Alright /k/, so a few things crossed my mind in terms of wepons and guns in general. The first thing I was thinking about was... when do you think the AR type rifle is going to become outdated? Do you think the U.S. military, or any other military that uses AR type rifles, are going to upgrade to some other primary weapon of choice?
As far as the second thing I was thinking about, that was..... when do you think lead projectiles or gunpowder in general become obsolete? What would be a good alternative to the bullet?
Extra points if you have any info on prototype weaponry that is in development as we speak. Thanks!
I think were going to move to hybrid casings next. No point building a heavy brass case that'll get used once (for the military) when a lighter,cheaper alternative can be built out of polymer-coated aluminum.
They would also prevent barrel warping because the polymer will prevent heat from being transferred.
Another trend I expect soon is all-steel bullets. Environmentalists will eventually demand it.
>>30592148
Sounds neato, all steel bullets huh? Would that do more damage since it's a stronger metal? Or would it do less because it won't barrel out as much on impact as lead does since it's softer?
Also what would be a good alternative to bullets in general?
not lasers. not for a long time, and most likely never in the hands of a human being. the conceivable future of small arms development's gonna be centered around ammunition like it pretty much has been for over the past century; any advancements to whatever it's being fired from is pretty much gonna be icing on the cake. it's gonna get smaller, lighter, more accurate, and generally more effective at killing shit out of a more overall compact package. in a couple decades the traditional assault rifle might be replaced by some similar to pic related in size and shape. which by then, /arg/ will be a maelstrom of shitflinging and post purchase rationalization, as its circle-jerking denizens slip further and further into a world of delusion where shelling out major shekels for an antiquated design somehow makes them part of a special club or more of a man than people with practical guns. more than usual, i mean.
>when do you think the AR type rifle is going to become outdated?
When a new cartridge comes along to dethrone 5.56. Some development that results is smaller or lighter or more effective ammo. More lethal bullets, more efficient powder, plastic cases, caseless ammo, etc. Any one of these could boot 5.56.
>when do you think lead projectiles or gunpowder in general become obsolete? What would be a good alternative to the bullet?
Honestly, centuries. Energy weapons like lasers and HERF are extremely dangerous the to people around, just the energy reflected off the target or obstacles can blind people. Electrolasers are pretty badass but they have range limitations. Plasma weapons might work if scientists are able to keep small bits of plasma together long enough to shoot someone- they carry a ton of energy and dump it fast.
>>30592071
Cricket brand cricket
More Caseless ammo would be nice
Handheld railguns or whatever the fuck. Batteries and magnets n shieeeet.
Not for a long time if ever.
better, lighter, more resource efficient bullets. possibly rail guns if we have a breakthrough in portable energy
Lasers will be the next step up. It's all just a matter of making it smaller. I think it'll first be implemented like the spartan laser from Halo and eventually it'll be like fallout style.
As far as a format change I'd say the M4 is gonna be around for a good while. It's good enough in close quarters and can pull decent ranged shots.
>>30592071
A company was showing great promise with plasma cannons, essentially. Thy then folded like a paper plane and it is assumed the government has taken over.
Great big explosions wherever the little balls of shit hit, the only problem spoken publicly was that its destructiveness severly endangered the user and even the equipment.
And then they just stopped existing.
google it yourownself ma nigga
>>30592071
We will never move past bullets in our lifetime, simply for the reason that they are cheap, easy to manufacture, and still do the job they were intended to do. The bullets and guns may change as far as material compositions, but small arms laser/rail/plasma weapons are all things of fantasy.
Realistically, why would you need anything more that a bullet when we as squishy mortals are so easily susceptible to being killed by them? Maybe if the US, the world's most well funded and advanced military presence on the planet, came up against an enemy that necessitated something more than hot lead or in worst cases, DU, but again, I don't see that happening anytime soon.
>>30592175
Prolly just coat in in plastic then. Poly coat boolets are already a thing.
>>30592148
All steel probably not
Barrel would wear out faster than Pajeet takes a shit
You need either copper or aluminium alloy jacket
Also, steel would not deform, meaning it would be AP, but less effective against sand people without any protection
Lastly, it's less dense than lead (it's like throwing ball of paper and stone, which one is likely to hurt you?)
But that said, there isn't better non toxic alternative
>>30592071
OP, a few things for you to google:
LSAT. The Army already *is* developing a replacement. To keep the controversy down while they work out the bugs, they're focusing on a SAW replacement first, but whichever ammo (caseless or polymer-cased, both also telescoped) they choose, there will be a new rifle built around it. Don't expect it to look terribly different from the AR, though.
XM-25 and Raytheon Pike missile. These are HE delivery systems for beyond rifle range. XM-25 delivers an airbursting grenade out to ~800m on a flat trajectory; Pike is an actual mini-missile fired from a M-230 or similar 40mm grenade launcher. It's laser-guided and has a range of 2km, enough to take out things like MG nests on the next mountain over.
TrackingPoint. The Army is still evaluating their smartscope, but some were sent to Afghanistan attached to sniper rifles, and reportedly were well-liked. Make sure to watch their latest videos, and consider what the system will look like in 5 years.
And, finally, look up Microsoft's HoloLens and the competing Magic Leap. What do these have to do with infantry weapons? Well, did you notice that TrackingPoint is already selling smartglasses that mirror their scope's display? What happens when every infantryman is wearing a pair of glasses equipped with some form of sensor fusion? Opposing shooters are highlighted using shot-sensing microphones (already exist), your caseless weapon adjusts aim for the conditions and fires when you put the crosshairs on target, or, if it's too far away, you switch to something larger that throws HE (possibly guided) at the enemy.
Oh, and then there's EXACTO. That stuff's spooky.
AR rifle outdated eventually, yes.
Changing to a new primary, eventually yes.
Lead and cordite being obsolete, yes and no. Other things will probably replace it, lead first. Cordite might fall out of usage some day but as far as being obsolete bullets propelled by cordite will probably always be effective.
Prototype weapons, lasers are probably going to be a big thing soon. Once they're proven effective they'll probably start getting more funding so it'll become more prolific in different uses and designs.
Also what's that one thing called pretty neat... quick kill and trophy systems. stuff like that will probably be replaced with lasers eventually.
I see modern firearms being one day seen how we see black powder wheelguns. Yeah, it's silly to have a 150-year-old design as your primary no matter the situation. They're nothing more than a relic, a novelty, a curios for collectors and enthusiasts bored with more modern designs.
But that doesn't mean .45 Long Colt won't fuck up your day.
Now I'm imagining the online discussions that will be had one day.
>someone will suggest a modern (to us) rifle, and be laughed out of the thread because why the HELL wouldn't you just by an ARX-77T phased pulser?
>someone else will claim to have defended themselves with a Glock Gen7 or a CZ-2075
>cries of LIES posted
>OP posts report, holo-footage and timestamped Springfield XZ
>50 replies
>>30592071If you're talking about actual future weapons, lasers are the definition of accurate, hit their target immediately, and have no recoil. However obviously that would mean the chassis would get extremely hot very quickly, and the more intricate a machine is, the more chance a grunt will break it.
>>30592071
>when do you think lead projectiles or gunpowder in general become obsolete?
Fully? Never. But it would be replaced by micro guided missiles and drones very soon. Projectiles weapons would be pushed out into secondary role, think of the bayonet of the musket.
>>30592471
>shelling out major shekels for an antiquated design somehow makes them part of a special club
Like 1911s and Mausers?
