Comments by "TheGoldenCaulk" (@thegoldencaulk2742) on "How to Classify the H&K MP-7 and FN P90" video.

  1. I find a lot of people are getting hung up on role which is not exactly relevant. If you define the generations by role, you're going to get even more confused than you've ever been, because role is very fluid and nebulous. Focusing on the major shifts in design and manufacture simplifies things greatly, I feel.
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  2. Your approach is more about role, whereas Ian's is about economy and engineering (which makes sense given his background) I think trying to categorize the generations by role is only going to introduce further confusion because, as it happens, role itself is often ill-defined and varies from place to place. That's why you get things like PDW machine-pistols and the Dragunov being called a "sniper rifle." Forget about role, focus on the more tangible aspects like changes in materials (steel to polymer) or manufacturing technique (milled to stamped) or general design characteristics (open-bolt to closed-bolt). Then you can apply it to other categories of weapon and it would still mostly hold up. The point is to look at the major shifts in design, and categorize them. Not to look at role, because that changes as the wind blows.
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  3. Exactly. The gens are defined by major shifts in design, manufacture, and capability.
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  4. But if you're discussing "generations," you should be focusing on the technical aspects. Generation by definition is referring to technical development. How the firearm appears is directly related to that development, and can indicated major shifts. Hence, generations.
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