Dyspeptic Gunsmith: John Moses Browning’s Designs Both Innovated And Evolved

By Robert Farago

We keep trying to get TTAG commentator Dyspeptic Gunsmith to write for us. He insists he doesn’t have the time…and then he posts articulate, insightful material in the comments section. Go figure. Meanwhile, here’s DP’s take on the genius of John Moses Browning . . .

What most people fail to appreciate about JMB’s design output is this: not every gun was a “clean sheet.” John Moses Browning (insert Mormon Tabernacle Choir giving a rousing chorus of Handel’s Messiah here) was a consummately smart man – meaning, he “stole” features from his previous guns that solved problems in firearms design and used those ideas in later guns.

Take apart the lever-operated rifles. Lay them out, side-by-side. You see the evolution happening there.

Take apart the 1903, 1908 and then the 1911. You can see the evolution happening in there.

Take apart the 1911. Look at the sear/trigger spring. Take apart a 1918 BAR. Look at the sear/trigger spring. Very similar.

Take apart the A5. Look at the way it recoils to throw the breech block back and get hooked, then released. Now see how the M2’s barrel recoils and throws the breech block back… same sort of idea.

Browning was one of the few gun designers …Read the Rest

Source:: Truth About Guns