it seems like for the past 100 years or so firearms innovation has...all but stagnated. Sure someone might come out with a new rail, or a new billet lower or a lighter rifle but the fact remains, that most operating systems have been unchanged for a great many years. Direct impingement has been around well before even the ar 10 started being developed. Does anybody know of any work being done in the industry that is actually innovative?

No, but I do have a list of innovations I'm looking forward to seeing implemented.

I don't think I'd say "stagnated," though.  I'd say "plateaued."  The companies are trying, you can see that in the ludicrous number of models and configurations released anew each year.  I think we've been at this long enough that what works, has been used.  Barring a fundamentally new technology, anything we see introduced in the slug-thrower category is going to be a modification, not an innovation. 

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2014/dec/10/us-navy-laser-weapon-video

Once they make this into a rifle, then that will be truely ground breaking.
Of course, the antis will prevent it/stifle its implementation into the civie market. Only their elite bodyguards can have them.

One thing that I would really like to see be introduced are rifles that use caseless ammunition. I really do think that would change everything. You could carry more .308 than 5.56 of today, for less weight. Magazines could hold like 50 rounds of .308 easily. People really need to think outside of the box to push us into the next era of firearms design. Shoot once we come up with more efficient and powerful batteries we could even have man portable rail guns

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2014/dec/10/us-navy-laser-weapon-video

Once they make this into a rifle, then that will be truely ground breaking.
Of course, the antis will prevent it/stifle its implementation into the civie market. Only their elite bodyguards can have them.

"Firearms" to me implies by definition the use of gunpowder.  Lasers, electromagnetic rail guns, and other non-powder weapons are not in that category.

Maybe there should be a separate thread/question posed:  Are there any new technology weapons that can compete with firearms?

depends on how you define "new".

Brown rifles. Used to, all the greatest rifles were black rifles. Now they got brown ones.

I think the Kel Tec KSG is pretty innovative.  It takess a new approach to an old idea:


Or the  Kriss Vector, with internals that counteract recoil:


Maybe guns are like swords or violins... eventually there's only so much that can be improved upon.  I don't think we've reached that "plateau" point yet, but maybe we're getting close?

I'd like to see a compact carbine that can shoot a small projectile at high velocities.  Like a 5.56 being shot at 5000fps without having to go to a magnum type of cartridge.

I'd like to see a compact carbine that can shoot a small projectile at high velocities.  Like a 5.56 being shot at 5000fps without having to go to a magnum type of cartridge.

like, a 55-62 grain projectile?


mmmm, you're probably gonna have to keep dreaming on that one, dude.  short of like...a railgun.    that wouldnt be a firearm change, it would have to be at the cartridge level.

I'd like to see a compact carbine that can shoot a small projectile at high velocities.  Like a 5.56 being shot at 5000fps without having to go to a magnum type of cartridge.

I am sure barrel life would be quite short as well.

well designs aren't making a huge progress although we are taking the best of every platform and combining it for example the ARAK 21 from Faxon firearms, the kriss vector with its new downward recoil action, what i see the most innovation with has to do with manufacturing process and different finishes to increase reliability or life span, accuracy is increasing with new information on ballistics and trajectory as well as types of metals. We still use bullets cause lasers and electromagnetic are not quite there yet in efficiency and so far gun powders the most efficient and simple thing that works, although caseless could be promising i don't see another alternative so far to a big innovation and alternative to gunpowder, doesn't mean that there won't be, the biggest innovations i notice so far is the tools and accessories to make it easier for the shooter, night visions, lasers, weapon mounted lights are getting better, thermals can be mounted now, aimpoint has a lifespan of 8 years constant on, we have high power optics and great quality scopes that can see a mile out, and 50+ years ago we only had iron sights and scope quality was poor with low power magnification, tracking point scope exist now where you can do long range precision without worry about all the variables, even ballistic plates are getting more advance and lighter. I'm looking at the industry as a whole though, all of these are part of firearms, but i haven't seen a huge leap in firearm actions aside from the kriss vector and the boberg pistol created, although its not practical in my eyes

With such a mature product as firearms, most changes are going to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

I am sure barrel life would be quite short as well.

Smoothbore (like a Abrams tank barrel) and change in powder composition or electromagnetic thingy.  Now that would be innovative but I'm not holding my breath at the moment.

Smoothbore (like a Abrams tank barrel) and change in powder composition or electromagnetic thingy.  Now that would be innovative but I'm not holding my breath at the moment.

i looked around, and the upper limit of the rate of expansion on powders available to today is about 5000FPS.  and that's ignoring friction of the barrel, air resistance, and how much you would actually NEED to get that kind of energy out of a round.

getting that velocity out of a projectile is more than doubling it's energy.  that's a lot of powder.  that's more energy that a .30-06, even for hotter loads.


im pretty sure you'd NEED a railgun in this scenario.

i looked around, and the upper limit of the rate of expansion on powders available to today is about 5000FPS.  and that's ignoring friction of the barrel, air resistance, and how much you would actually NEED to get that kind of energy out of a round.

getting that velocity out of a projectile is more than doubling it's energy.  that's a lot of powder.  that's more energy that a .30-06, even for hotter loads.


im pretty sure you'd NEED a railgun in this scenario.

Don't get too wrapped around muzzle velocity/maximum travel speed.

The USS Missouri's big guns, the 16"/50 caliber Mark 7 gun,
fired projectiles weighing from 1,900 to 2,700 pounds
at a maximum speed of 2,690 feet per second
with a range of up to 24 miles.

At maximum range the projectile spent almost 1½ minutes in flight.

Don't get too wrapped around muzzle velocity/maximum travel speed.

ummm, that's the specific point being talked about.

I'd like to see a compact carbine that can shoot a small projectile at high velocities.  Like a 5.56 being shot at 5000fps without having to go to a magnum type of cartridge.

that's the original thing we were talking about.

.

i still think the Boberg pistols are really cool.

boberg xr9 is a neat design and a good attempt at changing from the traditional action, but aside from the expensive price and unnecessary amount of extra parts, i don't see it as a necessary action since, the traditional one works fine, it just makes everything more complicated then it needs to be, and cause more problems with feeding certain rounds that haven't been crimped, it rips the case right out of the bullet head in the mag and causes a catastrophic malfunction. sometimes simple is best when it comes to firearms action,