What is the next major advancement for pistols?

[Flechette]

If you were a gun engineer, what improvements would you make to existing pistols?

As a consumer, why would you retire your current carry piece and buy a new gun?

Where is there room for improvement?

 

[Zerodefect]

CZ Tso with a little trigger and smaller trigger guard. For a higher grip.

Thicker, grippier CZ grip panels.

2011's that aren't ugly.

2011's that accept Glock mags.

Glock 21 frame, Glock 35 slide.

Metal magwells for gen 4 Glock 21,41,40. For large backstraps.

A perfectly CNC'd 2011 that costs only $2011. Feel free to use a modern lugged barrel.

Truly adjustable grips. Like 2011 grip frames. Replace the whole assembly. Thick, thin, plastic, steel, what ever you want. I need thicker grips. A Glock 21 shaped 2011 grip frame would be perfect.

I don't think the CCW market is looking for much innovation. Many shooters still think that 3 dot night sights are acceptable. Look towards the competition side of the hobby, where every minute difference matters. And let the tech trickle down.

A home melonite salt bath machine might be a bit of wishful thinking.

 

[25-20 WCF]

This is the 21st century, yet probably 90% of pistols sold today are chambered for cartridges designed over a century ago. Most of the other 10% are chambered for copies of the same 19th century design technology - .40 S&W, 10 mm, etc. This limits what firearms designers can do. New, smaller case diameter chamberings are needed which would give the following advantages:

- higher magazine capacity with equal- or smaller-sized grips
- smaller, thinner, lighter, more concealable pistols
- equal terminal performance and/or accuracy in a smaller package
- new modified blow-back actions for simplicity
- smaller powder charges for reduced action fouling

.

 

[gc70]

Phased plasma pistol in the 40-watt range.

(you knew somebody would have to say it)

 

[C0untZer0]

I think Federal and Ruger showed with the 327 Federal Magnum that 32 caliber can be effective.

The 327 has an awfully long case, I'm not sure the exact equivalent can be made for semi-autos without losing some advantages, I do think a semi-auto 30~ish caliber cartridge with better performance than 32 ACP could be created.

Engineers could probably create a cartridge capable of putting a 32~ish caliber bullet through the FBI tests and the IWBA protocol, have the bullet penetrate between 14 and 16 inches with some expansion, and still be able to be fired from a pistol slightly smaller and slightly lighter than the current crop of 380 pocket-autos.

I could be wrong though...

 

[somethingbenign]

I asked awhile back about the effectiveness of the all copper bullets that companies like Lehigh make. If the advertising is telling half the truth I think that could develop an effective ~30 cal cartridge. Going to be an uphill battle to get people to buy into a cartridge that needs copper solids to perform as intended, most shooters I talk to don't even know they exist.

 

[labnoti]

For major advancements, integrally suppressed pistols. The Maxim 9 is a precursor, but an ugly and impractical one. It's not hard to see that if suppressors were deregulated even in a limited market the demand would extend far beyond screw-on cans. It would also affect ammo. Possibly we'd just see renewed popularity for 147 gr. 9mm vs 124gr, but there seems to be plenty of willingness for makers to take a crack at introducing new cartridges.

In another area, electronic ignition. This one would qualify as a major advancement but maybe not as the "next" one. I think it's easier to achieve than caseless ammo. Chemical primers would be replaced by battery-powered ignitors. With electronic control of ignition there would be revolutionary benefits. The "action" of a gun would be decoupled from the trigger. It would be "fly-by-wire" or "fire-by-wire" so to speak. The trigger would become a simple switch that could have any mechanical properties one desires. There would be no hammer, no striker and no springs needed to ignite a chemical primer, so cocking and energy stored in springs would be done away with. The only mechanical operations would be loading, recoil absorption and ejecting. Firing would be much faster -- meaning less time between the trigger pull and ignition. We're not always aware of the long delay while the hammer or striker falls and the chemical reaction in the primer begins until the powder is ignited, but it's there and it affects us. With electronic ignition, we'd also inevitably see computer control of the ignition -- meaning authentication, authorization, and accounting could be applied to the ignition procedure (for better or worse).

 

[JR24]

I think it'll be caliber. Something necked like the .22 TCM or the round the FK BRNO uses. Something that wows with ballistics but stays manageable with recoil.

For gun design? Just the usual tinkering with grip angle, contour and bore axis, trigger adjustments and the like, all skinned as "innovation".

 

[Texas10mm]

For major advancements, integrally suppressed pistols. The Maxim 9 is a precursor, but an ugly and impractical one. It's not hard to see that if suppressors were deregulated even in a limited market the demand would extend far beyond screw-on cans. It would also affect ammo. Possibly we'd just see renewed popularity for 147 gr. 9mm vs 124gr, but there seems to be plenty of willingness for makers to take a crack at introducing new cartridges.

