John Moses Browning

Started by Paul Hoskins, October 23, 2017, 08:48:32 AM

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Paul Hoskins

John Moses Browning was in my opinion the greatest & most prolific gun inventor in history. Some may disagree with me but that's fine with me. Looking back over his designs & inventions a lot of them are just as popular today as they were back in his days. You have to take into consideration the material available back then & the methods of manufacture. His 1911 45 ACP was & still is one of the most popular pistols in history. It is also possibly the most copied gun in history in one form or another. Browning was born in 1855 in Ogden, Utah into a gun making family & designed & built his first gun at the age of 13 years. He received his first patent at the age of 24 & never stopped till the day he died in his shop of a heart attack. ......John also had a business head. He depended on Winchester for many years & Winchester depended on him. When John designed the Auto-5 shotgun he asked Winchester to pay him a lump sum plus a percentage of sales. Obviously hw knew he had a winner in the A5. Winchester refused & Browning went to Remington but while waiting to see the head honcho the man died in his office. Browning then went to FN in Belgium with his patent & they gave him what he wanted. Probably one of Winchester's biggest mistakes was turning down Browning's proposal. Browning also licensed Savage Arms to manufacture the A5. A few other makers have built the A5 & used a different model number. ......The most amazing thing I find about Browning was his diversity in firearm designs. I don't recollect him designing a bolt action but it's possible. There is bolt guns today with his name but I don't know if he designed them. ......Some might argue Eugene Stoner was more prolific in designing firearms but for the times & conditions, Stoner doesn't compare. Browning was a mechanical genius. You have to admire the man. He designed everything from simple single shots to gas operated machine guns & cannons & everything between. ......Paul H

gitano

Until Stoner came along, John Browning and the Mauser brothers were my 'idols'. Stoner didn't 'lower' anyone, but in my eyes, he rose to the level of Browning and the Mausers. In my mind, there is no need for "#1". Each of those men were extraordinary in their own right.

Some will argue that Kalashnikov belongs with Browning, the Mausers, and Stoner, and to a large degree, he deserves considerable note. However, his primary claim to fame was A rifle, and the "big deal" was ease of manufacturing, (in later versions), not innovation of design. His notoriety derives primarily in the number of AK-47s in existence.

Please don't 'argue' with me about Kalashnikov. Simply read here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Kalashnikov and we can all see his accomplishments and judge for ourselves who we choose to 'idolize'. If "you" want him alongside Browning, the Mausers, and Stoner, far be it from me to care.

Paul

PS - I think it should be noted that all of the above men invented and designed MILITARY firearms. It might be argued "If they hadn't done it, someone else would have." I cannot dispute that. However, I had an opportunity to design a suppressed handgun for the DoD. The criteria was that it had to have a 'small footprint'. In other words, it had to contain the suppressor within the firearm itself; no "screw on" attachment, and it couldn't be "clunky" or "big". I designed, built, and tested one. It met the specifications of DoD's RFP (request for proposals). I CHOSE not to "take the money". I did so purely for ethical reasons. While I know full well that SOMEONE will - sooner or later - do what I did, I DO NOT want to be "that someone".

There is NO self-righteousness in the above comment. I do not judge those (with so much greater talent than I) that make a different choice. Neither do I begrudge Browning, the Mausers, Stoner or Kalashnikov their 'success'. All we truly "own" in our lives are our choices, not the devices we invent.

Paul
Be nicer than necessary.

sakorick

I think Kalashnikov gets a bit too much of the credit. The SKS was already thriving and begging for upgrade!  Designed in 1943 by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov in 1943, they were amazing. It was one of the first weapons chambered for the 7.62x39mm M43 round, which was also used later in the AK-47. They put a lot of unneeded holes in my helicopter.:Banghead:
Talk to yourself. There are times you need expert advice.

gitano

Are you SURE those holes were "unneeded"? You're here aren't you? :D

Paul
Be nicer than necessary.

sakorick

Quote from: gitano;149330Are you SURE those holes were "unneeded"? You're here aren't you? :D

Paul

So far so good but I can tell you those holes caused stress that about killed me!
Talk to yourself. There are times you need expert advice.

Paul Hoskins

It wasn't my intention in this thread to knock any inventor. I must point out that most of Browning's inventions had little or no precedence. Most of his inventions were from his own thinking. No doubt he laid awake many nights going over things in his mind. I do that myself. Browning was born at a time when things were going from muzzle loader to cartridge type guns. There was little for him to go on but he knew cartridge guns were the future. Peabody, Spencer, & Henry was a bit earlier than Browning but most of their designs were rather crude  hit or miss propositions in one field. None were as open minded & diverse as Browning. His thinking & inventions covered the whole spectrum of firearms. Not to belittle Stoner but he had nearly a century of creations to draw upon. I admire all of them for their creative thinking.  .......Paul H

Hunterbug

I have to agree with Paul regarding John Browning. To me what makes him so unique among firearms inventers is his diversity. He made rifles, pistols, and shotguns in pump action, lever action, semi-auto, and full automatic.
Ask not what your government can do for you. Ask how your government can go away and get out of your life.
 
 
The unarmed man is is not only defenseless, he is also contemptible.
Niccolo Machiavelli

Paul Hoskins

I have a Browning model 1910 FN pistol that was given to me by an elderly widow neighbor lady because she was afraid the great grandchildren would find it & do something unmentionable with it. Possibly a good move on her part. When I checked it, the safety was in the feuer (fire) position instead of the siche (safe) position with a full magazine & loaded chamber. :eek: She didn't even know it was loaded. Her late husband never explained anything to her. It's in  remarkably good condition for it's age. I also have the original leather holster. The spare magazine is missing. .......Paul H

gitano

No argument about Browning!

What I would say about Stoner is that while he had a hundred years of cartridge firearms experience to draw upon, he created something ENTIRELY new. That's why I respect his genius so much. His wasn't "just another semi-auto assault rifle". It was like it was from another planet. Given the 100-year history behind him, I consider it 'genius' to NOT build something that was simply a 'derivative' of an earlier design.

Browning is "the Man".

The Mauser brothers gave us what we all call the "bolt action rifle". In my opinion, EVERY SINGLE bolt action rifle available today owes its existence to the Mauser brothers. Again, a NOVEL concept in the context of the history and time that the Mausers were working.

Paul
Be nicer than necessary.

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