Self-guided bullet hits target a mile away (not just for military)

[Evan]

I think these guys are dreaming if they think they will be able to sell this to "recreational shooters", especially since it uses a laser designator.

Two Sandia National Laboratories engineers - and hunters - have developed a dart-like, self-guided bullet accurate over a distance of a mile.
Red Jones and Brian Kast say their bullet is suitable for small-caliber, smooth-bore firearms, and are looking for a private partner to complete testing of the prototype and launch it commercially.

The design for the four-inch-long bullet includes an optical sensor in the nose to detect a laser beam on a target. The sensor sends information to guidance and control electronics that use an algorithm in an eight-bit central processing unit to command electromagnetic actuators. These actuators steer tiny fins that guide the bullet to the target.
. . .
The researchers hope to market the bullet to the military, law enforcement and recreational shooters.

They stuck an LED in it to act like a tracer.

http://www.tgdaily.com/hardware-feat...et-a-mile-away

[radkins]

I think maybe they are not dreaming at all, hallucinating maybe? What next a tiny cruise missile for prairie dogs?


I can see this being really useful for the military and in the not too distant future may be the ultimate tool for war time snipers but even if the cost could be reduced to an acceptable level I see no reasonable civilian use for it, it would most likely become heavily restricted anyway.

[jason.weir]

one step closer to frickin' sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their frickin' heads

-J

[Boucher]

Just scale up the Gyro-Jet

[loose nut]

For recreational shooters.

Giving the ability for anyone with a grudge against someone, bosses and rich people come to mind, to be able to shoot them from a mile away. Thats going to happen, not.

[Evan]

The gyrojet is a rocket. This new item will probably fit in a 12 gauge just fine. It's fired, like a slug and is guided as it flies to the target. As long as the target has the laser shining on it you could probably fire it straight up and it would hit it on the way down.


BTW, the gyro jet was banned at first because the firearms act of 1968 prohibits anything rocket powered over 12mm. The original gyrojet was 13mm so they made it 12mm. They were developed just down the road from where I grew up. They sold them in the local hardware store in Danville for a while.

[Maine 04655]

For recreational shooters.

Giving the ability for anyone with a grudge against someone, bosses and rich people come to mind, to be able to shoot them from a mile away. Thats going to happen, not.

Barret and several companies already make such a firearm. The 50 bmg is very capable of that shot distance. The CheyTac .408 is also able to make those distances.

I have a Windrunner 50 and a Barret m82 with a Leupold mk4 and Bors. We go out on the blueberry barrons in the summer and set up a couple cars and other targets from 100 yards to a little over a mile and our small group of 50 shooters has no problem hitting targets at that range.

The guided set up they are talking about would make it a bit easier for the novice it will not be cheap. Also because it is technically a missile it would if offered to the public be a NFA DD..