Laser weapons, artificial intelligence and drones — oh, my!
The future of weaponry is fascinating to contemplate, and firearms are no different. Even though the guns and ammunition that people use today are virtually unchanged for hundreds of years, the add-ons such as laser sights and other bells and whistles are relatively recent introductions to our world.
What type of new technologies do manufacturers have up their sleeves for the future of firearms?
Smart Guns
You may be surprised, but smart gun technology has been around for years. Why aren’t more people aware of it? The answer may be more political than manufacturing-related, as seen by the Smith & Wesson debacle in 2000-2001.
As a leading gun manufacturer, S&W was on the outs with the government and signed a bill guaranteeing a portion of their proceeds go towards smart tech that would ensure that guns could only be used by their proper owner. A massive boycott of their offerings eventually caused them to sell to a startup company.
These weapons would have a fingerprint or other biological sensor that would preclude anyone except the owner from firing it. Another use of smart weapon technology would be for police applications — where a weapon could transmit data back to the precinct anytime a gun was removed from its holster, much less fired. Another type of smart gun was introduced in 2014, by Armatrix. The iP1 required users to wear a token ring while firing the gun — essentially a two-factor authentication before you can pull the trigger.
There are still many lawmakers pushing for this type of weaponry, but without requests coming from the buying public, this weapon tech is likely to stay inside the walls of a testing facility.
Up-and-Coming Weapons
There are several new or updated firearms hitting stores soon.
One of the most exciting advances of the year is the Ruger – PC Carbine rifle. This 9mm standout has been re-engineered to accept a variety of different magazines, such as SR9/Security 9 magazines as well as those for a Glock pattern.
Mossberg is introducing a new tactical MVP rifle — the Precision. An updated chassis with multiple barrel options as well as an adjustable stock are complementary features for the LBA trigger and Magpul MOE grip.
Lefties rejoice! A new Savage Arms – 110 Storm rifle has been developed just for you. Their range of rifles also includes the 10/110 BA Stealth, with B17 and B22 variants. Included technology allows you to set the pull preference of the trigger instead of having to visit a gunsmith to have this work performed.
There’s no question that these weapons will be exciting collectors in the coming year. While smart guns may not be something that you’re likely to see at your local firearm retailer, the smart features that manufacturers continue to incorporate provide plenty of options that will appeal to a wide range of gun enthusiasts.
~ Firearm Daily
