Most modelguns commonly available today are designed to highly replicate the physical appearance (some bear the authentic trademarks and markings too) and in full scale of the real gun counterpart.
The imported cap guns were eventually replaced with more realistic Japanese indigenous designed and elegantly produced modelguns.
Meanwhile, 7 re-seller companies notably Nakata, Tokyo CMC, Hudson, Kokusai, and Malugo formed an allied association Nippon Kokyu Gangu Kumiai (NKG) or Japan Premium Toy Retailers' Union and stopped buying products from MGC.
The competition heat was intensified when NKG members also had their own design of models which were produced by a modelgun manufacturing company Tokyo Replica Corp. (TRC) formed by Marushin Die Casting Industry and Nakata as a joint venture.
Until 1977 when the second change in the law started to heavily regulate the products, metal modelguns dominated the market and plastic models were not popular.
As time went by, modelguns were enhanced technically with more realistic appearance, detailed construction and operation more accurate to real guns due to continuous competition among makers.
Kobayashi's innovative internal modelgun design (known as Tanio or Slide action which makes the slide cycle to load and eject the cartridge when the trigger is pulled) in MGC Walther VP-2 completely revolutionized the simple cap gun design and led to the modern version of the modelgun.
However, Rocken brand and designed high grade plastic modelguns were released by other makers from mid 90s and are still produced today.
When some models were made very close to real firearms both appearance and functionally, people were alerted that they might be abused for criminal purposes.
So the law was changed in different stages to make the products very safe, easily identifiable as toy guns and extremely hard to modify to fire any projectile.
In 1969, in accordance with the administrative guidance of the Police, the modelguns had to add a crown mark stamp on the body to distinguish it from real gun.
Even the pre-1971 produced metal model handgun barrels needed to be blocked up and re-painted in yellow / gold color in order to comply with the law.
All members of the Association agreed to stamp on a "SM" mark (Safe Model) on the metal modelgun frame for safety conformation and identification purposes.
But Marushin withdrew from ASGK in 2007 and coordinated to launch the All Japan Toy Gun Safety Association (STGA)(全日本トイガン安全協会).
In 1968, MGC developed the breakthrough cap blowback technology which imitate the automated operation more closely to their real-life automatic counterparts.
The cap-firing modelguns besides highly replicate the appearance and internal mechanism as real guns like the dummy version, they are also able to "fire" the cartridge to produce spark, smoke, bang sound and slide cycling action (blowback) on automatic models.
Though modelguns made with ABS plastics does not look and feel good, they are much cheaper and durable and have better cap blowback performance over metal versions.
In 1992, MGC released 'Super Real Heavy Weight' or SRH models which were a lot heavier than the normal HW plastic and so look and feel even more realistic.
Real McCoy's, Rampant Classic and Elan produce Rocken brand modelguns with Super Lock Light material (plastic mixed with tungsten powder) which has ultra high specific gravity as iron as well as better strength and finish texture.
In 1968, MGC developed a MG-Blowback cartridge for open detonator type blow back operation for their blowback models.
However, it is difficult to achieve stable blowback performance as it uses paper caps which left residue built up on the detonator pin and inside the cartridge.
The plastic cap is plugged inside and sits on a piston which helps to keep the pressure of exploded gas to provide the blowback force.
MGC, CMC, Marui and Kokusai (early models) adopted closed cylinder design which had integral firing pins mounted at the front chamber end.
KSC, Marushin, Tanaka, HWS, CAW and newer plastic Kokusai revolvers adopt open cylinder design which just have a steel plate to partially block the chamber end.
There are also some aftermarket cap-firing cartridges produced by Mulberry Field, B.W.C., C-Tec / Malugo and Tanio Koba for some selected compatible models of modelgun.
Many of them are even designed to accommodate double or triple caps in their cartridge for enhanced blowback, sound and muzzle flash effect.
Mulberry Field, C-Tec / Malugo, Right, Elan and KSC make very nice full size dummy cartridges for display and manual operation purposes.
Other early key makers are Tokyo CMC, Nakata and Kokusai (International Industry) which started modelgun production in mid-60s.
However, Rocken brand and designed high grade plastic models are released from Real McCoy's, Rampant Classic and Elan from mid-90s.
Denix S.A., based in Spain, produces many replicas of historical weapons including flintlock and caplock dummy pistols for use as decorations or props, and has a following in parts of Europe and the United States in addition to Japan.