[Yo-Yo]

However, the Russians did come up with a few original ideas since the T-34. One is the Kalashninkov designed in 1947 where the original idea was to use part of the air pressure from the fired bullet’s shockwave to lock the next bullet in place for firing.

Many rifles prior to the AK-47 used gas piston operation. The M1 Garand of the US, adopted in 1936, is but one example.

[Draco88]

“Many rifles prior to the AK-47 used gas piston operation. The M1 Garand of the US, adopted in 1936, is but one example”

Yep, you got me there, I meant siphoning the gases from explosion used to fire off the bullet. If this was developed earlier, why was the idea subsequently ditched? On the point of the double hull in submarines, I remember now, this was invented by the Germans at the end of WW2 i.e. Type XXI had one, but vastly refined by the Russians. Besides the military inventions, the Russians made many scientific discoveries as well in the last 70 years, i.e. the Cerenkov radiation etc., so you cannot simply dismiss them outright as plagiarists, although they did copy a lot without bothering to obtain the permit from the original inventors.