COB6 writes to remind us that today is the birthday of the fellow he calls “the most deadly American in history” John Moses Browning. He was born on this day in 1855 in Ogden, Utah and went on to design some of the most dependable weapons in our inventory. The son of a gunsmith, he patented his first breech-loading rifle in 1875.
Ultimately, John Moses Browning’s inventions helped revolutionize the firearms industry in America with some of the country’s most commercially successful guns – including the lever-action repeating rifle, semi-automatic shotgun, .22 caliber rifle, the Browning 1919 .30 caliber and M2 .50 caliber machine guns (MGs), and the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR).
He also designed the M1911 .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol which remains in service today in some sectors – I don’t know any gun owners who don’t have a 1911. I have two. The Marines just bought 12,000 more for their special operations troops.
Browning died in 1926, but lives on in our gun cases.
Well, now you know of one. I’m a Smith and Wesson guy. I don’t have anything against the 1911 styled weapons, but I do so love my S&W 686 .357.
I own one as well as his last handgun he designed, the Hi-Power. Love shooting both of them.
Well, now you know two…I can’t afford a M1911 and thanks to Obama, I can hardly afford to buy ammo for what I do have (assuming you can even find any to buy).
He invented a lot of stuff. Great man. I want one of each.
Got a S&W Model 1911 .45, but if I’m going to add a Browning rifle to my collection anytime soon, it’s a Browning .300 WinMag.
Daddy want. Daddy want it bad.
The 1911 has a flawless pedigree. It was designed specifically to kill muslims.
Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!
(Sorry, but the opening was too perfect. I could not resist. [smile])
Atouk zug zug Lana!
Whoops–wrong movie.
I am fearful when I see people substituting fear for reason.
There. That’s more like it.
NHSparky: that movie’s probably more up Uncle Joe’s alley, actually. (smile)
If I get a chance, I’ll hit up the Ogden Union Station museum that has an entire section dedicated to him. Lots of stuff on display from what I remember. Grab some pictures or something. Maybe make a weekend of it with the little cousins and take them to the Hill Aerospace museum too.
Unfortunately I don’t have a 1911 yet though. Small collection and all.
This poster is one of the reasons there is so much gun violence today!
(I just wanted to put myself in Joe’s shoes and see how it feels to write a line like that. I feel so dirty and in need of a hot shower now.)
Well, AirCav, at least you don’t feel terminally stupid, like Joey does.
I’m a proud owner of a 1911 and a Browning FN 1922 🙂
The first firearm I purchased when I turned 21, was a M1911A1. I’ll never sell it. I shoot it far too infrenguently. It is the pistol by which I compare all others.
If measured in body count, Browning was very successful. Here’s my real hero, Earl Bailey:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/62yearold-with-gun-only-one-standing-between-natio,30984/
Keep fighting for FREEDOM Earl!
Anonymous (#16) is your dear friend Joe. Before you go tracking me Hondo, I cleared my cache and my computer forgot who I was.
And right on schedule, comes Joey, riding out of the hills, spreading panty-wadded fear of bangsticks.
That’s okay Joey–we’ll never forget who you are, writing douchebaggery like that, citing the Onion, etc.
Go unplug your fucking meter already.
This should be a national holiday, I wonder how many Nazis, Japanese, Communists, Al Qeda, Taliban, etc have died at the hands of his weapons making the world a better place. I will have a dink to this man tonight.
Wow a topic on guns and Joey wasn’t in the first five comments spouting his drivel. You’re slipping Joe.
“The Onion” and “The Duffelblog” are the two news sources where Joe and his kind get their news. Well, those and CNN and MSNBC too, of course.
@21 He probably didn’t recognize the name, anymore than one of us might recognize Kelty, Mammut, or Berghaus.
@22, sadly he is not the only one. How many Liberals believed that Sarah Palin said “I can see Russia from my house” because of a skit Tina Fey did on SNL?
Whaddya mean, “believed?” They still accept that shit as holy writ.
Actually, I know what Joe is attempting to get at. He knows it’s a spoof site. He’s just trying to make a point about us.
@20 JPJ
Don’t forget it wasn’t just the defenders of liberty and justice that admired John Brownings handiwork. There was a certain infamous duo named Bonnie and Clyde that had a special affection for the M1918 BAR.
OT–he TRIED, but as usual, he FAILED.
Devtun: the BAR was (and still is) a fine weapon.
But any weapon, like anything else invented by man, is merely a tool in the hands of its user. Like any other tool, it is morally neutral. And like any other tool, it can be used for either good or evil.
A wise person understands this, and accordingly assigns the resulting good or evil to the proper source: the user of the tool. A fool assigns the blame to the tool.
I have a couple of Mr. Browning’s creations. Now the collectors of 45s, I have a SIGMAUSER M2. This 45 was a limited run for goverment contact in 92 was it ? The M2 is striker fired with a rotratingbolt, blowback action. A very sweet shooting pistol.After all these years very few changes to his fine design. Joe
Dad was a BAR man in WW II. Swore by that thing til the day he died. He said the guys in his squad always made sure he was covered!?
@29 Hondo
Very eloquently put.
Everyone always mentions the M1911, which is admittedly great. Don’t forget the full-auto artistry… the M2 is STILL in continuous service, beating the 1911 as a primary
service weapon in its type. (Small correction on the P35, the design was started by Browning but finished by FN’s chief designer. Helluva gun nonetheless and will be one of the last they take from me.) God love ya, Mr. Browning….
My favorite and best shooting 1911 is a Remington Rand minted in 1943. Sweet, sweet piece to shoot.
#34,
Axygos, I just purchased the new incarnation, a Remington R1. Love it.