the explosive projectile (bullet) will be around for a while at least for my lifetime, they're cheap, easy to make, and do the job.

Next "BIG" thing I see from a Military perspective is still in information data sharing and situational awareness improvements (think small scale JSTARS/AWACS for the standard infantryman), and Helmet Mounted Sighting monocles, eliminate parallax and head position and putting a shot on target becomes an easier proposition. You'd also need to use helmet space for a Ballistics computer to correct for constantly varying Elevation and Windage, then add a rangefinder to the Rifle for much more accuracy.

 

[heron]

I think optics is the likely field for the next quantum improvement. Scopes will likely go to digital imaging, with night vision, motion compensation, automated ranging, elevation, etc. You program the scope with your cartridge and barrel length, twist rate maybe, and it does all the adjustments for you, so you have only to hold the crosshairs on target and not flinch when you take the shot. This is just a short step from the digital cameras we have now.

 

[expvideo]

We found that for all practical purposes there hasn't been a major innovation in firearms for some time now.

While most of the developements in the firearms industry have been improvements and optimizations of old designs, there have been some very innovative designs in the last 10 years.

-Tactical lights
-Forward ejecting rifles
-New bullpup designs
-New safeties (trigger safety, for example)
-Higher capacity pistols due to using more polymer in the frame
-Combat style .22 firearms (P22, Mosquito, GSG-5, etc)
-More availability of accessories
-PDA sniper/target computers
-Advancements in optics
-Internet forums and tutorials make it easier to build and modify guns at home
-Airsoft as a training tool
-Improvements in nearly every arena
-Magpul products
-Piston M4s
-Quick detach items (scope rings, flashlights, suppressors)
-3-point and 1-point slings


There is a lot of innovation in the firearms industry. It just doesn't happen as quickly as you might like. But trust me, a gun shop is a much different place today than it was 10 years ago.