No Major Changes to Guns Since WWII

[marksmandowntown]

I need to check my facts.

I acknowledge in advance that we can mean different things when we use certain words. I don't want to fence about nuances of meaning. I want to talk about big ideas and big changes as to guns.

It is my point that there have been no revolutionary changes in firearms since WWII.

The biggest change since WWII has been that we have figured out how to make guns out of more materials than just wood and metal.

Opinions and comments appreciated.

[user120312]

I'd offer two advances that gained momentum into widespread use after the war; Bull Pup designs and truly field adaptable ambidextrous actions.

Wars, particularly widespread actions like world wars, have a tendency to spur advances in weaponry, some of which are realized during the war itself and some which come into more widespread use as a result of the war.

[MyOdessa]

Just use of plastics alone, as in Glock, etc., is a major change to guns since WWII. Same for caseless ammo, though it did not take off and composite cases for ammo is also a major change.

[IronsightsRifleman]

I would say rifle development topped out during the Vietnam War, not WW2.
The semiautomatic bolt action on an AR-10 is an advancement over the BAR or M1 Rifle of WW2, as well as the low complexity full auto the Kaloshnakov. And what most people call a rifle today would probably have been called a Carbine back then -- not that it's an improvement, but the average barrel length has come down as the paradigm had changed from "one shot one kill" to "spray and pray". You could also point to night vision optics.

[Tere_Hanges]

You are asking the wrong question. Its not based on the gun, look at the ammunition. The method of propelling a projectile has remained the same. Case, primer, propellant, and projectile. As long as that remains the primary method, the instruments that use it will remain relatively the same with various improvements to materials, weight, accuracy, and reliability.

[damon1272]

As far as the rifle I would agree with it too in the Vietnam era. It has been evolutionary more than anything. I would say the biggest change has been the wholesale inclusion of optics in the military.

[morthrane]

Some guesses...

Radial action lugs. (AR10/15, weatherby, etc.) Perhaps that's just the result of the advances in metallurgy especially through the 60's: a common theme in automotive circles, is that anything you can imagine was probably already imagined in the past, but wasn't feasible for economic or material reasons.

AR-18/180 self regulating gas system: A proverbial game changer that has been used in numerous firearms since.

AR-15 gas system: Combining DI with a gas piston coaxial to the bore, almost goes without saying.

Free floating barrels and harmonics: The understanding behind the physics has radically changed designs.

Bullet construction: Tipped multi-component bullets (A-Max, etc.) and better understanding of aerodynamics. (sub, trans, supersonic, etc.) Hollowpoint designs have come a long way since WW2.

Red dot sight: Yeah, they've been around since before WW1, but they did not become production worthy for small arms until the 70's or so AFAIK. A single plane reticle/dot that is (mostly) parallex insensitive, that allows a shooter to focus on their target and not the front sight post, is the proverbial game changer for certain aspects of shooting.

NVG, Thermal, IR, lasers: Like the RDS... changes everything.

Slings: Quick adjust slider slings. AFAIK nothing like that existed in production before the end of WW2.

[bergmen]

Not to mention the huge advances in precision machining. The advent of sophisticated Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining improved the speed, accuracy and precision of complex intricate machined parts.

Dan

[Jimi Jah]

Add all those new calibers to choose from.

[n8vrmind]

Minimal advancement in firing mechanisms..we are just using materials other than wood and steel to manufacturer firearms...

Bigger advancements are in optics, ergonomics and cartridge design.

[Uncivil Engineer]

Quality and cost of optics have really changed. Only recently have optics basically been standard issue. The AR pattern rifles with flat top mounts have adapted well while AK have had several different attempts at different levels of success. Standardization on cartridges and magazines have really been a game changer.

There have been interesting developments but not big enough leaps forward to require their adoption. Like the cmmg radial delay blowback system. Or the kriss vector V system.

Non corrosive ammunition has made a large difference as to wear and maintenance requirements.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

[rsrocket1]

[RandyD]

Glocks, AR and AK style rifles, composite materials for stocks are just a few thoughts that come to mind that were revolutionary.

[ARDude]

Well.....How bout my plasma laser blaster. Picked it up cheap at a garage sale. Not technically a firearm, so no FFL involved.

And yes, it is in 30 watt range.

[IVC]

Guns - no. Gear - yes.

The improvements in red dots and low magnification optics have revolutionized how the firearms are used. While incremental improvements and changes in the guns themselves simply resulted in better guns, changes in the add-ons changed how the guns are used and the team tactics centered around those add-ons, so I would call that "major changes" or "paradigm shift."