What might be the next innovation in handguns?

gbclarkson said:
I'm not sure, but the next generation of small arms will have to cycle reliably in outer space.
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That's a clever insight. I nominate revolvers, but I can't think of any reason other actions couldn't be made to work. Current ones might not do so reliably, but they might only require minor adjustments. While the potential for armed-combat in orbit looks imminent, I'm not sure handguns will be the first choice of weapon. Similarly, while the prospect for combat away from orbit seems improbable for some time to come, I can't imagine a Mars expedition would go unarmed. It's not that we'd expect dangerous green men or something, but the more people that go and the longer they're out there, the greater the chance there will be a need for the use of force. Current travel times to Mars on Hohmann Transfer Orbit is about 7 months, but could be as much as 9 months. Then there is the stay and another 9 months or so return trip.

There are handguns on the ISS.
 
bill460 said:
They tried that with the Gyrojet Pistol in the 60's. It was a massive failure. Ammunition was expensive and unreliable. And it took too much distance for the rounds to build velocity. By the time the projectile got up to speed, the target was too far out of range to assure any type of reliable hits with a handgun. And it was as inaccurate as a lawn dart thrown by a drunk.
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Gyrojet? 1960's? Well I'll be damn... Okay, stay with me. Cartridges that don't have a round cross-section! I'm thinking three sides will be optimal.
 
Polymer frames and "safe action" trigger systems didn't change anything. The triggers might have made a possible reduction in the number of cops being shot by other cops while playing "Quick Draw" in the locker room. Polymer frames are about weight reduction and nothing else.
"...pressure on the trigger face reaches a predetermined point, the weapon fires..." All triggers do that now. Electric triggers aren't new either. They've been on target firearms for eons.
"...cycle reliably in outer space..." Firearms will do that now. Including the use of smokeless gun powder. Smokeless gun powder creates its own oxygen for the burn. The issue is with the physics that will send the shooter backwards at the same velocity as the projectile goes forward.
"...Most people cannot rack the slide..." Nonsense. And "adolescent and teen" are the same thing. "Lighter, shorter trigger pulls" do not exist in factory firearms. And they will not happen in factory firearms unless the U.S. Courts start throwing our or refusing to hear all the frivolous law suits. There's a class action suit that has been filed, up here, against S&W trying to blame them for the actions of a criminal nut case. Said nut case obtained the pistol illegally from gang bangers. Highly unlikely it'll be heard though. Our Courts really dislike people wasting the Court's time.
"...a plastic slide with a steel subframe..." That's not a plastic slide. It's steel covered with plastic. Just like all Glocks.
"...They tried that..." HK tried caseless ammo too.
There needs to be a totally new energy source that does not create recoil. Not sure if that's possible.
 
Gyrojet? 1960's? Well I'll be damn... Okay, stay with me. Cartridges that don't have a round cross-section! I'm thinking three sides will be optimal.
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You're kidding, right? Surely you have heard of the Dardick magazine fed revolver (that, too) and its Tround ammunition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psrZXa2WeQE

Not to mention the HIVAP open cylinder, Tround firing machine gun. Rotary barrel, dual feed, firing two barrels per cycle. 30,000 rounds/min, the idea being that a jet plane is so fast, you are only going to be on target for a very short time, so you have to put out a lot of bullets to get hits and do damage.
 
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T. O'Heir said:
Polymer frames and "safe action" trigger systems didn't change anything. The triggers might have made a possible reduction in the number of cops being shot by other cops while playing "Quick Draw" in the locker room. Polymer frames are about weight reduction and nothing else.
"...pressure on the trigger face reaches a predetermined point, the weapon fires..." All triggers do that now. Electric triggers aren't new either. They've been on target firearms for eons.
"...cycle reliably in outer space..." Firearms will do that now. Including the use of smokeless gun powder. Smokeless gun powder creates its own oxygen for the burn. The issue is with the physics that will send the shooter backwards at the same velocity as the projectile goes forward.
"...Most people cannot rack the slide..." Nonsense. And "adolescent and teen" are the same thing. "Lighter, shorter trigger pulls" do not exist in factory firearms. And they will not happen in factory firearms unless the U.S. Courts start throwing our or refusing to hear all the frivolous law suits. There's a class action suit that has been filed, up here, against S&W trying to blame them for the actions of a criminal nut case. Said nut case obtained the pistol illegally from gang bangers. Highly unlikely it'll be heard though. Our Courts really dislike people wasting the Court's time.
"...a plastic slide with a steel subframe..." That's not a plastic slide. It's steel covered with plastic. Just like all Glocks.
"...They tried that..." HK tried caseless ammo too.
There needs to be a totally new energy source that does not create recoil. Not sure if that's possible.
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Besides weight reduction polymer frames also noticeably reduce the cost of the firearm through the use of injection molding. While many might argue that this is predominantly enjoyed by the manufacturer, it has also allowed a wide assortment of very affordably priced firearms that are also quite reliable. One person might not care, but reliable firearms that can be owned by the masses is something worth noting imo.

