What will the next big advancement be?

[earlthegoat2]

Probably more like the worlds "safest" firearm.

 

[lucky-gunner]

It will be quite a bit in the future maybe 30-50 years, but we will see rail guns eventually. They are going to be ship based first and then will move to vehicles, and then handheld.

Rail guns offer cheaper ammunition and the ability bust walls and heavy armor. We just need nano batteries to run them.

 

[gym]

When I was 2a, Working for the DOD in 62-69, I saw things that were like someone was explaining before, unreal. I can't imagine what really exists now. They aren’t telling us you can be sure. But there are weapons and systems that we would drop our jaw if we were allowed to see.
I had a very high security clearance because we worked on contracts from Grumman, Republic, lockeed, and a bunch more that are gone now for the most part. We did whatever we won the contract for. The company went out in the 80's, my dad passed in the early 70's. He was "plant manager" 3 buildings with "at the peak" 500+ employees. The only nonunion aerospace firm in NY, “if not the country". I got to see stuff that was amazing, I worked for brilliant men bread boarding circuits for prototypes, and if I wasn't bust I did Overhaul work on Hydraulic systems, for choppers. Everything has a shelf life, and after x amount of hours the govt would pull most expensive parts out send them stateside and have them refurbished and tested before they went back.
I can't even imagine what we have now that the normal guys don't know about, but there was stuff back then that was star wars type. We did the ground terrestrial radar systems for the F111, "the one that didn't exist" back then, so nothing surprises me. There are more than likely a lot of advanced stuff we will never be privy to see unless it became necessary.
I sat in the Lunar module, "we built the wiring harness for part of the system" it was a lifetime ago, and I was a kid, but it was still very cool.

 

[ZCORR Jay]

ZCORR Bags!

As much as I'd hate to see more electronics added it would be cool to see heart rate monitors/ radar mounted to the firearms.

http://callofduty.wikia.com/wiki/Heartbeat_Sensor

 

[Fish Miner]

Composite Ceramic polymers.

compact high power laser systems. (seen the future in my University research lab)... DoD is looking way further ahead than most would think.

 

[Justin]

Sam, the problem with going smaller on a red dot is that if you go too small, you basically have a frame that blocks everything but the dot, and actually makes it just as hard to see as ironsights. My Ruger LCP will not be made better for its intended purpose (pocket carry) by the addition of a red dot.

My sort of inner secret wish for carry-able red dots would look something like this:

A dot scope with a deployed size maybe slightly smaller than a JPoint or the like. However, the site would be designed in such a way that when the gun is holstered, the sight would fold into a, for lack of a better term, dovetail cut that would take up the last inch or so of the slide.

Drawing the gun from the holster would deploy the scope and instantly turn the dot on, putting the gun back in the holster would cause the sight to compress, turn off, and be stowed safely out of the way.

Admittedly, I have no idea how to make such a device functional, let alone reliable enough for daily carry or installation on a duty gun that might see rough use. However, I would be unsurprised if such a product was brought to market in the next five or so years.

 

[ChCx2744]

I believe the nearest advancement in firearms technology will be something along the lines of being composed of lighter and stronger materials. I think light, electricity and magnetism sound very interesting in regards to firearms technology, however.

 

[Gunnerboy]

probably some bright guy will come up with an idea for bullets that wound the enemy instead of killing him so that hopefully it takes his buddies to drag him off.... oh wait that one already failed, so more than likely bullets that have some sort of parelizing poisen that disables the enemy.

 

[Kendal Black]

I'm hoping for more progress in less than lethal projectile weapons. It would be great to have a compact carry option that will put 'em down without much chance of a fatality.

 

[Skribs]

My sort of inner secret wish for carry-able red dots would look something like this:

A dot scope with a deployed size maybe slightly smaller than a JPoint or the like. However, the site would be designed in such a way that when the gun is holstered, the sight would fold into a, for lack of a better term, dovetail cut that would take up the last inch or so of the slide.

Drawing the gun from the holster would deploy the scope and instantly turn the dot on, putting the gun back in the holster would cause the sight to compress, turn off, and be stowed safely out of the way.

Admittedly, I have no idea how to make such a device functional, let alone reliable enough for daily carry or installation on a duty gun that might see rough use. However, I would be unsurprised if such a product was brought to market in the next five or so years.

Just have the RDS in two parts, and have the ability to manually put it down against the slide or pull it into ready. Additionally, if the RDS is flat and you have the safety activated, deactivating the safety springs the RDS into action. So draw - release safety - gun ready.

 

[Gunnerboy]

Id like to see something with the power of a 500S&W but without the recoil in a handgun that way when you shoot someone you dont have to worry about killing them just needing a mop and 5gallon bucket to clean up whats left.

 

[Sam Cade]

Just have the RDS in two parts, and have the ability to manually put it down against the slide or pull it into ready. Additionally, if the RDS is flat and you have the safety activated, deactivating the safety springs the RDS into action. So draw - release safety - gun ready.

It wouldn't even have to be that complicated. Have the sight fold backwards towards the shooter with a detent only in the open position.
A properly designed holster would hold the sight in the closed (and off) position.

The act of drawing the weapon would allow the sight to spring forward and turn on. Holstering the weapon would turn it off.

This has the advantage of prolonging battery life and simplifying the construction since you don't need an external on-off switch.

 

[Skribs]

I was also wondering - RDS with reticles programmable via a smart phone?

 

[-v-]

Not revolutionary but is revolutionary. Say hello to the BRDS (back up red dot sights) if this thing ever gets out of the prototype stage: http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2010/04/26/hera-arms-cqs-foldable-reflex-sight/

 

[HGUNHNTR]

It is doubtful that anything truly revolutionary or advantageous tot he civilian will ever make it too the civilian market. We aren't even trusted with the latest generation of NV. Heck I can't even own a 22 rifle with a 15.99" bbl without special permission, or safety equipment like a supressor without a tax stamp.

 

[theotherwaldo]

-Now visualize this being built into the top of the firearm, set to pop up when you flip the safety.