For those who’re a millennial gun nerd, you in all probability grew up watching reveals like Future Weapons. I beloved Future Weapons, and I watched each episode, rising up listening to Navy SEAL Richard ‘Mac’ Machowicz inform me all about the way forward for army firearms. Mac handed away in 2017, and earlier than we dig into the Future Weapons catalog, I need to want Mac and his household honest winds and following seas.
At present we’re going to look at seven of the weapons showcased on Future Weapons and focus on the place they’re now.
7 As soon as Future Weapons At present
The IMI Tavor TAR-21
Mac launched this weapon as an assault rifle designed for troopers of the twenty first century. The Tavor collection was designed to switch the M4 and M16 collection within the Israeli army. Israel is a largely mechanized power that confronted warfare in city environments. A bullpup makes a whole lot of sense.
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The rifle used a long-stroke fuel piston, just like the AK and M1 Garand collection. The rifle was discovered to be extraordinarily dependable and straightforward to shoot. It was exported and adopted by quite a few army forces all over the world. I’m low-key jealous the Ukrainians bought a 5.45 mannequin that used AK mags.
Mac famously mentioned it matched the firepower of the M16 however was as correct as a sniper rifle. That’s a little bit of an exaggeration, however the rifle has confirmed to be fairly succesful. The Tavor served Israel effectively, however as we’ve extra not too long ago noticed, the Israeli army appears to be shifting to the M4, and the Tavor is fielded by armor and artillery crews.
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The Tavor is, no doubt, one of the crucial profitable weapons showcased on Future Weapons.
The MK 153 SMAW-NE
The MK 153 SMAW had been in service for 20 years when Mac bought his fingers on one. Mac reviewed the SMAW-NE, a sophisticated model of the SMAW firing the Novel Explosive rocket. The SMAW was the anti-armor and, effectively, anti-everything choice of the USA Marine Corps. The brand new NE warhead was designed for city warfare and for taking out entrenched troops in city environments.
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The NE rocket could be fired right into a constructing and create an excessive quantity of harm inside, which might liquefy insurgents and get rid of snipers, machine gun nests, and extra. The NE rocket labored and have become a bit legendary within the Marine Corps, though the SMAW itself was detested. It was heavy, awkward, and the recognizing rifle is meant to be semi-auto, however was principally a jam-o-matic.
The SMAW-NE labored, and the SMAW labored sufficient in order that the Mk 153 MOD 2 was adopted in 2020 to cut back weight. The Marine Corps has since eradicated the Assault Man function within the infantry and has moved to using the Carl Gustav launcher for anti-armor roles. Future Weapons has one other success story on its fingers.
The M32 A number of Grenade Launcher
As a fan of Future Weapons and a small-town dweller, I used to be shocked when Future Weapons confirmed up in my yard to shoot the M32 a number of grenade launcher. Mac confirmed up in my small city at a neighborhood protection contractor to spew 40mm rounds. I prefer to suppose I heard him capturing, however who is aware of.
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The M32 was primarily based on the Milkor MGL however produced proper right here in Florida. It’s a revolving grenade launcher that fired six rounds earlier than needing to be reloaded. That’s 5 extra rounds than the M203 that was fielded by Marines and Troopers on the time. Within the Faculty of Infantry, I used to be proud to see my hometown stamped on M32s.
The Marine Corps adopted the M32, and I noticed one in Afghanistan. The poor man needed to carry an M32 and an M4, however generally six grenades are definitely worth the weight. The weapon additionally noticed adoption by SOCOM. The M32 isn’t extensively fielded, and FN’s new MTL-30 is perhaps the substitute we’d like for a a number of grenade launcher. It was a restricted success, however successful.
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Magpul Masada Assault Rifle
It’s at all times loopy to me that so many individuals don’t notice that Magpul designed a rifle. The Masada was an enormous story when it premiered in 2006. Magpul took 4 months to develop a modular, multi-caliber, next-generation rifle. This Future Weapons episode featured a goateed Chris Costa going over the Masada with Mac on the vary.
The large trick of the Masada was its capability to simply swap between calibers through a quick-change barrel. The Masada promised ambidextrous controls, a folding and collapsing inventory, and a short-stroke fuel piston operation. Magpul licensed the design to Bushmaster, who developed it into the ACR.
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The ACR was cool…in Fashionable Warfare 2. In actuality, Bushmaster ballooned the worth to a few grand, and there was a recall early in its manufacturing. Conversion kits had been sluggish to point out, in the event that they ever confirmed in any respect. Bushmaster went bankrupt with Remington, however was bought, and there have been constant rumors that the ACR would return, however that hasn’t occurred but. I feel the ACR is a complete failure, and subsequently, the Masada is a failure.
The Metallic Storm
The Metallic Storm collection featured electronically initiated, stacked projectile weapon techniques that fired caseless ammunition. The concept was that this technique would enable for an unimaginable charge of fireplace. The 36-barrel Metallic Storm volley gun boasted the best firing charge on the earth, able to firing one million rounds per minute. These weapons had no shifting elements for biking and appeared totally fascinating. Metallic Storm produced smaller variants of the identical know-how.
This contains the five-shot MAUL shotgun that would connect underneath the barrel of an assault rifle. The US Military confirmed some curiosity on this idea, however it went nowhere. The shortcoming to simply reload fixed-stack ammunition made the weapon troublesome to make use of operationally, and there was restricted want for a volley gun.
The Metallic Storm firm entered chapter in 2012 and went defunct. The know-how was bought by DefendTex; it doesn’t look like it’s finished a lot since. It’s a failure to make sure.
Beretta LTLX7000
The Beretta LTLX7000 was a part of a particular, less-lethal episode of Future Weapons. The Beretta LTLX7000 is a devoted less-lethal shotgun that has the flexibility to regulate a projectile’s influence primarily based on the gap to the goal. Much less-lethal isn’t non-lethal, so having the ability to cut back the rate would decrease lethality.
The Beretta LTLX7000 did this via a large proprietary sighting system that was instantly related to a system of inside valves. These would be capable to change the influence power and supply a very less-lethal, lower-threat choice for these functions. It was initially developed for the Italian army however would have functions globally.
Sadly, this high-tech shotgun by no means left the event part. It was not fielded, and with the transfer to 40mm less-lethal rounds, it’s unlikely the gun will ever see the sunshine of day. It’s high-tech, fascinating, but in addition a failure.
Dragon Pores and skin Armor
My final choose is a wild card as a result of it’s not a weapon. As an alternative, it’s a physique armor system. Dragon Pores and skin armor promised extra safety than normal army physique armor. The armor’s title got here from the stacked plate system that resembled scales. Dragon Pores and skin promised multi-hit performance and claimed it allowed people extra maneuverability for the tip person.
Mac shot it with an AK, an M4, and a 9mm, and it held as much as the abuse. Essentially the most famed check was Mac strapping Dragon Pores and skin to a ball dummy and putting it on a stay fragmentation grenade. He blew it up, and frag didn’t penetrate the vest. It appeared nice, proper? Troopers bought Dragon Pores and skin; I had a buddy saving up for it in 2008.
Then it was revealed that the glue holding the ceramic scales would fail, and fail badly. The plates would accumulate within the vest, leaving enormous gaps in safety. The army banned it rapidly, prompting some backlash, however finally it was the correct resolution. This was a large failure, and Dragon Pores and skin disappeared.
The Finish of Future Weapons
Future Weapons lasted three seasons, and there have been 29 episodes masking all the things from rail weapons to tanks. It’s fascinating to see the concepts happening within the early GWOT and what the longer term held for Future Weapons.
