The Future?

[mnrivrat]

At present the configuration looks clunky and heavy as well as inferior in performance. I will wait for the pulse laser weapon system before giving up on dry chemical explosive systems.

 

[kwguy]

I’m sure the makers of this device have no doubt as to its lack of practicality or performance compared to current weapons. It’s simply a neat device that someone may buy just because it’s neat, and appreciate the tech. Advancements in power and materials technology, which admittedly may never happen, could potentially make this a viable weapon in the future. People that buy this right now are doing so because it’s just kinda neat.

Kind of like Edison’s electric pen.

 

[mnrivrat]

I’m sure the makers of this device have no doubt as to its lack of practicality or performance compared to current weapons. It’s simply a neat device that someone may buy just because it’s neat, and appreciate the tech. Advancements in power and materials technology, which admittedly may never happen, could potentially make this a viable weapon in the future. People that buy this right now are doing so because it’s just kinda neat.

Kind of like Edison’s electric pen.

I understand what your point is. However at that price the average person I dought will throw that kind of money into this gadget. I don't see a viable market that will give a profitable return on its manufacture. Just my opinion, and I know I could be wrong. There are those rich enough to buy these toys. I just question if they will. You can buy a pretty high end conventional gun for that money.

 

[The Last Outlaw]

I’m sure the makers of this device have no doubt as to its lack of practicality or performance compared to current weapons. It’s simply a neat device that someone may buy just because it’s neat, and appreciate the tech. Advancements in power and materials technology, which admittedly may never happen, could potentially make this a viable weapon in the future. People that buy this right now are doing so because it’s just kinda neat.

Kind of like Edison’s electric pen.

You beat me to it. I was gonna say, you guys act like I'm trying to get you to buy this thing. I was just asking if you guys think this is a viable weapon in the future. Of course it is ridiculously underpowered and expensive now, but with technological advancements, could it be a viable platform somewhere down the road?

 

[Tirod]

This some kind of joke, right?

New technology certainly gets a lot of derision. 200 fps is slow. "Bounce off your Carhartt jacket" slow. Paintball is commercially restricted to 280 for liability altho there are those who tinker. Fastest hardball pitch is claimed to be 105.1 mph, math math math 154.1 feet per second.

So this think barely goes more than oh, say, 25% faster than a pro baseball pitcher. Jai alai players can sling the ball at 84 meters per second math math 275 feet per second. Note all these folks don't stick to one speed measurement. It's about marketing the sport.

On the perspective of where on the development curve it might sit, we are talking dial hardwire phone in an age of cell level automatic pistols. Pretty much the same as 3D printing gun parts - closest thing I got is a P365 jig for filing the safety notch. In ten years of "OMG 3D is gonna be so cool!! " and I get a widget? Yes,someone printed a $5000 1911 but they only did the one. LIkely Knight bought it for his collection.

So, portable .50 cal sabot slug launcher? Ouchie.

It's whatever the next power multiplier steps up the speed that will likely count, same as watching computers and LED's double in power and drop half in cost about every 2-3 years. I have a small collection of early LED keychain lights - 20 LUMENS!!!! and currently carry a usb rechargeable with 250.

In ten to fifteen years will these electromagnetic devices be able to get to say, 9mm speeds? 1,200 fps? Not impossible, how will the ATF then assume how to regulate them, and what will they consider to be the serial numbered "frame" which constitutes being a firearm?

That will be the more interesting discussion.

We already passed that threshold with lasers and people get convicted for aiming them at pilots, who have been injured and lost their eyesight and career. Big picture, lasers on the battlefield are a gamechanger for causing incapacitating injuries with immediated tactical results. It's hard to fight blind and being a sitting duck. I would be much more concerned about the significant lack of discussion in military armaments journals. Kinda like, OK, the navy shelved the rail gun because "it didn't work?" The Air Force shelved the flying wing, the YB-49 in the early 50's, yet we have fought wars in the Middle East with them.

They became B2 stealth bombers.

History shows when the projects go dark there are significant improvements to be concealed.

 

[Spats McGee]

It looks neat. I'm bothered by the fact that there's so little actual shooting shown in the video, though. Besides, that $3,775 price tag is going to prevent it from making powder-burners obsolete any time soon, if it ever was going to in the first place.

 

[Crosshair]

Power is the limiting factor, but at the rate battery tech is advancing, I can see this becoming a workable thing, in my lifetime, and I'm 48.

It won't. At 48 you've been through this same song and dance several times already.

Battery tech is NOT advancing. That's the problem. Oh sure, they frame the numbers to make it LOOK like we're going to the moon. In reality, not so much. Just some baby steps over the last 30 years.

Look at an energy density chart. Compared to gasoline, Lithium Ion might as well be a potato.

Oh sure they'll cry and scream about "efficiency". Ignoring that when gasoline has 40+ times more energy than Lithium Ion, 30% conversion efficiency still means gasoline wins easily.

Almost 20 years ago, I did a presentation on the move towards powering cell phones with methanol fuel cells. I genuinely believed that was the future at the time. We can see how that worked out.

 

[230RN]

I gave up second-guessing startling tech advances a long time ago. Anyone remember Dick Tracy's wrist radio in an age where the only ampifiers (besides magnetic amplifiers) were put together with bottles packed full of vacuum?

Then they put together a full vacuum tube radar set inside of Ack-ack shells so they'd go off in proximity to the target rather than just on contact.

And not too long after that some dudes obtained amplification with some germanium rocks.



Nowadays I don't know how many transistors there are in the average cell phone, but there are oodles of them. Maybe even passels of them.

And people have wrist watches which can monitor bodily functions today.

So if you're reading this on your smart phone, say hello to this guy:



It's been a verrrrry looong time since I used the word impossible with respect to technological advances, and that's why I said it wasn't a gamble, nor an investment, but, rather, an adventure.

Terry, 230RN

Xistor image courtesy Getty, but I think it's public domain anyhow.

For the DickTracy one, see properties, probably public domain also.