Future of Assault Rifles

Looking over some weapons designs in the past few days has got me wondering:

What's there to improve on in terms of firearms?

Have we reached the evolutionary peak of firearms, to the point where they can't be developed any further?

Take for example, the HK G36. It has almost anything a soldier would need, and it requires very little training to use. Some features:

Integrated 3x Scope w Red Dot
30rd/100rd C-MAG (5.56/.223)
Easy to use (Insert mag, pull back charging handle!)
Theoretically self cleaning (Unlike the M16)
Lightweight, extensive use of composites
Accurate (Effective range ~800m)
Modular, 3 primary variants-G36,G36K,and G36C, all suiting different size preferences

Is there any way we can improve on current assault rifle technology? I can understand "future" technologies, such as 'Gauss' weapons and laser guided bullets. But, for example, is a change in cartride in order? The current intermediate cartridge (5.56/.223) has proven to be underpowered, and the 7.62/.308 is to powerful for automatic fire. What do you guys think?

-Expect to see caseless ammunition completely replace cased rounds.

-Expect new advances in materials technology that will make assault rifles lighter and stronger.

-Expect new sights that measure windspeed, pressure, distance to target, everything.

-Expect in-rifle computers that monitor ammunition fired and diagnose any problems with the weapon.

-Expect rifles to be more powerful and accurate but lighter and smaller than current equivalents.

-Expect the 6.8 SPC and similarly sized rounds to be the intermediate round people expect, OR expect the recoil from .308 type rounds to be better managed.

That's just off the top of my head, I'll post more later.

well, some things i can think of that can help... soem of it is from rpg games, admittedly, but the ideas behind it were sound

caseless ammo - lighter, can make for a sealed firing chamber, less parts, etc.
--- possibly lighter = more ammo carried
--- more ammo carried = possibly higher rate of fire

better compensation - devices to reduce kickback, recoil, etc.

simpler designs - less points of failure


i think the biggest improvement would be a system that allows you to 'see' what eh gun sees and a potential trajectory superimposed over your vision in some manner (yay simple crosshairs!) without needing to use the sights unless you really really want to. more freedom of movement, etc.

reply to post by hpsfl

A brand new CBAR (curved barrel assault rifle) has been unveiled,

a bullet that doesn't kill? but just knocks down the enemy soldiers and they wake up after the war?
or until they respawn

Next Gen assault rifles would have the following characteristics:

- chemical-free: no gunpowder, oil, etc.
- caseless
- higher-velocity that is many times more than today's weapons
- near-straight shot: bullet goes straight for a long time with little or no arc
- extreme range beyond 1.5 miles (2400m)

I am talking about man-sized railguns. That will be the future.

Light-based weapons may be within our lifetime. But I think railguns would be first to be widely-distributed before laser guns.

Caseless ammuninition has always intruiged me, because there's so many ways to do it. You can also pack toones of potential energy in a casing, depending on the chemical make-up, as opposed to gunpowder. Would you guys see: Gels, paper-encased, or bonded powder as the future?

Whats the future of assault rifles? Most likely whatever the M-16 replacement, the M-8, turns out to be when its introduced in 2010. So far the Magpul Masada has set the standards that everyone else will use as a guideline. Theres just nothing it cant do. The only thing that will push it over the top is when either the
current model is redesigned to fire from an open bolt as yet another of its endless list of options or if Magpul/Bushmaster will release it with that option as
the next generation of the current weapon.

To clear things up a bit, go to AR-15.com for more information on the Masada as they lay out why it outclasses every other assault rifle on the planet quite clearly.

Theres an M-4 system out in limited numbers right now called the IAR. Go to YouTube and search Futureweapons and look for IAR assault rifle. I must admit. Its the baddest member of the M-16 family Ive EVER seen! As the result of a design request directly from the USMC its an M-4 with the ability to go from a standard firing M-4 to an open-bolt fully automatic light machine
gun at the flip of a lever.

It goes from a 550 rpm M-4 to a 1,550 rpm fire breathing monster in a couple of seconds! Impressed the hell outta me thats for sure.
Design this into the Masada system and you give the operator the ultimate modular assault rifle. Imagine having the ability to turn your assault rifle into
a squad automatic weapon in ANY CALIBER you want!

Things are going to get very interesting as Colts contract with the Pentagon draws to an end in 2010.

