Guns & Outdoors Forum

Wondering what firearms will be like in 25 years. How about 50 years? I don't mean ageless types like 1911s, they'll always be around. So what are your guesses?

Mechanically, there’s not much left other than variations on a theme.
Optics will incorporate more electronics I think.
Any new cartridges, same same, variation on a theme. Incremental niche improvements.

Other than making guns “smart”, I don’t see any earth shattering developments.

I think a paradigm shift occurred with the introduction of "plastic" guns. That was a major shift, gone are cc revolvers like it was back in 1980. I think I posed an impossible question; if you can come up with an answer you should patent it.

I could see some more bullpup configurations for mountain guns. A light short overall package with a decent length barrel could fill some niches.
The 257 Roberts has been restricted in the 25 Creedmoor we'll see how that takes off.

I think energy weapons will be the "next big thing"

Guided bullets

I think the next evolution of rifles is here and we will see a whole lot of chassis based guns from super lights to bench heavies. Chassis will become more hybrid with metal or carbon fiber skeletons covered by injection molding for light/stiff end results. Regular stocks will be getting harder to find a few years down the road.

Diver43 wrote: ↑Mon May 12, 2025 11:09 pmGuided bullets

Diver43 wrote: ↑Mon May 12, 2025 11:09 pmGuided bullets

Gene asked about the future.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YoOaJclkSZg

59 secs.

I hope the mounting systems for pistol optics get better and standardized.

Change to the gun mechanisms? Nah. Probably not much. We've been standing on the shoulders of the giants of the late industrial revolution and will likely continue to do so. Those who do not study history are doomed to buy it's old products with new labels slapped on them.

We'll probably see more anti-lead hysteria affecting our ammo. What form that will take???

The next evolution of small arms will be GPS guided projectiles...

Gila wrote: ↑Tue May 13, 2025 3:14 am The next evolution of small arms will be GPS guided projectiles...

The absolute weirdest gun I've ever worked on and made ammo for was a French M1866 Chassepot: needle fire ignition; self-expelling paper cartridge; paper patched bullet; used a compressing rubber gasket to seal the breech. But it's big claim to fame at the time was theoretical maximum range of it's comparatively small-bore (.45-ish), light-weight, high-velocity projectile.

When I was digging into various French-to-English translations of various period documents to figure out how to properly construct cartridges, a quote from one of their big military brains of the time popped out at me. Basically, he said, "New weapons, but the same men", meaning that whatever sexy tool the egg-heads come up with must be understood by the field-plowing moronic conscripts who will ultimately be using it. . .and most of them simply can't wrap their heads around the notion of a ballistic arc - at least not without more of a training budget than ANY military is willing to throw at the problem. We saw the ultimate evolution of this disconnect between the engineers and the troops by WW1 - - infantry rifles made with sights graduated out to 2,000 yards, but opposing front line trenches stabilized within the 300-ish yard point blank range of their cartridges.

The cognitive limits of the "nut behind the trigger" are always going to be the weak link, so the closest thing we're likely to get to a GPS guided projectile will probably be drones steered by junior officers, NCO's or specialists - possibly replacing at least the sniper aspect of small arms. Why give away your position with a gunshot when you can attack from a completely different direction?

I could definitely see improvements in materials, more use of electronics in optics, and possibly improvements in projectiles... maybe if there were stronger materials in chambers/ barrels/ lockup maybe more powerful ammunition in smaller and lighter cartridges.

But different operating systems of 'firearms'? Probably not. Every way to make a repeating firearm I can think of had been tried- Blow-back, blow forward, Revolver, gas operated, roller delayed, wedge delayed, gas retarded, rotating barrel, electrically operated, electronic ignition, even that weird dissimilar metals delayed action in the original Tommy guns. It looks like they have all been tried, and we have all settled on the 4 or 5 that work the best. Maybe rail guns will work in the future? ...but only if power sources and magnetic coils get a lot smaller and lighter

Now, energy based weapons? Lasers, projected energy, plasma, maybe even sonic type weapons? Maybe. But again, there would need to be a lot of innovations and lessening of govt regulations for people to start tinkering with that stuff in garages and workshops.

All of the big innovations in weapons technology were done by people coming up with an idea and having the freedom to tinker with it at home. Look at the stories of JMB, Eli Whitney, Sam Colt, Dan Wesson, Benjamin Henry, etc... almost all of the ones that truly innovated started tinkering and building guns at home or at a personally owned business. Now that Mfg FFLs are so tightly controlled, everyone is just making slightly 'improved' versions of existing designs.