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There needs to be a totally new energy source that does not create recoil. Not sure if that's possible.
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Probably not. I once read an engineering study of a hypothetical gas dynamic laser rifle. It was to energize an IR beam with a delivered energy of something like .45 ACP +P.
But the surge of gas along the lasing tube generated recoil comparable to a .458 Win Mag.
 
I'm not sure, but the next generation of small arms will have to cycle reliably in outer space.
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I was joking... I was trying to poke fun the current political climate. I apologize for not inserting a smiley face after my post.:rolleyes:
 
More conceal ability and capacity seems to be what’s ‘in’ now, more so in the 9mm, I would think they would develop larger calibers in smaller fire arms. Sky’s the limit but the money is where what the consumer wants.


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I'm not sure, but the next generation of small arms will have to cycle reliably in outer space.
Click to expand...

This comment may have been tongue-in-cheek, but any modern firearm should in theory cycle just fine in the vacuum of space, since modern smokeless powder contains its own oxidizer.
 
There needs to be a totally new energy source that does not create recoil.
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Why?
Maybe people just need to learn to shoot, and recoil is a part of it!
Until the last ten or so years that has been the case. In all but the most powerful magnums, nobody cared about a little recoil. Those that shot the "big guns" knew, appriciated and respected the power in their hands.
Seems like in the past ten years or so there has been an influx of hyper sensitive people buying guns that don't understand the basic princilpe of equal and opposite force.
 
I think the next manufacturer to introduce a magazine that comprises the main grip or a substantial portion of it would be a small game changer. Imagine the capacity of the whole pistol grip as a magazine instead of what you can cram into a magazine and then cram into the grip... Glock 17 with a 30 round mag.

If the gun control folk take over enough seats and the Presidency I could see mandated keyed safeties kinda like what Taurus puts on their stuff so a loaded gun can't be left around.
 
It sounds far out, but the technology isn't as extreme as it seems. With the quality graduates produced by the university system these days, I think we have the right stuff to see a prototype in the 2020s.
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I'm not sure, but the next generation of small arms will have to cycle reliably in outer space.
Click to expand...

Are you sure? We can’t even go to the moon anymore....I literally mean we don’t have that capability.

From my point of view, the 1911 is still pretty innovative.


I think innovation will come in successfully marketing and producing a women’s handgun. Sure, we have had J frame Ladysmith and pink pistols, but I mean real women’s guns. I’m thinking I frame 5 shot 38 s&w, a small 9x19 or 380 that really fits most smaller women’s hands, etc. It would have to be ultra easy to rack the slide too.
 
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What ever it may be, you can rest assured it will have an optical sight and be a 9mm.

Being an old geezer, who only occasionally crawls out from under my rock, I will probably be underwhelmed. (lol)

Dave
 
Why?
Maybe people just need to learn to shoot, and recoil is a part of it!
Until the last ten or so years that has been the case. In all but the most powerful magnums, nobody cared about a little recoil. Those that shot the "big guns" knew, appriciated and respected the power in their hands.
Seems like in the past ten years or so there has been an influx of hyper sensitive people buying guns that don't understand the basic princilpe of equal and opposite force.
Click to expand...

The .40 was introduced in 1990 specifically because of recoil concerns around the 10MM. Prior to this the FBI authorized both a .38 Special load and a .357 load in its handguns and most agents are said to have qualified with and opted for the former.

This idea that recoil sensitivity is a new thing ignores premises that suggest, strongly, otherwise.
 
Lohman446 said:
The .40 was introduced in 1990 specifically because of recoil concerns around the 10MM. Prior to this the FBI authorized both a .38 Special load and a .357 load in its handguns and most agents are said to have qualified with and opted for the former.

This idea that recoil sensitivity is a new thing ignores premises that suggest, strongly, otherwise.
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Yup, and some of 'us' aren't just wimps but actually have damage to their wrist/thumb that makes 'recoil' a BIG issue if they really want to often shoot the guns they own(which I do..no safe queens for me thanks).
 
The .40 was introduced in 1990 specifically because of recoil concerns around the 10MM. Prior to this the FBI authorized both a .38 Special load and a .357 load in its handguns and most agents are said to have qualified with and opted for the former.

This idea that recoil sensitivity is a new thing ignores premises that suggest, strongly, otherwise.
Click to expand...
So my time frame may have been off a bit. But I'm betting Elmer Keith would disagree with the premise that learning how to shoot a hard recoiling gun isn't the answer.
 
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