The Rifle of the Future

[The Comedian]

I am new, and perhaps this has been posted countless times before, but what would your dream semi auto be? I am not talking about existing models, but if you could unleash your inner John Moses Browning and design your own. What features, operating systems, caliber, etc would you chose for it?

[10-96]

For the moment, I would simply be happy with M1A's chambered in .243, .257 Bob, .260, and 7mm-08... for no more than $750.

And I guess while we're at it, why not detachable clip-fed M1's chambered in .25-06 and .270?

Ooh, maybe a beefed up (just a tad) M1 Carbine in 6.8?

[Deja vu]

a 357 magnum semi automatic. I love the round!

My second choice would be a 45-70 that can handle the Ruger #1 loads. (no your 458 Socom cannot do that)

[Jimro]

An 8 pound (with optics, empty box magazine attached) semi auto 260 Rem or 6.5 Creedmoor bullpup with a trigger that didn't suck, a 24 inch barrel with an overall profile shorter than an M16. Bottom or front eject for ambidextrous use. 1/2 MOA at 100 guaranteed.

Jimro

[tahunua001]

oh, a FS2000 that can swap between 22-250, 243 and 308 with just a barrel change. one rifle, one magazine does it all: varmints, targets, bad guys, medium game, big game.

[Eppie]

My dream gun would not be so different than my POF308.

But what I really think would be revolutionary is caseless ammo, (just solid gunpowder, primer and bullet) with substantially reduced noise so I didn't have to wear ear plugs.

Just think about it. Bullet goes out, nothing to eject, no brass to pickup and less noise. Maybe I'm thinking of Star Wars lasers.

[tahunua001]

But what I really think would be revolutionary is caseless ammo

it is already here. I don't recall the name of the weapon but the barrel is filled with ammo stacked end to end and fires the ammo sequentially, it's made up of several barrels and supposedly the rate of fire is very impressive.

[Eppie]

I think you may talking about Metal Storm type guns. They are a rail type gun. Require lot's of electricity, not portable.

[klyph3]

A ps90 scaled up to .308, the breach lock would have to be redesigned, but the bullpup layout and high capacity magazine that follows the shape of the rifle would make a very compact formidable weapon.

[Metal god]

oops

[Skans]

I would like to see a sturdy, yet light weight, .308 Carbine that has some mechanism (like the KRISS) that can tame the recoil down to that of .223, for quick semi-auto followup shots.

[Achilles11B]

A synthetic-stocked Garand in .223.

[anothernewb]

In the thoughts of firearm design I think the real revolution will come with the design of the ammo. I really think they will get off the ground soon with caseless ammo.

[Metal god]

In the thoughts of firearm design I think the real revolution will come with the design of the ammo. I really think they will get off the ground soon with caseless ammo.

Maybe it just me but have we not already been there ( musket ) .

[Fishbed77]

A synthetic-stocked Garand in .223.

Already exists. It's called a Mini-14.

[tahunua001]

nope, the mini 14 is a synthetic stocked M14 in 223.

try telling a WWII or Vietnam vet that the rifles they each used were essentially the same

I think you may talking about Metal Storm type guns. They are a rail type gun. Require lot's of electricity, not portable.

not true, rail guns operate using magnetics, the metal storm gun(that was what I was thinking about BTW, thanks for the name) stacks alternated projectiles and powder and ignites them sequentially.

if you stacked multiple rounds down the barrel of a rail gun you would have 2 problems.

1. the projectiles in front would have severely reduced velocity and assuming that they even had the energy to exit the barrel the rounds behind would collide mid flight.

2. you would be unable to fire single rounds as the projectiles also become magnetized during operation and would attract to each other.

you are correct in that it is a non portable system that requires lots of electricity to run however.

[kozak6]

Nah, all glued together in a convenient little block. Breech loaded.

My dream gun would be an inexpensive AR-15 alternative.

Something somewhere in between a Leader Arms carbine and a Keltec SU16.

Polymer lower, square metal tube upper. Simple, reliable, cheap.

[RadioFlyer8]

I would want a reliable, easy to maintain bullpup in .308. The best of all options IMO.

[Fishbed77]

nope, the mini 14 is a synthetic stocked M14 in 223.

Actually, tahuna, it's neither.

But it's close enough to the M1/M14 action design to be what Achilles11B was asking for, since firing a .223 round from the massive action of the Garand is an exercise in overkill!

[g.willikers]

Caseless ammo and guided bullets directed by laser sight.
Mini missles from a small arms device.

[Ac1d0v3r1d3]

I'd like the kind than shoots a laser. Imagine no windage or elevation adjustments.

[Jim Watson]

Somebody scoped out a laser rifle a few years ago.
It fired a 2mm IR beam with the energy of a .45ACP+P. Considered effective to 1500 metres before atmospheric effects reduced power and colimation.
The bad news was that it was a gas dynamic laser and the surge of hot gas down the lasing cavity actually generated recoil. Computed about the same as .458 Win Mag.
And it was radioactive, that is how you got six weeks of shooting on a charge.

[Ben Towe]

M-14 that takes an AR style magazine rather than that blasted "rock it in" travesty they have now.