Pirates Beware: Soon Rifles That Kill from a Mile Away (TIME magazine article)

[Kentucky Kernel]

I bet that they are trying to couple facial recognition technology with nanoscale guidance technology, or something similar. The brilliant folks who do DARPA-funded work are truly remarkable.

KK

 

[Regular Joe]

Whatever would the navy do without snipers? Well, when I was in, the USMC was part of the Dept. of the Navy. And then there are the SEALS. If the Navy didn't have snipers, we wouldn't have a military. Very sharp bunch around here............................

 

[#shooter]

relatively easy 30-yd. pops

Maybe its just me, but 30 yard pops at sea doesn't seem "easy."

 

[Old Fuff]

I don't know that improvements in weapon technology will do us any good while we have an esteemed leader who believes is peaceful resolution.

Now if these new models could be reengineered to launch flowers...

 

[Cannonball888]

Maybe Fearless Leader could get a weapon developed to launch some bailout money to help them to change their wrongful ways.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

Old Fuff: "Now if these new models could be reengineered to launch flowers..."

Didn't the Japanese have such a system in development? Something about an "Okha" (Cherry Blossum)?

The imp of the perverse now is putting impages into my head of a launching platform for cultivated tulip bulbs which enter the enemy's mouth at high speed and open explosively on contact with human saliva, thus blowing their jaws wide open, suffocating them and defeating their attack.

 

[runrabbitrun]

Ah yes. Kill em with kindness. lol

 

[Old Fuff]

Actually I expect that with the new vision of Peaceful Resolution, the monies used in the past to develop weapon systems and maintain military services will be directed toward much more important social programs and bail-outs for carefully selected candidates. Any misfortunate misunderstandings with foreign countries or pirates can be adjudicated through the United Nations.

 

[Zundfolge]

Don't we already have rifles that can fire over a mile and a half?
That is right we do! 2,430 meters 2,657 yd, or 1.51 miles. 50 cal! Rob Furlong total alpha!

Really the problem isn't finding rifles that can kill from a mile away, its finding Rob Furlongs put behind them.

Every time the media tells us how this gun or that gun can kill at over a mile or whatever, they never point out how EXTREMELY difficult it is for highly trained expert marksmen to pull off those shots.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

Good point, Zundfolge. Under experimental conditions I've hit a man-sized target at 1,300 yards with the open iron elevated tangent sight of my Long Branch Enfield Number 4 Mark I*, using Mark VII Ball. That doesn't mean I'd issue that rifle as a 1,300 yard gun.

 

[jtuck]

Good point, Zundfolge. Under experimental conditions I've hit a man-sized target at 1,300 yards with the open iron elevated tangent sight of my Long Branch Enfield Number 4 Mark I*, using Mark VII Ball. That doesn't mean I'd issue that rifle as a 1,300 yard gun.

Not to mention, how many rounds were fired in that experiment.

(Not doubting your skill, just making a point)

 

[Duke of Doubt]

jtuck: "Not to mention, how many rounds were fired in that experiment."

Believe it or not, on that particular occasion I hit the thing on the first shot -- a freak accident, I freely admit. Shooting of that kind, which I dearly love, is more akin to pioneer rocketry than to competitive marksmanship -- far more fails than wins. But MAN is it fun, in a ludicrous and impractical sort of way. It just shows what those old boomers can do, as a matter of ballistics, and I smile every time I elevate a tangent rear sight.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

The problem I see with the recent situation was not one of a lack of hardware, but a lack of decent tactics. When the captain jumped overboard, the Navy should have greased the pirate boat. No type of hardware is going to be useful if someone is asleep at the wheel, or otherwise fails to act when an opportunity presents itself.

 

[jtuck]

Believe it or not, on that particular occasion I hit the thing on the first shot -- a freak accident, I freely admit. Shooting of that kind, which I dearly love, is more akin to pioneer rocketry than to competitive marksmanship -- far more fails than wins. But MAN is it fun, in a ludicrous and impractical sort of way. It just shows what those old boomers can do, as a matter of ballistics, and I smile every time I elevate a tangent rear sight.

I love those days...alas they are far and few between for me.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Well, there's not much more you can do to what's already been done with current firearms, to hit a target that is moving, due to waves or any other reason, other than:

1. Guide the projectile to the target through the use of a guidance system, be it a "non-creation-of-energy method", such as ailerons or whatever, or with an energy system (side rocket of some sort to provide flight correction)
2. In addition to #1, possibly also provide additional thrust to the projectile (which turns it from a "bullet" into a "missile bullet"), in order to have a straighter trajectory.

I think they're talking here solely about #1, not #2, and I would stab a guess that it's a non-energy creation method, such as fins, ailerons or changing the placement of the center of gravity to provide correction during flight.

The problem with such systems in conjunction with a GUN, as opposed to a conventional missile which accelerates relatively slowly when it's launched, is the relatively fragile and precise guidance components (battery, adjustable fins, etc.) surviving the incredible shock to the whole system created by the rapid acceleration of a bullet upon ignition. You have to make them small enough to fit into the projectile's size parameters (and still retain a decent BC), sturdy enough to survive the rapid acceleration launch from the cartridge with smokeless powder, and yet actually work to recognize the target and make adjustments to the target. No easy task.

Gerald Bull, a genius engineer, could never overcome this problem of rapid acceleration when launching a satellite from a gun, combined with fragile components, even with a long long looooooong barrel and slow powder.

In other words, I'll believe it when I see it work.

 

[Freelance Tax Collector]

couldn't they just slap a barret on a gyro platform? keep it stable and stuff.

I actually know someone working for an aerospace research department that claims to be working on a project just like that with a .338 Lapua rifle.

Edit:

Speak of the devil! There's a discussion and a link to an article in the "Flying sniper rifle" thread in the rifles section. Way to go SDL and USU!