The Bullet of the Future[]
A simple gunpowder bullet remains the most efficient weapon system known to science. A small self-contained case of chemical propellant sends a kinetic kill vehicle downrange quickly and most of the waste heat is ejected with the cartridge. So what is there left to build on if the AK-47 is as efficient in the 26th century as it was in the 21th?
The bullet of the far-future improves on the basic simplicity of the kinetic round itself. Instead of brass jacketed lead, the standard round is formed from a copper-polymer mixture that holds it's shape until it has struck its target. At that point it breaks up into a swarm of lacerating pieces. This change in material makes the round far lighter which means that a soldier can carry more of them, that the propellant can accelerate the round to hypervelocity much easier, and that shrapnel will tumble farther in the body.
Rounds are no longer simple shapes. Instead the copper-polymer bullet has three precisely engineered indentations along its exposed length. The indentations allow for a faster stabilizing spin without as long of a barrel. They move air around the bullet more efficiently and provide lateral momentum to counter that last to wind resistance. In addition to these indentations, a modern bullet has a micro-gyro built into it's base. These gyros are nanofabricated right inside the bullet and keep the bullet from straying due to wind resistance and gravity. All of this has the effect of a faster bullet that can travel farther, straighter.
An armor piercing effect can be achieved by taking a standard round and replacing its copper-polymer bullet with one made of depleted uranium, which is in great abundance thanks to a nuclear golden age. Previous eras fear of radiation and cancer have been neutralized thanks to nanomachine science.
The Gun of the Future[]
In a world of space travel and space station living, space is at a premium. So is weight. The rifle of the future is most commonly a bullpup. The outer frame is constructed of bio-polymers intermixed with graphene nano-ribbons. This makes the frame superlight but strong enough to stand up the recoil. The receiver mechanisms are constructed from chrome vanadium-steel. The chamber and barrel are constructed from a chrome molybdenum-steel. Both steel alloys
To adjust for possible use in the vacuum of space the inside of the barrel is coated with a self-lubricating ceramic. In addition, to avoid vacuum welding, aluminum is used to coat certain pins and springs. A lightweight gun firing hypervelocity rounds means a great deal of recoil. To help mitigate this the already heavy barrel is left free floating, without being locked to the frame. Within the buttstock are a set of high-tension springs and a floating counterweight.
Instead of a firing pin, the modern gun uses a simple electric spark powered by a single betavoltaic nuclear nanobattery. These batteries can power the spark-pin for 30 years of continuous operation, at full charge. However this same battery, located in the buttstock, behind the high-tension springs, also powers the assisted targeting systems.
The average 26th century firearm features both physical sights and co-witnessed holographic sights. The holographic sights feed into a targeting computer that displays a 100% accurate display of the bullet's path, factoring in wind resistance, weight, and estimated arm movement from the weight of the trigger pull. In addition a set of three low frequency lasers are located around the barrel, creating a triangulation of the target to determine distance. All of this information is collected and processed by a solid state quantum dot computer located alongside the battery in the weapon's buttstock.
The weapon's targeting computer also feeds into a haptic connection system in the gun's grip. This means that any synthetic, smart-clothing glove, or combat armored hand that touches the grip can have this info fed into their own personal heads up display.
26th Century Computing[]
Thanks to nano-facturing carbon nanodots can now be printed out into quantum circuits, providing for supercomputer level processing power in a handheld or even wearable form. Holographic data discs can store incredible amounts of data. Photonic quantum memory allows for artificial intelligence programs to run in the background at all times, ready to assist.
Flexible Screens (Flexies)[]
Wearable Holograms[]
Combat Armor[]
Graphene-Aramid body armor with Boron-Carbide Fullerite ceramic plates.
Room Temperature Superconductors[]
Nanomaterials[]
Fullernes, Fullerites, Graphene, nanomachines, viromachines, etc.