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Next-Generation Linux-Powered Rifle is Accurate up to a Mile

posted by janrinok on Monday January 12 2015, @03:53AM   
from the keep-it-in-the-right-hands dept.

AnonTechie writes:

Two years ago, TrackingPoint made a major stir at CES with its Precision-Guided Firearm, or “Linux gun.” The weapon integrated a smart scope that displayed weather conditions, wind speeds, and other target information, and only fired the gun when the crosshairs were lined up properly on the target. Fast-forward to today, and the company has unveiled another milestone. Its new 'Mile Maker' is a custom weapon that’s capable of firing a round up to 1800 yards at a target moving at up to 30 miles per hour.

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/196993-next-gen-linux-powered-rifle-is-accurate-up-to-a-mile?

• Re:Not that impressive. Re:Not that impressive. (Score: 2) by RedBear on Monday January 12 2015, @06:22PM

  by RedBear (1734) on Monday January 12 2015, @06:22PM (#134100)

  Anyone who doesn't find this tech impressive is really confused about how difficult it is for a typical person to accurately hit something a mile away with a perfectly normal, human-portable rifle. Least of all a moving target. This is not some big mechanically-stabilized machine firing 120mm rounds from a ship, these are just standard hunting rifles with a fancy scope and a mechanism that pulls the trigger at _exactly_ the right instant. It allows someone who has never touched a firearm before to be nearly as accurate as world-class trained snipers who have spent hundreds of hours honing their craft. It may not read the wind speeds for you but it makes it unnecessary to learn hard-won skills like how to squeeze the trigger just right without jerking it or tensing up your grip, how to find a firing position where you can keep your muscles from tensing up and starting to shake, or how to fire between heartbeats. It makes it unnecessary to take drugs to slow your heart rate in order to be accurate. The computer finds that one instant in time when it can take the shot and hit the target despite all your wiggly movements. Like that one photograph in a burst that turns out not blurry because the camera happened to be moving more slowly at that particular moment.

  I've seen the videos of the first generation in action and it is ridiculously effective technology for what it is made to do. In fact it's so effective I've been surprised at the lack of outcry from various government types about the fact that it is freely available to civilians. Note that I am a strong supporter of gun ownership rights and would not condone in any way having any government try to ban the technology or restrict it to military use, I've just been surprised they haven't.

  Make no mistake. This technology completely transforms what the average, untrained person is capable of doing with what is otherwise an average hunting rifle. It's not even .50 caliber, it's just a modified .338. So yeah, I find it quite impressive that I could sit down behind one and five minutes later successfully put a hole in something moving at 30mph a mile away. Impressive, and a bit scary. Oh, and look, the cost dropped from $17,000 to $8,000 in just a couple of years.

  --
  ¯\_ʕ◔.◔ʔ_/¯ LOL. I dunno. I'm just a bear.
  ... Peace out. Got bear stuff to do. 彡ʕ⌐■.■ʔ

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• Re:Do they understand that Sony isn't the governme (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 13 2015, @01:32PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 13 2015, @01:32PM (#134364)

  I've been surprised at the lack of outcry from various government types about the fact that it is freely available to civilians.

  You are surprised about the government not being opposed to game hunters?

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