Not true in the least, you think private companies today aren't working on designs for military application? Please. You are proving my point. Innovation is driven by military need, not generally by civilian need, because face it, the military is the single largest purchaser of weapons. 1 order to the military can make or break a company, and you are proving my point.
If you think today there are not private individuals or companies doing R&D on new weapons specifically with the intent to try to get military acceptance I think you are very very wrong.
Nope. The civilian builders I mentioned did not develop their guns at the request of the military. They developed them privately, and then sold the designs to the military. Big difference. Now, instead of buying US designed weapons, they buy what other country's designs, like FN.
Innovation was driven by capitolism, not military need. The desire to make money. You can't do that any more. Why, because new manufactured machine guns can't be sold or built by civilians. Period. No matter what paper work you are willing to go through. It has been that way since '86 or '87. That is why a M16 that would have sold for $500-$700 before FOPA now sells for $2500-$4000. Fixed supply.