inb4 gauss rifle

Scaled down centrifugal gun:
http://strangengines.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/the-mccarty-centrifugal-gun/

a crossbow

short circuiting and using bullets as a fuse. It launches them.

>>512331
That still needs gunpowder

electric gun that ignites a super flammable substance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U-qjYiMU6I

this is the concept.

Rocket boots! with rocket brakes!
1. dash forward using you rocket boots.
(keep your gun steady)
2. stop all of the sudden using you rocket brakes.
3. ?????
4. Profit!

Using explosive substances other than gunpowder. Seriously, we're in the 21st century, switch to NC.

A railgun. But it shoots tiny metal balls, like, 2mm

Fucking electromagnetism!

>>512362
what is NC?
>>512351
Still needs gunpowder
>>512312
Rotating mass makes the gun hard to aim due to gyroscopic effect
>>512308
Too much power required.

Is there any substance that is readily available everywhere that is a substitute for gunpowder?

>>512412
Electricity. Railgun.

Gas operated=/= gunpowder?

>>512434
Too much energy required.
>>512436
If you are talking about gas operated firearms, then the gas pushed out by the bullet is used to push a plunger to load another round into the chamber. If you are talking about air powered gun, you cant get the same velocities as you can with gunpowder unless you use really high pressures, which requires energy, but it may be possible.

Ive been thinking on how do deliver the same kinetic energy as a bullet without using gunpowder. Heavier bullets weight more, so the overall system will weigh more. I was thinking of figuring a way out to launch fast spinning projectiles at about 500-800 fps, and upon impact with a target, those would either cut into the target or shatter, sending shrapnel into the target

NC = Nitrocellulose, or guncotton. Easier to handle, easy to produce, lots of other uses and also burns much cleaner.

Roll out da railguns!!!

Fission powered rifle. Miniature reactor builds up massive pressure which is then used to launch munitions. Cover it in lead to avoid cancer. Obviously impractical, but possible.

rail cannon technology, given the time to shrink down. We should have it in time for supper.

>>512517
Alternatively, you can just open a window in the reactor core and fry your target with radiation.

This feels relevant to post, seems like the most logical step in firearms technology, no laser/gauss or some other scifi shit, just good ol' gunpowder at it's finest

>>512516
Why is there a fire trail? Does the air get that hot from friction?

flechette gun or needlegun

>>512538
That's actually hot plasma from how fucking fast it's going

>>512517
RTG (look it up if you dont know what it is) have been used in space, albeit they are generate electricity instead of pressure. The problem with pressure though is you need to refill the gun with water, and I don't think the recharging process could be fast enough, even if you bypassed having to refill the water.

They have gotten air rifles to shoot at 1600 fps. I think you can use air compression to launch bigger disks at slower velocities, but somehow have them spin up while launching.

>>512555
THE SPICE MUST FLOW

>>512562
While water is more effective, you could use air instead for conveniance.

Bullets arranged in magazine without cases/propellant blocks. Fed into firing chamber with hollow cavity behind it. Cavity is filled with some sort of gel, foam or gas propellant. When trigger is pulled, arc of electricity passes across the propellant, turning it into rapidly expanding plasma, forcing bullet out of barrel.

Sure, it's not as cool as electromagnetic acceleration (although could probably be combined with it), but it's a realistic system for near-future personal weapons.

>>512538
Plasma.