Laser Guided Bullets

[PappaGun]

This sounds like fun.

Laser guided bullets that "will be accessible to recreational shooters, law enforcement and the military."

You can bet New Jersey will ban it and the feds won't be far behind.

I've often wondered that with all the laser devices in use these days, how easy would it be for a laser guided projectile to pick up the wrong target?

http://news.yahoo.com/self-guided-bulle ... 57445.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jimlongley]

The article says it's a 4 inch projectile, and I would love to know if that's caliber or length. Assuming that they are talking length of the prototype, and if the drawing shown is anywhere close to the real dimensions, AND if the video is not just stock footage, I estimate that the caliber is in the .40 to .50 range making the "recreational" somewhat of a tongue in cheek comment.

Lots of ballistic questions, and electronic, and optic.

And I wonder how much Dillon will charge for the dies.

[jimlongley]

Several other articles found. One states that the bullet will require "special hardware" to fire, which kind of takes it out of the realm of "recreational" and that instead of missing by 9 meters at 100 meters, it will be within 200mm (which, for the sake of using the same units, is .2 meters) which could easily still be a miss.

As much as I find it interesting, I still have to wonder why they would announce it at this point. Does Bloomburg own part of Sandia, and he is planning to get these bullets outlawed?

[Pawpaw]

I've often wondered that with all the laser devices in use these days, how easy would it be for a laser guided projectile to pick up the wrong target?

As I understand it for current LG munitions (and my info could be wrong), each laser designator has a unique signature embedded in the beam. The munition is set to look for and follow only that signature.

[solaritx]

FINALLY.....a way to improve my IDPA score.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

http://www.rr.com/news/topic/article/rr ... ded_bullet

I believe the above link supplies more information on this issue.

The laser-guided bullet under development is intended for use in M2 (.50 caliber) machine guns.

SIA

[speedsix]

...I read that it won't be fired from a rifled barrel...they don't want spin...bet they're at least $5 a shot...

[texasmusic]

I think that 5 is missing a zero or two

[PappaGun]

...As much as I find it interesting, I still have to wonder why they would announce it at this point. Does Bloomburg own part of Sandia, and he is planning to get these bullets outlawed?

Yeah. It does seem premature.

I am no expert, but I did live on ABQ for 30 years and the lab is on the south edge of town so you tend to pick up alot about it.
Their major focus used to be the development of nuclear weapons. When nuclear weapons research was severly cut the lab had to find a new focus.

They now pursue research that can be sold to the public as well to make some money.

My guess here is that by saying these would be available to recreational shooters helps to fulfill their mission. But I have a hard time believing these would ever be available to the public.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

http://www.rr.com/news/galleryeditorspi ... 0910056%2F

The above link is a time-exposure photo of one of these laser-guided bullets, with an LED (light-emitting diode)
attached, which allowed the camera to follow it on its path.

SIA