SMGs are kinda going out of style nowadays. I think the only thing that could reinvigorate them would be if some sort of more powerful calibre was taken up for use like the aussie said, but that is unlikely cause everyone will just keep using 9mm for the foreseeable future.
I was thinking .30 Carbine.
The P90 had the right idea with a small but high velocity round, capable of penetrating armor with a large magazine to boot. It feels like innovation in SMGs ended with the P90, because there's nothing else notable other than maybe the MP7 and Vector.
>That faggot's shitposting, don't go for the bait.
Aware, I just wanted to talk about how .30 Carbine had the right idea.
>.357 magnum can shoot 158gr bullet at the same velocities as 110gr 30 carbine does, resulting in more energy.
I know that .30 Carbine isn't a particularly well designed cartridge but it and the gun it accompanied did introduce some interesting and fresh ideas into firearms design. Interesting nonetheless, has anybody ever put a .357 in a SMG? It's been put in autoloading pistols before with the Deagle brand Deagle and that Coonan pistol.
5.7 essentially feels like a more modern take on the same ideas and it essentially perfected balancing recoil, velocity, energy and AP potential for something roughly .30 Carbine sized, and at the same time it can also function as a pistol round.
>In Russia they make AP pistol rounds with a steel penetrator that is separated from the jacket by polyethylene layer so that it stays in one piece… They are very velocity dependent and not very aerodynamic, though
I've heard of them, sounds like a good solution to the problem. The velocity dependence doesn't sound like a big issue in the sub-100m distances you expect SMGs and pistols to be used, it sounds like it does the job 'good enough' to get it done. The primary issue I could see from being velocity dependent is that it would limit its potential when you'd want to go subsonic & suppressed with it, as it wouldn't carry too much energy and hence wouldn't do too much damage.