Even the direct impingement gas system dates back to before the 1950s as does the striker fired systems so I can't think of anything fundamental.
A big +1. Might I also add that dollar for dollar cheaper and more reliable (for the most part).Better bullets.
Better powder.
Better optics.
Better out of the box rifle accuracy.
More reliable affordable semi-auto gas-operated shotguns and rifles.
The .44 Magnum revolver.
Affordable over & under shotguns.
Mass quantities of reloading equipment and components.
JHP & JSP pistol bullets.
Tritium night sights.
9MM pistols in the USA.
Shotgun Choke tubes.
Pistol scopes & red-dot sights.
Synthetic stocks.
Weapon TACK light rails & lights.
DA auto-pistols in the USA.
Laser sights.
Pillar & chassis bedding.
Range finding & Mil-Dot scopes.
Scopes that are 100% reliable.
Titanium & Scandium frames & cylinders.
LEGO Set rifle assembly & mods anyone can do.
Fiber Optic sights.
7 & 8 shot magnum revolvers.
.22 Magnum revolvers.
Really powerful auto-pistol calibers like the 10mm.
Ahhhh!
I got to rest.
But theres way more!
rc
I would say the direct gas impingement operating system of the AR-10/AR-15/M-16 was a major innovation.
That is indeed new, and I like them, but I was thinking more in terms of things that make the gun go bang.tritium sights
I respectfully disagree. The best inventions are those that nobody thought of till someone invented itIn the mean time, nothing fundamentally will change until and unless the basic cartridge, priming and powder changes fundamentally.