Lighter, faster, simpler..

Diver43 wrote: ↑Mon May 12, 2025 11:09 pmGuided bullets

Trackingpoint did this years ago

Not as different as you might think. What were they like 25 years ago? Short of some massive breakthrough in physics, much the same as today. As said optics, auto aiming, will be the difference.


Man portable directed energy weapons will be a ways off.

How they are mounted an used will be the big difference. Drones, robots, AI controlled auto guns, any sort of autonomous platform.

How about rail guns? Magnetic launch?

The other thought is case less cartridges. They have been around since the 1850's and IIRC there was one in the late 60's. New propellants and ignition systems could solve the fouling problems.

Freezer wrote: ↑Tue May 13, 2025 9:25 pm How about rail guns? Magnetic launch?

The other thought is case less cartridges. They have been around since the 1850's and IIRC there was one in the late 60's. New propellants and ignition systems could solve the fouling problems.

Daisey, yes the BB gun maker, offered a caseless rifle and a .22 round back in the 60s (IIRC). It didn't go over, lots of problems with the cartridge. You can still find the rifle and the cartridges occasionally. Not much collector interest.

Gene L wrote: ↑Tue May 13, 2025 11:05 pm

Freezer wrote: ↑Tue May 13, 2025 9:25 pm How about rail guns? Magnetic launch?

The other thought is case less cartridges. They have been around since the 1850's and IIRC there was one in the late 60's. New propellants and ignition systems could solve the fouling problems.

Daisey, yes the BB gun maker, offered a caseless rifle and a .22 round back in the 60s (IIRC). It didn't go over, lots of problems with the cartridge. You can still find the rifle and the cartridges occasionally. Not much collector interest.

Gene
That is a Daisey VL rifle. I have one. It is slow to load, but fairly accurate out to 25 yards.
The ATF said that's a gun and shut it down

Freezer wrote: ↑Tue May 13, 2025 9:25 pm How about rail guns? Magnetic launch?

The other thought is case less cartridges. They have been around since the 1850's and IIRC there was one in the late 60's. New propellants and ignition systems could solve the fouling problems.

The problem with caseless wasn't so much fouling (in the smokeless era) as chamber erosion. Brass being a heat sink, it takes the main brunt of that attack. Of course, the main player (HK) was tinkering with a super hot smallbore, so that may have been part of the problem too. Then you have to make it durable enough for handling and ignition-resistant enough so that some idiot doesn't blow up a whole ammo can by dropping a cigarette into it.

Orrrrrrr. . .you can use cartridge casings.

This is a problem with fingerprint safeties. This tiny scratch kept me from unlocking my phone today. I could still unlock it with a code but that took time.

Freezer wrote: ↑Tue May 13, 2025 9:25 pm How about rail guns? Magnetic launch?

The other thought is case less cartridges. They have been around since the 1850's and IIRC there was one in the late 60's. New propellants and ignition systems could solve the fouling problems.

Both are possible mini rail guns with high energy density batteries

Caseless was done by Daisy the compression ignited the propellent glued to the back of a lead pellet. Daisy dropped the product the second ATF categorized the technology as a firearm.

jbp-ohio wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 8:46 pm This is a problem with fingerprint safeties. This tiny scratch kept me from unlocking my phone today. I could still unlock it with a code but that took time.

20250611_105525.jpg

That’s why you have the capability of saving I think up to 4 fingerprints. Orrrrr buy a new iPhone. I’d have to lose my face to have a problem.

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Thu Jun 12, 2025 4:12 am

jbp-ohio wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 8:46 pm This is a problem with fingerprint safeties. This tiny scratch kept me from unlocking my phone today. I could still unlock it with a code but that took time.

20250611_105525.jpg

That’s why you have the capability of saving I think up to 4 fingerprints. Orrrrr buy a new iPhone. I’d have to lose my face to have a problem.

You know a photo of a face will get you access to a phone too!

Elk Creek wrote: ↑Thu Jun 12, 2025 5:17 pm

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Thu Jun 12, 2025 4:12 am

jbp-ohio wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 8:46 pm This is a problem with fingerprint safeties. This tiny scratch kept me from unlocking my phone today. I could still unlock it with a code but that took time.

20250611_105525.jpg

That’s why you have the capability of saving I think up to 4 fingerprints. Orrrrr buy a new iPhone. I’d have to lose my face to have a problem.

You know a photo of a face will get you access to a phone too!

Incorrect.