Hey /k, want something depressing to think about? The biggest limitation of gun technology is metallurgy. Unless someone discovers a new type of metal or some magic alloy that's better than anything we currently have, we're stuck with current guns and will never progress any further.
Ok
>>65008203It's the metallurgy of the case of the cartridge that's the limiting factor, not the bolt or barrel, and there's huge advances being made there right now.
>>65008203And why wouldn't someone discover a new type of metal or some magic alloy? Those are technologies in high demand in other fields than just firearm production.
>>65008203I don't think that's true. But economy and practicality perhaps. Diamond lined barrels would increase wear resistance bigly, but it isn't exactly practical
>>65008203Noted with thanks
>>65008203Wow how hard do we need to make the recoil?
>>65008397For the cost you'll be able to make or buy several normal ones. The Glock 9mm barrel will last a good 100k rounds or more.
>>65008381because we've already hit a technological dead end for years already, why do you think other gun manufacturers have been trying carbon fiber instead? nothing much else we can do with metals
>>65008203Realistically, how do we go further? I know fucking nothing of metallurgy, but can't we make better alloys or something? Or min-maxxing materials? >>65008467>carbon fiberThat's interesting. My experience with carbon fiber as a material is that it's quite brittle.
>>65008436Yes that's exactly my point
>shell fish can grow pearls which are very hard>Those fishes that stick under your water car have very hard theets which are far more resistant than steel>Diamond which use carbon are extremely resistant and can be doped with Borons to make them far harder to crackThe future will have bio engineered sacs far more precise than any modern process even those used for microchips.
>>65008467>we've hit a technical dead end already>nothing much more we can do with metalsThis is the height of ignorance
>>65008203What's depressing about that? All the really cool guns are a century or more old anyway. Guns have been a solved technology for decades. We've been on the worse-but-cheaper side of the tech curve for a long long time.
>>65008203Schwerer Gustav wasn't made of magic metal. Modern people just lack the will.
>>65008504my guess is high entropy alloys via plasma deposition or something but this would be cool too
>>65008203>This you can trust
You can make guns of all sizes and power, but at certain points in the post-WWII era other forms of weapon and ordnance delivery are more effective.
In small arms, the next step up will be caseless ammunition. Dynamit Nobel and HK tried, but didn't quite make it
>>65013121Because caseless just means you have to use your propellant as a shitty case. Cased telescopic is the way. All of the advantages of a case while being nearly as light and small as caseless.
>>65008203What else do you want from guns? I mean, it's like saying "oi we're stuck with these swords we need better metallurgy" in 1400