Opinions Please - Are Assault Rifles Perfected?

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by swaghauler

I think MetalStorm's digitally/electrically detonated caseless propellant is really the wave of the future. The US Navy successfully deployed a number of 40mm MetalStorm units as a close combat weapon on ships. The ammunition is reliable and the rate of fire is INSANE.

And it was developed here in Australia too.

Yes, current caseless ammo has it's problems as I mentioned in my earlier post, but, should those problems be solved, the benefits will be huge - twice the ammo carrying capacity for each soldier just for a start, not to mention larger magazine capacity for smaller bulk. Alternatively, a larger calibre for the same (or even less) weight and bulk, resulting in greater hitting power and penetration.

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

And it was developed here in Australia too.

Yes, current caseless ammo has it's problems as I mentioned in my earlier post, but, should those problems be solved, the benefits will be huge - twice the ammo carrying capacity for each soldier just for a start, not to mention larger magazine capacity for smaller bulk. Alternatively, a larger calibre for the same (or even less) weight and bulk, resulting in greater hitting power and penetration.

The interesting thing about MetalStorm is that the "propellant" is sprayed onto the round and is totally INERT even when burned until you put the right current (in Amps, Volts AND Ohms) to it. This allows the stacking of rounds inside a barrel while still being able to fire just a single round without detonating the others. This also allows a digitally programmable rate of fire with a theoretical limit of ONE MILLION ROUNDS PER MINUTE. I think this is going to be the future of personal projectile weapons. The Navy's 40mm Grenade Launchers were originally conventional rounds with special priming that used a contact to program the fuse for either proximity or contact detonation. The launcher allowed this THROUGH the MetalStorm ignition system.

[pmulcahy11b]

Basically, nothing is ever perfected -- humans aren't capable of that. Things are modified to make them better (or worse -- or offer no improvement at all), or a (usually grudging) admittance that a new model is need (or that it is needed to go back to an earlier but better model).

No, the assault rifle is not perfected. Many of the projected future improvements are based on ammunition (whether using harder-hitting rounds or exotic rounds like caseless, case-telescoped, synthetic-cased, or electromagnetic rounds a la the original Traveller gauss rifle). Other possibilities include modified service ammunition, including flechettes and duplex ammunition. Lots of possibilities there for improvement.

Other possible improvements include a direct gas system without the problems of the Stoner direct-impingement gas system, conversion of existing rifles or new designs using a bullpup layout (something I firmly believe is far better than continually shortening the barrels of existing conventional-layout assault rifles), and better ways of attaching accessories to the assault rifle.

Other room for improvement includes better sights, particularly in the area of add-on sights (none issued to the military satisfy everyone, and different types are needed to be issued for different missions right now), muzzle brakes for SBAR that do not throw up a large exhaust and IR signature, and barrels for assault rifles that can be switched for a different barrel length by the user, and muzzles are threaded to allow suppressors or muzzle brakes to be mounted that do not require that the weapon be turned into the armorer.

And that's just what I can think of in the spur of the moment. I'm sure there's more room for improvements.

[WallShadow]

Originally Posted by swaghauler

The interesting thing about MetalStorm is that the "propellant" is sprayed onto the round and is totally INERT even when burned until you put the right current (in Amps, Volts AND Ohms) to it. This allows the stacking of rounds inside a barrel while still being able to fire just a single round without detonating the others. This also allows a digitally programmable rate of fire with a theoretical limit of ONE MILLION ROUNDS PER MINUTE. I think this is going to be the future of personal projectile weapons. The Navy's 40mm Grenade Launchers were originally conventional rounds with special priming that used a contact to program the fuse for either proximity or contact detonation. The launcher allowed this THROUGH the MetalStorm ignition system.

One very practical application I could think of would be as a "disposable" ad-hoc CIWS setup to take out drones or incoming missiles. Of course, you'd need to have incredible guesstimation skill for the missiles.

[Olefin]

From Paul -
"Basically, nothing is ever perfected -- humans aren't capable of that. Things are modified to make them better (or worse -- or offer no improvement at all), or a (usually grudging) admittance that a new model is need (or that it is needed to go back to an earlier but better model)."

Amen there Paul - never seen any weapon system that you could say was now perfect

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by WallShadow

One very practical application I could think of would be as a "disposable" ad-hoc CIWS setup to take out drones or incoming missiles. Of course, you'd need to have incredible guesstimation skill for the missiles.

That is essentially what they bought them for. The secondary use would be against small boat swarms like the boats the Iranians are using in the Gulf.