A lot of improvements in firearm today are done for full/semi-auto combat weapons : modular design, higher capacity devices, silencers, lights, bullpup design, tandem opticals, night-visions...etc.

Imagine waking up in the future, 100+ years from today, and saw a bolt-action of that era, and you thought "I can't believe they have this, I thought the best rifle is my--" What do you see in that bolt-action rifle?

Will it get better, or EtronX is the end?
Will bolt-action design be dropped because the ultimate locking system is born?

Inputs, ideas, wildest dreams, throw them in, can't wait to hear them, people.

Damn it, this not the gunsmithing section, oh what the hell, this section is also very popular...

[This message has been edited by Pyrotek (edited 02-13-2002).]

Laser energies,will replace cartridge cases,propellants and projectiles.

I doubt it will be a bolt action(grin)..........

Pyrotek,

One does need to factor in the political environment that unfolds.

However, assuming that the world remains roughly as it is now, I think the only changes will be refinement in manufacturing.

Shooters like to see things physically working. For example, if a push feed was worked 100,000 times without jamming, it still would not be the same as CRF. The CRF is kind of like a steam engine in that you can see it all happening and fitting together.

Here we are in 2002 and the top end of custom rifles is still refined Model 70s and Mausers. A huge percentage of the calibes in high end custom rifles will be 270 and 375.

The super expensive custom rifles will be in 416 Rigby, 500 Jefferey and 505 Gibbs.

In fact I think there are far more 500 Jeffereys, 505 Gibbs and 416 Rigbys being made today than there were in the early 1900s.

If this trend continues, then 100 years from now we will be apsiring to and paying big money for black powder rifles and calibers.

Could be 45-120-550s etc.

Mike

"Bolt action of the future?"

Let it be whatever rifles I leave behind for my grandchildren to continue to enjoy.

Or

Simply, a Mauser-actioned rifle, made out of synthetic material. Very light, mere pounds at the most. Scope will have laser-ranging, animal ID, dvd burner for those one-shot kill videos.
Ammo will be caseless, electronic primers.
~~~Suluuq

Hopefully the rifle of the future will have wonderfully figured oil-finished brown wood for the stock, fantastically deep and highly polished blue/black steel for the metal parts, and sport a fully adjustable trigger for let-off (from 3 ounces to 5 pounds), overtravel and take-up. It will also provide 5-shot groups of less than 1" at 200 yards, and weigh less than 7 pounds.

Oh...and cost around $100, including state, federal and local sales tax; state, federal and local firearms ownership tax; state, federal and local firearms transportation tax; state, federal and local firearms security tax; state, federal and local firearms energy tax; state, federal and local firearms noise abatement tax; state, federal and local firearms intimidation tax.

Steve you hit the nail on the head. If we americans can still even own a firearm 100 years from now, there will be taxes up the wazoo.

I will be optimistic and assume gun ownership will still be an option. I would expect continued advancement in propellants and projectiles.

Somehow I do not think that the majority of shooters will buy into electronics on their rifles. I certainly am not interested in having a battery-operated rifle.

Caseless ammo has been on the drawing board. That would pretty much take all the fun out of shooting for me, I like the reloading.

I would hope to see receivers made to accept and interchange optics more readily. Progress in this direction is already hapening in the M-16 series. Prarie Gun Works has incorporated a picatinny style 20 moa base into some of their receivers, so the movement is underway.

My worst nightmare would be if the Rem 710 and follow-on similar designs became the norm for the big gun makers.

And I hope laser weapons do not come to be. that would be far more boring than even the 30-06 , and would leave most of us with nothing to tinker with and argue about .

Keep your powder dry, MM

The bolt-action rifles will be around for a long time. Eventually there will be "phasers" and other weapons such as the one used in Star Trek. By that time, however, a bolt-action rifle could be a very valuable collector's item (like a very old car or something like that). Who knows...It is also possible that only the military could have the weapons!

Bolt action rifle of the future. . .

The bolt won't have locking lugs, it will use four steel balls that operate with a cam that will allow the bolt handle to fully engage the breach with only 1/8 turn. The barrel will have water cut rifling that will be rolled after the cutting to make it smooth and concentric. The metal will have more erosion resistance than the finest stainless, as light as composites, more rigid than today and wear so slowly the only reason to change barrels will be to change caliber or cartridge. The trigger will be electronic with solenoid operated firing pins that will provide lock times of less than a microsecond. The stocks will be made from genetically engineered woods that will be more stable than composits, as beautiful as they are functional, and lightweight as sugar pine. The scope will have intelligent light amplification, automatic range-finding, and preset target aquisition for the body temp of the game you are hunting.
Within the stock will be concealed an electronic stabilizer to help hold the weapon steady.

We might beable to do most of this now...

PaulS

------------------
stay safe and live long!

You will be lucky if you can even own a firearm if the media, Democrats, and the United Nations have their way. Join and support the NRA or a local group. What's a few dollars a year to preserve a freedom.

www.nra.org

There is an Air Force base in Texas that I know for sure has developed a pulse energy weapon. I have no idea if it�s microwave, ultrasonic, sound wave, or shoots green goo from recovered moon rocks.

From a reloader�s aspect, we may in the future �recharge� our bolt guns with our kid�s latest rock-n-roll CD, if it�s sound wave.

OR

Microwave ovens of the future may come with a USB port so you can charge up your bolt gun. What a concept. Shoot, cook, eat, all in 30 seconds.

Shoot safe,
Mike

Tax and politics...grown-ups do worry about more than younger people

PaulS, looks like you drew a very clear picture. The "GM tree for rifle stocks" sound really interesting, maybe one day I can actually put Tru-Oil on one or two.

Here's my bit of input, I believe in the future, high-end materials like ceramics, titanium, maybe even Stellite will be used to make parts and barrels(right now they are too expensive). I've always imagined a transparent barrel --You can see the gas flame blaze through it and also how much the barrel is fouled up. The barrels in the future will be smooth to molecular level. It would be tuned to vibrate less, will "like" most reloads.
Pyro

There will be no more lands and grooves, we will go back to a smooth bore. Modern tanks did away with the twist and the projectiles are stabilized with fins allowing velocities to be doubled or even tripled. How fast could your Swift shoot without the twist?