Originally posted by Reise Reise
Whats the future of assault rifles? Most likely whatever the M-16 replacement, the M-8, turns out to be when its introduced in 2010.

XM-8 was cancelled in '05.

Anyways I wouldn't see a AR with a massive ROF as the future, espescially with the introduction of heavier calibres. It would be horribly ineffectient to equip every GI with a C-MAG, no less a minigun! 1,550RPm would also melt the standard M4's barrel, making necessary to increase the barrel weight to that of the Browning M2HB.

All in all increased ROF is horribly inefficient, unless it's for CQB

Sure seems like we go over this a bunch. Anyway, as a NFA dealer I have or have had damn near everything new in this area for police demos. First the G36 SUCKS. Even HK hates the damn things. The handguards can and do melt. That is why Knights came out with the RAS for it. They do stay clean, but no gun self cleans I WISH. The reason is the gun is piston driven, so it is better than the old M16 system in that area. Less gunk coming back and all. The G36 also uses over pressure blowout things under the chamber. You get a hot round and those blow out for safety. I have never seen this happen but it still is a odd feature. When we went to Germany and took the HK tour the gunsmiths were pissed that they had to waste such awesome French steel on what they look at as low end guns. They did love the UMP45, which I do too. But their baby was still the MP5 and the new 416 and 417. I could go on all day about this, so I will stop here with what I think the future is. Colt has had a nice long run making crap. HK is too expensive for the military too buy in bulk. So that leaves us pretty much with the FN SCAR. I will bet that in 10 years the FN SCAR is the new military rifle, and the HK45 is the new handgun. Anybody want to wager on this. I also think that Barrett will be replaced with the new Bushmaster .50 . They bought Cobb and have set up too build like 15000 of these things. Only one country I can think of would buy that many .50BMG sniper rifles USA

[edit on 24-4-2008 by TXMACHINEGUNDLR]

The G36 is treated a bit unfairly in these discussions. Yes I agree, compared to some really high-end weaponry it does "suck".. or at least, it has so many little deficiencies, everyone for itself not THAT significant, that in the end it only is a class B product.

The thing is, the G36 was built with the intention to be a western AK47; a rather cheaply made, one-size-fits-all weapon to improve the performance of the predominantly conscription-based german infantry of the early nineties. It is rather easy to maintain, around a dead solid and very reliable gas system and the dual optics system was unheard of before, and helped to vastly improve the accuracy of the non-professional soldiers. And that job it still does well

It was never designed and built to cater to trained professionals in high intensity firefights.

I reckon were going to start and see the emergence of weapons which don't use explosive rounds.

Well it seems the bulletproof vests are catching up with firearms now....

dragonskin has its issues but eventually we will see bulletproof vests capable of stopping 7.62 nato at practically pointblank...

We need quite a bit more powerfull bullets then.

reply to post by Lonestar24


That I agree with 100 percent. For a quick engagement they would be awesome. But as a warfighting rifle they are horrible. But that said I think the current M4 sucks even more. Sig 55X series is much better all around and the SCAR even more so. Another problem with the G36 is the barrel is too thin. That becomes a big problem when you add a suppressor or shoot say 240 rounds in a quick string. Our local PD turned them down because the lop was too long. The folding stock on all but the C are too damn long. Set up for Germans that are 6'3 and not the rest of us 5'10 guys.

reply to post by belsam


Not in our lifetime. The days of the laser pistol are a looooooooooooooooong way off. With what they could make now, you would have too follow the bad guy with the laser burning him...lol...which funny as that might be, will not win over the military or shooters.

The answer to what to improve on firearms is actually a revolutionary design that doesn't use any moving parts.

I'm sure you've all heard or seen Metal Storm tested on the discovery channel?

Future of Firearms

They've already made a handgun version.

reply to post by TXMACHINEGUNDLR


No I meant using magnets to fire projectiles and stuff.

I THINK IT IS A SHELTERSHOT RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIFLE.

TXMCHNEGUNDLER...

The G-36 sucks? Youre the first person Ive ever heard say that but Im taking your opinion seriously being a licensed dealer. I go shoot at local ranges in MD and VA. pretty often. The two times Ive even seen one on the range everyone gasped at its presence and after the shooter leaves with it then its hours of non-stop "German perfection" talk.

Of course neither time did either owner allow anyone near their HK. Was saving up for the 6.8 Barrett but now my moneys going to Bushmaster for an ACR.