In another area, electronic ignition. This one would qualify as a major advancement but maybe not as the "next" one. I think it's easier to achieve than caseless ammo. Chemical primers would be replaced by battery-powered ignitors. With electronic control of ignition there would be revolutionary benefits. The "action" of a gun would be decoupled from the trigger. It would be "fly-by-wire" or "fire-by-wire" so to speak. The trigger would become a simple switch that could have any mechanical properties one desires. There would be no hammer, no striker and no springs needed to ignite a chemical primer, so cocking and energy stored in springs would be done away with. The only mechanical operations would be loading, recoil absorption and ejecting. Firing would be much faster -- meaning less time between the trigger pull and ignition. We're not always aware of the long delay while the hammer or striker falls and the chemical reaction in the primer begins until the powder is ignited, but it's there and it affects us. With electronic ignition, we'd also inevitably see computer control of the ignition -- meaning authentication, authorization, and accounting could be applied to the ignition procedure (for better or worse).

Remington had electronically fired rifles a while back. Big fat failure. I, for one, don't want to bet my life on a battery.

 

[Texas10mm]

This is the 21st century, yet probably 90% of pistols sold today are chambered for cartridges designed over a century ago. Most of the other 10% are chambered for copies of the same 19th century design technology - .40 S&W, 10 mm, etc. This limits what firearms designers can do. New, smaller case diameter chamberings are needed which would give the following advantages:

- higher magazine capacity with equal- or smaller-sized grips
- smaller, thinner, lighter, more concealable pistols
- equal terminal performance and/or accuracy in a smaller package
- new modified blow-back actions for simplicity
- smaller powder charges for reduced action fouling

.

I swear that some of y'all only read one section of the forum.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/new-cartridge-pistol-idea-6-8mm-kel-tec.846273/

 

[tarosean]

Where is there room for improvement?

not really until we move away from our current ammunition.

 

[usp9]

I think we will see polymer cased ammo in a few years.
Smaller, brighter, more integrated lasers and lights.
User friendly red dot sights.
Lighter, stronger exotic frame materials.

 

[JR24]

I think we will see polymer cased ammo in a few years.
Smaller, brighter, more integrated lasers and lights.
User friendly red dot sights.
Lighter, stronger exotic frame materials.

I have a half box of old CCI plastic cased .38 special somewhere in my ammo locker.

 

[Mike OTDP]

Two developments.

First, much better integration of red dot sights into a pistol. Right now, it's a business of bolting a RDS onto an adapter plate...the whole assembly sticks out a good quarter-inch higher than it should.

Second, electric triggers. This will take some engineering, but it offers the potential for a trigger that would put a bullseye-tuned 1911 to shame - to say nothing of the Tupperware guns.

 

[Casefull]

No major changes for many years. Very little has changed in the past 100 years. Slightly better powder, bullets, and mag capacity. A 1911 did everything today's Guns do a long time ago. Everything is not like cell phones and even those seem to have peaked.

 

[SteadyD]

I would assume other makers will try to replicate the capacity/size of the p365 to some extent, which is a good thing. I wish more makers would do the same with revolvers as Kimber has done.

 

[George P]

With the new possible laws in OR, designing 5 round magazines will be a necessity.

 

[25-20 WCF]

I swear that some of y'all only read one section of the forum...

Swear all you want son, but what’s your point? I for one read that thread, and my opinion - which was what the
OP asked for - is in my post.


.

 

[Rock185]

Well, I can't really think of much from an engineering or consumer perspective that would constitute a major advance. Current small arms and ammunition are about as reliable as any man made implements yet produced. I have pistols and revolvers that have never malfunctioned. I think it would take some truly revolutionary technological advance to improve significantly further. I mean something further afield than the Dardick with it's Tround ammunition, the GyroJet with it's rocket projectiles,etc. Electronic triggers might sound cool, unless you've ever experienced a dead battery in a device. Practical caseless ammunition for small arms seems to be something that has been on the horizon for decades. I suppose we could have rail guns, probably single shot, with bearers to carry the battery pack, or perhaps single shot light gas guns. But absent some game-changing technological breakthrough, I think I'll stick to the light, portable, durable and reliable pistols currently available........ymmv

 

[DukeConnor]

Electronics.

Smart Glock Slide.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.th...1/24/shot-2019-radetec-smart-glock-slide/amp/

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

All polymer construction with only steel used for the barrel, breech block and a few smaller parts. Cheap, lightweight, printable, corrosion resistant, maintainance free, no user serviceable parts- disposable.

Ugh.

 

[C0untZer0]

I swear that some of y'all only read one section of the forum.

I read that thread and thought "There probably is something there..." I'm not sure if it is "6.8 KT" but there probably is room for bullet with greater sectional density that can achieve better terminal performance and be fit into a slightly smaller pocket pistol package.

 

[BSA1]

No major changes in handgun design. If you watch "Forgotten Weapons" on youtube you will see that just about everything has been tried (and why some have been forgotten).

As electronics continue to advance I think sights will get smaller and brighter.

If the political winds ever change I think suppressors / silencers will be greatly refined. There is little incentive for manufacturers to do it now as it is a small, captive field with big profits.

 

[mjsdwash]

Springfield took a Revolutionary game-changing leap of technology by telling us where to hold the thing. "Grip Zone", one of those crazy "why didn't I think of that ideas". So great, now if only they came up with a way to tell us where it shoots out of. Picture big letters screaming "SHOOT ZONE!". Im excited.

 

[mjsdwash]

I think the end of the 1911 bilboard will be the most exiting thing we'll be seeing. Metal printing will bring new designs, and revival of obsolete action types maybe.