Uzi Gal, the man who single handedly armed Israel, died yesterday at 79. The Uzi submachine gun is probably the second most recognized weapon in the world (behind the AK-47)
Of the three greats of this century, only one of them is left. Eugene Stoner - gone. Uzi Gal - gone. Only Mikhail Kalashnikov if left, and it won't be long for him, unfortunately.
Firearm development has all but stagnated. Who's taking their place?
True, and I really like the look of the new P90, but they also show the problem. Firearms of today are more than understandable to people like Browning and Maxim. These gunsmiths could recognise these weapons, and understand them instantly. The AR15/M16 platform is *45 years old*.
Its almost as if all PCs were still using 8088 chips.
There's no designer currently working that will change firearm technology like Browning did. Does this mean that chemical-burning slug-throwers are becomming obsolete?
You see, many current designs are more accurate than the shooter, fully capable of killing within it's effective range, and have an effective range longer than most human's can emply.
Also, manufacture cost is down, the weight is low enough to carry a reasonable load, and the actual physical size of the most modern designs are approaching the smallest a human being can handle with the human hand and shoulder effectively without something like an exo-chassis or other mounting utility.
Until the current crop are required to operate in either a different environment, become inefficient to produce compared to a newer technology, or can no longer effectively engage their intended targets...
...Progress will be slow and focus on modularity, efficiency of production, refinement for reliability, and simple ergonomics and efficiency of human use...
The really interesting things going on now seems to be the miniturization and incorporation of electro-optical devices to simplify target acquisition (Thermal Weapon sights, holographic technologies) and accuracy or enabling of semi-intelligent munitions...
...Like the OICW's 20mm rounds, and (potentially) self guiding munitions in the near future...
...Another interesting twist, to me, is the incorporation of the weapon and sensor/communication suite as used for the Land Warrior experiments.
They may be like PC's still using the 8088, but the targeting devices are powered by a Pentium 4 and the ammunition was designed on a Power PC...
Don't get me wrong, and this may sound like blasphemy, but Browning wasn't such a progenitor of new ideas...
...just extraordinarily talented at turning general ideas and desires into the most efficient, effective, simple, and reliable designs that could make it into service.
Basically making the guns that could accomplish 90% of all it's potential tasks consistantly and good enough to make them very hard to replace without a lot of pain...
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The Great Ones are Remembered
Eugene Stoner - gone. Uzi Gal - gone. Only Mikhail Kalashnikov if left, and it won't be long for him, unfortunately.
Firearm development has all but stagnated. Who's taking their place?
Re: The Great Ones are Remembered
Re: The Great Ones are Remembered
Its almost as if all PCs were still using 8088 chips.
There's no designer currently working that will change firearm technology like Browning did. Does this mean that chemical-burning slug-throwers are becomming obsolete?
Re: The Great Ones are Remembered
Human Specifications are limiting the progress.
You see, many current designs are more accurate than the shooter, fully capable of killing within it's effective range, and have an effective range longer than most human's can emply.
Also, manufacture cost is down, the weight is low enough to carry a reasonable load, and the actual physical size of the most modern designs are approaching the smallest a human being can handle with the human hand and shoulder effectively without something like an exo-chassis or other mounting utility.
Until the current crop are required to operate in either a different environment, become inefficient to produce compared to a newer technology, or can no longer effectively engage their intended targets...
...Progress will be slow and focus on modularity, efficiency of production, refinement for reliability, and simple ergonomics and efficiency of human use...
The really interesting things going on now seems to be the miniturization and incorporation of electro-optical devices to simplify target acquisition (Thermal Weapon sights, holographic technologies) and accuracy or enabling of semi-intelligent munitions...
...Like the OICW's 20mm rounds, and (potentially) self guiding munitions in the near future...
...Another interesting twist, to me, is the incorporation of the weapon and sensor/communication suite as used for the Land Warrior experiments.
They may be like PC's still using the 8088, but the targeting devices are powered by a Pentium 4 and the ammunition was designed on a Power PC...
Don't get me wrong, and this may sound like blasphemy, but Browning wasn't such a progenitor of new ideas...
...just extraordinarily talented at turning general ideas and desires into the most efficient, effective, simple, and reliable designs that could make it into service.
Basically making the guns that could accomplish 90% of all it's potential tasks consistantly and good enough to make them very hard to replace without a lot of pain...