A while back, I purchased a 13MM Gyrojet Rocket Pistol. I REALLY liked the concept, so I have been undertaking designing a new one.
So far, I have the design on paper for the new Rocket Weapon all worked out- from the asthetics to the mechanics, as well as the physics of the rockets. I will soon be filing for 12 patents for the mechanical elements this one weapon alone. It will completley improve on the original Gyrojets deficencys, and hopefully be in limited production within 2 years. It will be an entirely polymer and alloy bullpup, that will take either 1911 or greasegun mags with the newly designed smaller, faster rocket. It is meant to be a very fast firing and handling weapon for under 100 yards, with the approximate energy of a .45 ACP
It will weigh roughly 3 pounds unloaded. Manufacture will be realitivley inexpensive, since there is no chamber pressure generated with the Gyro concept to compensate for using heavy steels/alloys and presice CNC machining like traditionial cartridge firearms (even though it has the downrange energy of a .45 ACP, virtually no recoil and very limited noise)
The original Gyro rockets are very very very expensive, and being quite old, somewhat unreliable. Not to mention they had many problems with the original design. So, I have designed a new rocket compatiable with this new system. My reasons for doing so are 4 fold.
1) If I were to make it simply a clone of the 12MM Gyro's, it may fall under any future .50 cal legislation, and I don't want that-
2) I want there to be inexpensive pre-ban mags available (The original Gyro wasn't mag-fed- The new Gyro will be)
3) The New Gyro will accets a modified form of rifling, in order to facillitate stabalazation at the muzzle. The old rockets were meant for smooth-bores, thus very easily thrown off by wind early in the burn phase)
So, I need to ask y'all a few questions.
1) Even though I will make a few anyway for myself, would there be any interest in such a weapon for commercial sale? (The carbines themselves won't be all too expensive- The Rockets will be expensive)
2) I want to mold a dot-sight directly into the carry handle sort of like the intergral optics concept of the Steyr/Aug. This will increase the price, should I sell them.
Should I make provisions for intergral optics, or should I make provisions for a Weaver mount, so the user can mount his own optics?
3) Would there be any interest in a Pistol in the same chambering?
So far, I've worked up a non-functioning scale model, as well as fully functioning lockwork, and other items for the system, so this hopefully will come to tangiable fruition soon.
I realize that few of you are likely familliar with the original Gyro concept, but hopefully some of you are, and can give an opinion.
(BTW- I really can't get directly into any of the design elements, since I don't have the patents. Sorry. I will very soon though)