If one looks at the history of firearms development, every once in a while a new technology comes along that becomes nearly universal.
If we start at the beginning, the movement of small cannon into hand held weaponry "created" the firearm.
Such leaps are match lock to flint to percussion to metallic cartridge.
Also the transition of smoothbore to rifled.
The invention of repeating firearms, especially the bolt action.
The change to smokeless powders.
The widespread adoption of spitzer bullets.
These transitions aren't ever clean or occur all at once. We end up with halfway technologies like wheel locks along the way, but clear trends in development are easily noted.
What do you think will be the next revolution in firearms technology? Electromagnetic "firearms" (rail guns, coil guns), lasers, caseless cartridges?
If we start at the beginning, the movement of small cannon into hand held weaponry "created" the firearm.
Such leaps are match lock to flint to percussion to metallic cartridge.
Also the transition of smoothbore to rifled.
The invention of repeating firearms, especially the bolt action.
The change to smokeless powders.
The widespread adoption of spitzer bullets.
These transitions aren't ever clean or occur all at once. We end up with halfway technologies like wheel locks along the way, but clear trends in development are easily noted.
What do you think will be the next revolution in firearms technology? Electromagnetic "firearms" (rail guns, coil guns), lasers, caseless cartridges?
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