Major improvements in past 50 years

[Gene L]

There have been lots of changes, many of them new calibers that don't actually fill a niche. In fact, there doesn't seem to be an uncovered niche in calibers; you can get reliable results from firearms that came out in 1900 except for the sub-calibers, .223 for example. So the .22s have moved so far ahead since 1960 or so, with gunnies striving for a couple of fps advantage.

Yet, for the most part, the calibers from the 1920s are examples when nothing in their ancestors existed.

Optics started off slowly but in the past 30 years have excelled. The quality has increased exponentially and the prices have dropped. A $150 scope you get now has numerous advantages over a $400 scope from the 1960s.

Red dot sights are cheap, lightweight, and battery life is in hours, not minutes. In 1980 something I had a red dot scope for my duty M 16 that had a battery that maybe would last an hour, required a special battery and weighed about like a telescope.

So what are your thoughts?

[GrapeApe]

The overall quality of barrels and bullets.

An "Off the shelf" rifle capable of sub MOA groups used to be something special. It's so common now, it's not really even noteworthy.

[Wambli Ska]

Actually I’ll even go as far as saying ammo and components in general. I now have plenty of old guns that I can consistently make shoot much better groups than what I’d get out of them 20-30 years ago. Sub MOA is now my expectation.

[Elk Creek]

Semi Auto handgun reliability. In the 90’s, late 90’s glock was king because of one thing “the thing just works.” Most 1911 had reliability issues, kimber made those problem almost disappear. Overall the quality and consistency has improved in entry level autos like XD’s, Glock, Canick and many others. Internet a guns and ammo magazine my dad had that was praising the Star autos as great LE guns… today they are a range toy for most.

[jbp-ohio]

You can go years on a battery. The last one I got turns itself off if there is no movement. Then turns back on when you pick it up. Doesn't even have an on/off switch.

[Gene L]

Regarding the 1911s...what happened to them to make them reliable? Used to be they were unreliable? I'm sure some of it was magazines after others made them besides Colt. I think Glock is responsible for making pistols better through working examples, like Japanese cars in the 79s and 80s put pressure on Americans to do better. Lubes and closer tolerances, in cars as well as cars.

I think the day of the 1911 is in decline. Not nearly the popularity it was 25 years ago. I've got a 1911 Combat Commander I'll probably sell, and a Star BM I'll keep.

[Wambli Ska]

Regarding the 1911s...what happened to them to make them reliable? Used to be they were unreliable? I'm sure some of it was magazines after others made them besides Colt. I think Glock is responsible for making pistols better through working examples, like Japanese cars in the 79s and 80s put pressure on Americans to do better. Lubes and closer tolerances, in cars as well as cars.

I think the day of the 1911 is in decline. Not nearly the popularity it was 25 years ago. I've got a 1911 Combat Commander I'll probably sell, and a Star BM I'll keep.

Magazines!!! They were a game changer for 1911s. And had a pristine Series 70 Colt that could not go one factory original mag without one failure. But every time I switched to WC or Kimber Tac Pro mags the damn thing would run flawlessly and feed beer cans if I needed it to. Makes me sick how many of them things got butchered in the 80s and 90s with “reliability” packages when all they needed was a good magazine feeding them, NOT the factory mags Colt was putting out.

If you decide to part with that Combat Commander I know where there’s a good forever home for it.

[Bigslug]

Mechanically, I don't really think we've accomplished much - we're basically massaging and combining the mechanisms of 70 to 120 years ago. . . and slapping shiny new paint jobs on them to make them more sellable to those who don't grasp they're 70 to 120 year old mechanisms.

Cartridges: everything I just said about the guns goes double here. The bullets have gotten better, as has our understanding of what they need to do. We're therefore able to do more with less, but we're generally re-hashing old diameters, throw-weights, and velocities to fit currently fashionable (or convenient to make) actions.

We can mount flashlights and red dots on those 100 year old pistol systems now. The scopes and means of attaching them are better.

[Bigslug]

Regarding the 1911s...what happened to them to make them reliable? Used to be they were unreliable? I'm sure some of it was magazines after others made them besides Colt. I think Glock is responsible for making pistols better through working examples, like Japanese cars in the 79s and 80s put pressure on Americans to do better. Lubes and closer tolerances, in cars as well as cars.

I think the day of the 1911 is in decline. Not nearly the popularity it was 25 years ago. I've got a 1911 Combat Commander I'll probably sell, and a Star BM I'll keep.

On this topic, I think the world is a little confused.

The main key to 1911 reliability is to start with the original military blueprints and not mess with them. Unfortunately, it's a design people - and manufacturer's - like to mess with.

Glock has probably accomplished the Holy Grail of gun manufacturing that Eli Whitney was seeking: true, 100% interchangeability of parts from one gun to the next. . .and they reliably do everything we need a pistol to do. . . and do it relatively cheaply. . .but they aren't sexy.

The 1911 COULD be exactly all of that, but there seems to be this cache that they need to be sexy, individually-fitted things. More emphasis on making it a tool instead of a toy would help its cause, IMO.

[Japhy]

I think of 3 guns I bought 50 yrs ago or close
First a used Belgium Browning 5 12ga
Number 2 Ruger SBH .44
Next Browning 78 7mm RM
In any company these remain very competitive with the latest.

One item i did t see mentioned that has improved is wide availability of composite stocks. They arent pretty but do shave weight and are impervious to weather.