Greatest Black Rifle Innovation in the Last Decade

smak_daddy said:
When the flat top AR's started coming out, that was a game changer.
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Another vote for the Picatinny rail aka MIL-STD-1913 rail aka STANAG 2324 rail!
It's more than 10 year old but it's the big breakthrough in accessories and modularity.

The Picatinny rail is the PC computer of guns (rifles, shotguns and handguns).

Alex
 
Most innovative: Super V system on TDI KRISS
Most useful (most likely): ARX-160 with the quick switch on ejection (aside being complete ambi gun. P90 and F2000 is a bit unique on ejection but quickly lose to ARX-160
Old dog w/ new tricks: ACR, HK416, FN SCAR, XCD

People over praise picatinny rail, there were rail before it -Pictinny rail just standardize it.
 
smak_daddy said:
When the flat top AR's started coming out, that was a game changer.
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Besides new version of optics lights and lasers, I think to bundle it all together would be the accessories from companies like magpul & KAC.

Really all this stuff was already out there in the back ground in earlier versions and the war got things going and development on the move..

As for the gun itself, I would say things like HK416(Already done before though) piston system was a big move and the KAC E3 B. Also the new flash hiders are interesting like the Triple Tap.

Pmag was just a continuation of what was already out there and product improvement..It was not even to the Stanag or Nato spec.

Also one must consider the new materials being used on AR's and better oils being utilized as well.

KAC fully ambi lower was also a a good move as well.
 
Does the sunset of the AWB in the US count ? It seems like a lot of new products and innovations came to market immediately thereafter.

Beyond that, I would also praise the new methods of aiming the rifles, be it Aimpoint Micros, Barrett BORS system, or the advancements in IF or thermal optics.
 
Before the Pic rail there still where STANG accessory rail/mounts.

We OWN the night -- the reason for that is electro optics both II and Thermal.

If John Moses Browning was resurected today - he's be pretty unimpressed with the advances in guns.

Gene Stoner's early AR10's shot around .5 MOA when scoped -- and around 6.5lbs.


So maybe I should chnage my vote to the rail and optics.

We can see better and engage better in all environmental conditions than our enemies.
 
Optics, both the increase in quality and adoption rates (incl. NV/Thermals).
Throw an Aimpoint T-1 on an XM-177 or a CAR-15 and you can keep up with almost any modern AR in a large spectrum of shooting.

Or, the standardization of free floated guns.

Assuming we're still playing the 'decade'-ish card.
 
Greg_VP said:
I'll throw red dot style sighting systems out there, or more specifically the proliferation of sighting units like these since the War on Terror began.

The advantages that sights like the aimpoint bring to the table are pretty amazing: compatibility with night vision, speed of engagement, low light capability, both eyes open shooting.... On more than one occasion sights like these (as well as some similar illuminated magnifying optics to a lesser extent) truly made me wonder how we soldiered without these things, specifically in the arena of low light engagement.
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How old are you?

Red dot sights and the like have been around since the 1980's so not exactly an innovation of the last decade.

However having read the entire thread I see that almost every innovation posted here predates the last decade so you shouldn't be singled out.

Not much of what people think of as "new" is really all that recent. Most of the stuff suggested here is decades old.

IMO the most significant improvements in Black rifle utilization has been the proliferation of new cartridges. My favorite being the 300 Whisper which admittedly also predates the last decade but which had not been widely used previously.
 
First optics, then rails and their accesories. So you can jam 10pounds of lights and grips etc... Basically the ergos..
 
Suputin said:
Red dot sights and the like have been around since the 1980's so not exactly an innovation of the last decade.
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The Armson OEG Single Point sight, circa 1970.

http://3.bp.########.com/_femhrxbNtS0/TOiMqyJNbJI/AAAAAAAAIls/sPNNaevqHek/s320/SON_TAY_RAIDERS_02_BILLY_K_MOORE.JPG
 
^^^I remember those..."the Bindon Aiming Concept".

Rails came about in the mid 1990's if I recall correctly, still a big leapfrog in versatility. (We can explore more ways to turn that 7 lb carbine into a boat anchor) :)
As earlier mentioned, I'd vote sighting systems for rifles. There is a lot of potential in the laser rangefinding AND electronic BDC scopes for sniper and black rifles.
 
light weight Infra red lasers mounted on rifles, coupled with NVG = true own the night ability.

making a standard firearm as effective at night as during the day without having to pile on 5 lbs of hardware... that is revolutionary
 
Armex 89 in Ottawa, Diemaco had flattop C7 and C8's on display - early prototypes - but they where there.

Of course some early M16's had flattops from Vietnam era - sniper variants that where tried out. Have several upstairs here.

Colt Piston M16's (their first M16A2 attempt) circe 1964 as well.
 
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