Firearms (or families of said) that you don't think were fully developed to their potential?

[CountryGent]

The jokes we're making in the meme thread reminded me of a conversation on Forgotten Weapons about firearms that, for one reason or another, were good but never really progressed a whole lot beyond the initial design. Ian seemed to think the FAMAS rifle fielded by our French allies (and some others) was one such family of firearms.

What are some you'd think fell into that category? That being a solid design, but never really went as far as it could for whatever reason (e.g., company folded, the country fielding it lost a war, it was replaced by something else and never went further, etc.).

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[Stomper]

That's easy, the STG44

 

[Hueco]

Schofield revolvers / top breaks.

 

[Nosferatu]

Bren Ten

 

[Koda]

the Bren Ten

 

[TTSX]

I would take what stomper said a step further and say anything the third Reich had it's hands on. I like to think if the war went on, the German engineers would have put us decades further ahead in all aspects of technology as a species, though it would have come at a steep price

 

[CountryGent]

That's easy, the STG44

Funny you mention it, because it was the rifle I was thinking of when I posted. It was ahead of its time, but didn't go much further due to Axis defeat. I know the Argentinians made a reverse engineered copy* in the late 40s and early 50s, but dumped it for the FN FAL pattern rifles. But that isn't much in the way of further development.

* These.

Schofield revolvers / top breaks.

Agreed. Naturally, the concept was popular in the 19th and early 20th century. And it lingered on with our British allies in the form of the Webley and Enfield wheelguns. But there isn't much in the way of them now. It would be great to see some modern designs with such.

 

[Knobgoblin]

I know this is silly.

Gyrojet. I have no idea if it's unimprovable, but it's always fascinated me.

 

[USMC-03]

AR-180 Superior to the early AR-15 IMLTHO but unfortunately overshadowed too early.
Browning Hi-Power I've always thought a version in 10mm and perhaps .45 ACP is needed.

 

[Koda]

Browning Hi-Power I've always thought a version in 10mm and perhaps .45 ACP is needed.

Ive always wondered why the Hi-Power was never more popular than it is. Grant it does have a strong cult like following today but.... in 1934 it was the first "high capacity" pistol years ahead of todays capacity.

 

[Diamondback]

Thompson. The unbuilt M3 design was supposed to add an ambi charging handle and a number of other improvements.

 

[CountryGent]

Ive always wondered why the Hi-Power was never more popular than it is. Grant it does have a strong cult like following today but.... in 1934 it was the first "high capacity" pistol years ahead of todays capacity.

I too never understood why they were not more popular. My father was a huge fan of them, along with some Astra pistols. Well, until the Glock became widely available.

Thompson. The unbuilt M3 design was supposed to add an ambi charging handle and a number of other improvements.

Interesting. I will need to research this, though "M3" is throwing back about a bajillion false positives on search, because the grease-gun is named so.

Parenthetically, the Hyde/Marlin M2 submachine-gun is interesting. Visually it looks like a Thompson and a M1 Carbine had a baby.

 

[AK0perator47]

41 magnum… anything in 6.5 Grendel… every single Keltec! They have great ideas but the grips are atrocious and everything is lackluster as far as their design… ALL Bullpup shotguns and how they eject shells onto your wrist! Other revolvers that shoot like a Chiappa

 

[Diamondback]

Interesting. I will need to research this, though "M3" is throwing back about a bajillion false positives on search, because the grease-gun is named so.

Parenthetically, the Hyde/Marlin M2 submachine-gun is interesting. Visually it looks like a Thompson and a M1 Carbine had a baby.

I don't remember if it was in Helmer's books or one by one of the Iannamicos. If you reach out to Thompson Collectors Association or The American Thompson Association, or over at MachineGunBoards.com if it's still around, somebody there might be able to help explore what might have been.

 

[nwslopoke]

Sig SP2022. Sig went P250 polymer then P320. Having had both 2022 and 320, the 2022 is better and should have been further developed.

Obviously the P320 design won military contracts but even that was debatable of the best design. The P320 one of the few guns I sold but never regretted.

 

[Knobgoblin]

41 magnum… anything in 6.5 Grendel… every single Keltec! They have great ideas but the grips are atrocious and everything is lackluster as far as their design… ALL Bullpup shotguns and how they eject shells onto your wrist! Other revolvers that shoot like a Chiappa

Mateba

 

[Knobgoblin]

Ive always wondered why the Hi-Power was never more popular than it is. Grant it does have a strong cult like following today but.... in 1934 it was the first "high capacity" pistol years ahead of todays capacity.

Anecdotal

Anyone in the ww2 German army who acquired a 1935 held onto it.

Most of the militaries around the world who could afford to purchase or produce (under license) the hi power did so for around 30 years. 1950s -1980s

 

[Koda]

That being a solid design, but never really went as far as it could for whatever reason (e.g., company folded, the country fielding it lost a war, it was replaced by something else and never went further, etc.).

the seven shot six shooter...

 

[edzz]

Long slide HK P7.
When they announced a new P7 was to be expected my hope was for another inch of barrel like HK did with the superb P9 Sport.

 

[LDmax]

Ive always wondered why the Hi-Power was never more popular than it is. Grant it does have a strong cult like following today but.... in 1934 it was the first "high capacity" pistol years ahead of todays capacity.

Boolet not big enough?