You know Guys, I got to thinking today… (prepare yourself ::))
Modern manufacturing has been moving towards modularity a great deal. Basically you can increase your profits, and production and retain quality at the same or better levels with a few new techniques. In the weapons industry we are seeing a trend away from hand fitted parts and assembly procedures that need specialized knowledge and training. This is most noteably demonstrated by Robinson Armament and the XCR, the Bushmaster ACR, as well as the Gen 4 Glocks. These guns are every bit as capable as older designs, and in some cases even more so. The parts swapabilty is allowed by the new machines that can hold closer tolerances. This increase in ability of the machines is accompanied by numerous benefits for the manufacturer, like increased production, fewer highly skilled/paid individuals needed, lower cost per employee, less need to recall weapon to factory for repairs
The benefits to a totally modular system extend beyond the the manufacturer and also benefit the consumer as well. By making a weapon modular, parts swapping is a matter of removing a few bolts and replacing the part. Further changes in caliber and configuration become a matter of choice for the user, and not a matter of knowledge or special tooling. The trade off in this eqation is that these weapons will need an initial period of use to allow the modular parts to wear together and seat properly. Not too much to ask to shoot your new gun then inspect it after a few hundred rounds is it?
What we are seeing is that while the next generation of rifles and pistols are not providing the end user with a significantly different ability to project force, they DO provide the user with the abilty to customize the weapon to meet specific mission needs in a cost effective and opportune manner.
Rifles like the AR with their removable uppers started this trend. 40+ years ago this was state of the art stuff. It is my opinion that the next generation of system has arrived and the AR has reached the Apex of it’s development. At this point there is just no reason to attempt to milk any more developments out of the system when SO much more can be had by redesigning the system to remove it’s weaknesses and deficiencies. the fact remains that there is still a significant amount of skilled labor that goes into each AR, and even by modernizing may procedures, you still do not gain anything and are simply changing things for the sake of change alone. Evidence of this is seen with the REPR. it has all of the new features, but still needs specialists to assemble and yet retains many of the deficiencies of the AR system. They would have been just better off with a complete re-design rather than applying a series of “patches” to a proven design.
I readily admit that systems like the M1 Garand, The M14, the AR-15, The AKM are all great weapons designs. Each one had a significant advancement in either technology, ballistics, or fieldability. As time went on each of the systems were improved to a point where they were the best they could be. Some like the AR, M14 and AK have gone a bit farther :-. This is the natural progression of weapons, and as each generation of warrior is trained they tend to cling to the things they know, and look with caution on new things.
I submit to you that the next generation of firearms is here. The change comes not in ballistics or in fieldability, but in LIVEABILTY, repairability and useability. This new generation will play to today’s more techically minded user, the user who wants to modify his rifle to suit him, or to adapt when he does. It will serve the user who does not want to be burdened with gunsmith fees and expensive specialized tools. This new generation will allow us to meet the more specific missions that we will ultimately encounter with the same rifle with the same handling characteristics.
There will always be clingers-on to the old ways, but time moves us forward and brings new things. The wise men will recognize when things have changed and utilize it to thier advantage. Whether we like it or not, a new generation is upon us. Take the time to learn about it and see how it can benefit you.