Does anyone have any thoughts, opinions on caseless ammunition? Do you think it is the next step for small arms weapons( speaking purely for infantry/ standard issue equipment not 3000 dollar ar15 master race buttholes) /k/ discuss...
>>30023196
>is something that already didn't work the next step
Yeah bro
>>30023204
What about textrons LSAT program?
Caseless ammo as of right now has too many problems with extraction, heat management, water resistance and general usability to be at all practical.
What we might see, and what I want to see personally is the rolling out of polymer cased telescoped ammo. So far the polymers seem to be holding up well in trials.
>>30023304
>Telescoped
Why?
>>30023316
Reducing overall length to start with. With plastic you need more of it in different geometries but it's still lighter than brass just with different properties. Keep in mind LSAT primary focuses on belt-fed firearms however they should be able to work in well designed magazines but belt-fed is the primary concern.
Basic idea is the more ammo a solider can carry within a given weight limit the more effective that solider is in the field.
>>30023354
>Reducing overall length
How does it do this? Surely you could just cut the plastic surrounding the tip of the bullet itself away and retain the same overall length? Or is it required for strength?
>>30023387
Based on what I've read it's pretty much required for current plastics to not shred themselves when trying to extract the case, also the case has to manage heat efficiently enough to remain stable.
>>30023435
Ah, makes sense. Thanks.
I can't see this ever being feasible in mg applications. The metal case acts as a heat sink (think about how hot they are upon ejection - this heat would stay in the gun without a case) so more heat = more barrel changes. What would be the purpose of exchanging ammo weight for extra barrel weight?
>>30023544
The bigger problem with caseless is the amount of heat generated can cause rounds to cook-off, which is why the G11 had 3rd burst.
By far the biggest downside to caseless is how several malfunction scenarios can put your gun out of commission until it's taken apart and worked on by a competent armorer.
>>30023544
Metal cases act as heat sinks. Plastic cases act as heat insulators. For heat, plastic > metal > caseless.
>>30023196
Polymer cased is probably what we'll be seeing in the future. Even regular cartridges with polymer casing, not just telescoping cartridges.
>>30023387
Telescoping gives a better gas seal; it's easier than making the plastic expand and cool in the chamber exactly the same way brass does.
Telescoping provides a more efficient powder burn (because of the wider flame front).
It also prevents the case from tearing when pulled to the rear by an extractor, instead, the chamber rotates 90 degrees and the case is pushed out instead of pulled.
