> Some rich person could just setup a contest with awards and see who shows up, it could be held out on one of those dry lakebeds in Nevada.

As a resident of Nevada - HELL NO. That's BLM land. Not an amateure weapons test site.

If "some rich person" wants to get involved in crowdsourcing weapons research, please do that on private land... so everyone will know exactly who to sue should things go sideways.