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PJR · August 9, 2010, 02:57 PM

Resurrecting an old thread provides a good look back at previous opinions. Mine haven't changed on Browning. Shotguns were not his strength and either he incrementally improved exisiting designs or built on already established concepts.

When he designed the 1897 there were many pump action firearms in existence. Browning incorporated those designs into the 97.

The Auto 5 was the first semi-automatic but the concept of recoil operated firearms was pioneered and patented by Hiram Maxim in the early 1880's. When John Browning was making single shot rifles at Winchester, Hiram Maxim presented a working belt-fed machine gun to the British Army Board.

The Superposed is an Anson Deeley boxlock shotgun with a unique and needlessly complicated forend design. Even Browning didn't retain the Superposed forend designs on later guns choosing the AD style instead. The Superposed is a fine gun but its real quality was to be easily made on machines. Until then double guns were largely built by hand.

Browning was a great designer of many things but he was not the only gun designer in existence at the time. Others were equally great if not better.

August 9, 2010, 02:57 PM	#18
PJR Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2000 Posts: 1,127	Resurrecting an old thread provides a good look back at previous opinions. Mine haven't changed on Browning. Shotguns were not his strength and either he incrementally improved exisiting designs or built on already established concepts. When he designed the 1897 there were many pump action firearms in existence. Browning incorporated those designs into the 97. The Auto 5 was the first semi-automatic but the concept of recoil operated firearms was pioneered and patented by Hiram Maxim in the early 1880's. When John Browning was making single shot rifles at Winchester, Hiram Maxim presented a working belt-fed machine gun to the British Army Board. The Superposed is an Anson Deeley boxlock shotgun with a unique and needlessly complicated forend design. Even Browning didn't retain the Superposed forend designs on later guns choosing the AD style instead. The Superposed is a fine gun but its real quality was to be easily made on machines. Until then double guns were largely built by hand. Browning was a great designer of many things but he was not the only gun designer in existence at the time. Others were equally great if not better. Last edited by PJR; August 9, 2010 at 03:05 PM.