New gun design

[Bluecthomas]

If you had an idea for what could the future in hand held fire power, and didn't want to give away a potentially huge $$$ idea, who would you talk to?

 

[44 AMP]

you could start with a patent attorney. Just remember all expenses are your responsibility. One of the things you should expect to have to pay for is a search to see if anyone has already put a patent on your idea, or some part of it.

The lawyer will be able to advise you on how to legally protect your idea, until a patent is issued (if it is).

Discussing the details of your idea on the internet probably isn't advisable...

 

[Jim Watson]

Ideas have little dollar value.
Can you produce a working prototype?
If not, can you generate drawings for a machine shop to produce under confidentiality agreement?

 

[mapsjanhere]

Quick remark on the patent process: You can file for a provisional patent that gives you one year to show the design to anybody without the heavy cost of filing a full utility (or worse, PCT) patent. The provisional describes the gun, but you don't have to have specific claims that set you apart from all the other.
But even a provisional will set you back a coupe grant to an attorney to file it. Utility will be 10K, and a lot more for international.
So, unless you have deep pockets, you better be sure your idea works, and is novel.

 

[4V50 Gary]

Drawings and a description.

A working prototype helps. Consider taking a CNC class and 3D printing. It doesn't have to fire but just prove the design is feasible.

Then patent the above. Good luck!

 

[B.L.E.]

So, unless you have deep pockets, you better be sure your idea works, and is novel.

Even this won't guarantee a successful invention. Many inventors are such fan-boys of their ideas that they fail to understand how terrible existing technology is not.
After all, the Daisy VL .22 rifle worked and was novel.

 

[Bluecthomas]

Ideally, I would like to find someone with the equipment and the deep pockets.
Versatility of the modern 40mm grenade launcher combined with long range smart (steerable) projectile.

But it's not something the average Joe could do in a garage...

 

[James K]

You cannot patent an idea; IIRC, you don't need a working model any more, but the "thing" has to be more than a vague drawing or idea, often totally impractical. Most of the ideas I see on here are in the latter category, usually prefaced by something like "I have this great idea for a handgun chambered for a 16" naval shell..."

Just from the few words you gave, I can see several problems, not the least of which will be the legality involved in actually producing anything that big. Then there is the guidance method. You need to get the electronic and mechanical steering into a fairly small projectile, plus the means of knowing where it is going, so it can be steered (a radar or small TV camera of some kind?). And of course it has to be fast enough not to be shot down, yet slow enough that it can be directed in some way (laser aiming point projected on the target? More "stuff" to put into that 40 mm).

Jim

 

[mapsjanhere]

And of course it has to be sufficiently different from the XM25 and related patents to be novel.

 

[James K]

So, sensors, a guidance system and transceiver, a mini-TV camera and transmitter, propellant, a fuze, and, presumably, enough bang stuff to do serious damage to an enemy target. All in a 40mm projectile. That is quite a menu of goodies for a small package that will be fired from the hand.

It sounds a bit like a TOW, but I never heard of a hand-held TOW.

Jim

 

[44 AMP]

It sounds a bit like a TOW, but I never heard of a hand-held TOW.

I believe that would be the "Dragon" AT missile. It is shoulder fired.