5 Futuristic Firearms That Exist Today
Though most modern firearms are built using technology that’s been around for decades (or even centuries), there are a few guns that are downright futuristic, both in their appearance and in their function. Here are five of the coolest futuristic firearms in the world today.
1. SilencerCo Maxim 9
Type: Handgun | What makes it futuristic: Built-in suppressor
Created by renowned suppressor manufacturer SilencerCo, the Maxim 9 is the world’s first handgun with a built-in suppressor. According to the project’s white paper, the Maxim 9 fires with an average muzzle volume of 139.99 dB, which is comparable to what you would get firing out of a handgun equipped with a standard suppressor. The primary advantage of the Maxim 9 over a traditional suppressor setup is that at 9.5” long, it’s a good deal shorter than most other suppressed handguns. I wouldn’t say it’s small enough to use as a concealed carry, but the reduced size is convenient nonetheless.
Unlike many of the other guns on this list, the Maxim 9 can be purchased for civilian use. It has a sticker price of $1,499.00, though at time of writing the Maxim 9 is on sale for just $1,199.00 (Note that you do still have to pay the ATF tax stamp for the suppressor and are subject to the waiting period.). This is quite cheap compared to what you’d likely spend on a traditional suppressed handgun setup, which could easily run you over $2,000 after buying a threaded barrel, a silencer, and the firearm itself.
2. Corner Shot
Type: Handgun accessory | What makes it futuristic: Enables firing around corners
The Corner Shot is a unique handgun accessory that allows the user to aim and fire from around corners. The system consists of a rifle-shaped frame equipped with a camera, a foldable screen, a mount for a pistol, and a joint at the midpoint that can be turned roughly 45 degrees left or right. Setting it up is as simple as securing a pistol in the mount and then zeroing in the camera as you would with a traditional optic.
The Corner Shot has several significant advantages over traditional firearms. First, it allows users to look around corners or beneath and above barriers without having to expose themselves to potential enemy combatants. This allows the user to assess the situation and even engage in a firefight while minimizing the risks of return fire.
The Corner Shot also has noteworthy benefits for improving operations management and mission coordination. The user can wear a small screen on his back that will allow squadmates to see what his camera is seeing. Even better, the Corner Shot can stream a live video feed from its camera to a remote location, which can greatly improve coordination between mission control and the men on the ground.
According to system’s creators, Corner Shot is already being used “by military units, law enforcement agencies and Special Forces around the world.” The Corner Shot can also be purchased for civilian use and is compatible with paintball and airsoft guns.
3. Tracking Point
Type: Rifle | What makes it futuristic: Computer-guided aim assistance
Arguably the coolest piece of tech on this list is Tracking Point's “precision-guided firearms.” These are rifles that have built-in computer-guided aim assistance much like what you’d find in modern fighter jets. It’s something you’ve got to see to believe; so take a look at the video below to see these guns in action:
4. Biofire and Radetec Smart Guns
Type: Handgun | What makes it futuristic: Smart-locking safety features
The idea behind a smart gun is simple: it’s a gun that can only be fired by its owner and other authorized users. The goal of this tech is to keep guns out of the hands of people who are not allowed to use them, including children, assailants, and even gun-stealing thieves. While there are a few different smart gun designs out there, our favorites are the ones made by Biofire and Radetec.
The Biofire smart gun was created by Kai Kloepfer, an American inventor who was just 15-years-old when he designed a handgun that required fingerprint authorization before it could be fired. 6 years later and Kloepfer has made significant improvements to the design, which now unlocks and is ready to fire in less than a second.
Another very cool smart gun design is being produced by a Spanish firearms company called Radetec. Rather than relying on fingerprint scanning or RFID, the Radetec smart gun uses an electronic device hidden somewhere on the user’s body that creates an “electronic aura” within which the gun will be unlocked and ready to fire. If the gun leaves that short-range aura, it will be immediately disabled.
5. PHASR
Type: Non-lethal laser rifle | What makes it futuristic: Fires a blinding laser
Last but not least is the "personnel halting and stimulation response rifle," or PHASR, which is a non-lethal weapon designed by the U.S. Department of Defense that temporarily disorients and blinds targets. Blinding weapons were banned by the U.N. in 1995, but the PHASR is exempt from the regulation because its effects are designed to be temporary.
Though still in its prototype stage, there are hopes that the PHASR could be used in riots or insurgencies that call for non-lethal force. The name "PHASR" is, of course, a nod to the Star Trek television series' oft-repeated line, "Set phasers to stun." It appears that the PHASR's designers fully embraced this science-fiction feeling, as the rifle itself looks like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie.
