Most influential innovation in past 20 years

Interesting post. Yet, the only issue that comes to my mind is the surge of sub-compact pistols that came with the concealed carry boom. Super small 9mm or even .45 pistols are abut the only real innovation within the last 20 years.

Everything else is, all considered, the same stuff in a new package, since the last actual innovations were the wonder nines and the Glock-triggered polymer boom. And even these were just re-inventions, after all: The Browning High Power dates back to the 30ies, striker-firing systems even further, and also polymer guns had already been there for 20 years when Glock hit the market in the eighties.
The same goes for the size, given that the classic pocket guns of the early 20th century where even considerably smaller (!) than today (granted, they came in comparatively anemic calibers)

To say it with The Preacher: "There is nothing new under the sun."

To be honest, apart from lasers and possibly "smart" electronic equipment (that most of us anyway eye with scepticism): Is there any core performance parameter where modern handguns really outgun those of WWI (or at least WWII)? Of course, things have become more ergonomical, lighter etc., but would someone equipped with say the best WWII pistols have a real-life disadvantage against someone with the most sophisticated modern polymer-striker whatsoever things? I doubt it.
 
YouTube Firearms personalities (Colion Noir, Hickock45, IraqVeteran8888), modern hollow point ammo like the Federal HST and Hornady XTP, and this



Arsenal Strike One, I've never seen anything with a collar on the barrel like that. Apparently it is a modification of JMB's design, instead of the barrel tilting it moves horizontally and the little collar on the barrel drops down to unlock, and somehow this allows the gun to have a super low bore axis. (Paraphrased from this article http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2014/08/daniel-zimmerman/gun-review-arsenal-af-1/ )
 
OP here. Sorry I haven't been more active in this thread. I tend to get on mostly when I'm at work, and work has been, let's say, demanding.

First off, I appreciate the swirl of ideas going on in this discussion. There were a lot of points I hadn't considered, such as the improvements into HP ammo or red dot sights, for example. The idea of the internet and the surge in information totally blew my mind, and I think is a great idea as well.

As I was going through, I began wondering about a few things that I didn't see here, or simply missed, such as the use of Scandium or Polymer to create unltra-light revolvers in 38 spec, 357, et al, or even the enclosed hammer design (rather than a bobbed or semi-exposed hammer) on the pocket revolver class.

I will also add this- I think the most influential innovations will be probably be something small, something that takes an existing product or concept and either reimagines it, reintroduces it, or takes an unrealisitic prototype and turns it into a viable piece of equipment. The small changes trigger the biggest cultural movements, IMHO.
 
Title of your thread says "innovations in past 20 years". Both scandium (S&W 242 - 1990) and enclosed hammer revolvers (S&W Safety Hammerless - 1887) have been around far longer than that.
 
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45_auto said:
Title of your thread says "innovations in past 20 years". Both scandium (S&W 242 - 1990) and enclosed hammer revolvers (S&W Safety Hammerless - 1887) have been around far longer than that.
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Not surprised, my work limits access to firearms related content.

I knew S&W put out the 340 in 2001, and didn't see any other Scandium frame guns from my limited googling.

As for the enclosed hammer, I totally missed the model 40- oops.
 
The Kriss Vector pistol has an operating system that is (I believe) different than the one used in any other handgun.

Although not a handgun, the Browning Cynergy shotgun also uses an innovated operating system.

I have used both of these guns and they are not just different from other brands but they work as advertised.

Mark
 
I thought about the KRISS before posting, but it has been a pretty fabulous flop without much influence IMO. The price may drop over time and have market influence.
 
If you want me to buy a Kriss, you need to work on the esthetics. I love the idea behind it, but it looks like the AR's chunky butt ugly sister.

That's why I have Bobergs. Sleek, innovative, and SEXY! However even the reverse feed system is based off older gun technology that they could not get to work at the time. Hard to find anything really new under the sun.
 
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With the advances in technology in every field of study, no doubt the innovations of the past twenty years will seem rudimentary as compared to the next twenty.
Things we can't as yet even conceive.
Probably less in the category of advances, but rather new ideas and equipment altogether.
 
Not really recent, but one of the genuinely earthshaking innovation would be the 9mm luger, invented in 1902. Until the luger, small, light, high energy rounds simply didn't exist. The norm for combat weapons were large bore, heavyweight, big guns. If this design had taken a different path, the entire history of handgun technology would have been different.
 
With the advances in technology in every field of study, no doubt the innovations of the past twenty years will seem rudimentary as compared to the next twenty.
Things we can't as yet even conceive.
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I'm always amazed at how technology comes along and throws a curve ball to all the pundits by obliterating some seemingly unrelated item.

Cell phones for instance.

Cell phones replacing land lines was more or less a given.

However, the damn things are at the point where they could almost eliminate the laptop!

And how to the owners of these real life Tricorders behave wit all that power at their fingertips?

They take pictures of cats and argue with strangers on social media :D
 
For shotguns, the proliferation of inertia guns. Handgun, the bullet tech is amazing now. Bigger, heavier, fatser bullets in gerneral. Rails are ubiquitous now. Trijicon didn't take over the world though.
 
I have to go with the more widespread use of Picatinny rails and/or integrated lasers on handguns. Seems to me that, in a very real way, the more common use of lasers, red dots, and lights surpasses the other innovations which have generally been a matter of "improvements" mostly in materials.

Common use of integrated rails opened up a distinct new category in handgun innovation. For instance, an ordinary non-professional shooter being able to easily shoot accurately using a laser dot without having to have the handgun at eye-level is quite revolutionary.
 
I'm going to give the Kel-Tec P32 a spot. Yes the SeeCamp came out with a small concealable 32, but they had a 5 year waiting list from the factory or a $1000 street price. The Kel-Tec played the same roll as the Model T Ford. It made a small effective handgun available to anyone. Maybe not the most influential, but still should have an honorable mention. :)
 
Recoil pad material

The stuff that Limbsaver uses has made shooting center fire rifles more pleasant.
Hey, it's part of the gun!
 
Red dot sights usable on pistols will become more and more mainstream. Just like they have on short range rifles (AR's & AK's)

I look for the reddot sighted handgun to take off over the next 10 years
 
20 years ago, 1996.

I agree with a poster earlier...it would be the place of the internet in gun forums, advertising, sales and promotion of firearms and gear, etc.

tipoc
 
Red dot sights usable on pistols will become more and more mainstream. Just like they have on short range rifles (AR's & AK's)

I look for the reddot sighted handgun to take off over the next 10 years
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Funny, that.

Yesterday, browsing the online store for C&B revolvers I sometimes buy things from, I noticed they had a C&B Remington 1858 clone with a red dot sight ;)
 
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