AFTER ALL THESE YEARS I NOW TRULY APPRECIATE (AGAIN) JUST HOW SMART JM BROWNING WAS!

[chief38]

I've posted a bunch of threads lately regarding my teaching two good friends to learn gun safety, shoot, hit the target and choose a proper self defense gun for their needs. Over the last month or so they have rented a plethora of small guns they wanted to consider for EDC/CCW. Those guns include the S&W Bodyguard, the Ruger LCR 2 and LCR Max, the Taurus Spectrum, the Glock 42, 43, the Sig P365, the Kel-tec. Since I was never personally interested in anything smaller than a 9mm for SD I never really paid much attention to the tiny pocket models in 380 acp. Since they have been renting them at the Range I have fired all of them and now have a better understanding of their attributes, faults and exactly how they work. It is interesting (at least to me) just how different the similar looking and size pistols really are in the way they function.

At present I still have absolutely no interest in a 380acp (doubt I ever will), however if I ever did I think the one pistol that stands out would be the Ruger LCP Max. I get that when a pistol is shrunken down to their size & weight and they hold up to 13 rounds, the price has to be paid somewhere. When functioning and reliability vastly excel, again, the price is usually paid by the capacity (such as in the G42). I just found it quite interesting to learn about and shoot these mini lightweight carry guns and would encourage anyone interested in one of them to shoot as many as they can before purchasing. They each have their good and bad points and the functioning, ease of shooting, reliability and mechanism type should be fully understood before the purchase. I will honestly say that even though I've been around firearms, shot an enormous amount over my lifetime and have owned a plethora of guns, there is still much I need to learn about. This one was one of those learning experiences and I now have a pretty fair understanding of these little pocket 380's.

Now to JM Browning......,

I NOW reiterate (once again) my appreciate for just how much quality, thought and genius JMB put into his small pistol designs. His series of Colt & Browning pocket Pistols, while of different mechanical function & heavier than the polymer guns, are more reliable, better built and IMHO just far superior to the new crop of polymer framed guns. YES - I get that the polymer guns are very light weight, have different mechanisms and are designed to be built cheap and for today's world of gun toters, - but I take my hat off once again to JM Browning for his commitment to what he did and his sheer genius! There will never be another JMB!

 

[bushmaster1313]

Samuel Clemens said:

As a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.

 

[BB57]

John Browning's genius was in designing deceptively simple and elegant mechanisms that accomplished very complex tasks.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I've posted a bunch of threads lately regarding my teaching two good friends to learn gun safety, shoot, hit the target and choose a proper self defense gun for their needs. Over the last month or so they have rented a plethora of small guns they wanted to consider for EDC/CCW. Those guns include the S&W Bodyguard, the Ruger LCR 2 and LCR Max, the Taurus Spectrum, the Glock 42, 43, the Sig P365, the Kel-tec. Since I was never personally interested in anything smaller than a 9mm for SD I never really paid much attention to the tiny pocket models in 380 acp. Since they have been renting them at the Range I have fired all of them and now have a better understanding of their attributes, faults and exactly how they work. It is interesting (at least to me) just how different the similar looking and size pistols really are in the way they function.

At present I still have absolutely no interest in a 380acp (doubt I ever will), however if I ever did I think the one pistol that stands out would be the Ruger LCP Max. I get that when a pistol is shrunken down to their size & weight and they hold up to 13 rounds, the price has to be paid somewhere. When functioning and reliability vastly excel, again, the price is usually paid by the capacity (such as in the G42). I just found it quite interesting to learn about and shoot these mini lightweight carry guns and would encourage anyone interested in one of them to shoot as many as they can before purchasing. They each have their good and bad points and the functioning, ease of shooting, reliability and mechanism type should be fully understood before the purchase. I will honestly say that even though I've been around firearms, shot an enormous amount over my lifetime and have owned a plethora of guns, there is still much I need to learn about. This one was one of those learning experiences and I now have a pretty fair understanding of these little pocket 380's.

Now to JM Browning......,

I NOW reiterate (once again) my appreciate for just how much quality, thought and genius JMB put into his small pistol designs. His series of Colt & Browning pocket Pistols, while of different mechanical function & heavier than the polymer guns, are more reliable, better built and IMHO just far superior to the new crop of polymer framed guns. YES - I get that the polymer guns are very light weight, have different mechanisms and are designed to be built cheap and for today's world of gun toters, - but I take my hat off once again to JM Browning for his commitment to what he did and his sheer genius! There will never be another JMB!

JMB never drew Blue Prints......Once an idea was in his head. He just went filing, sawing and grinding till he had created what he was thinking

 

[WCCPHD]

Just think how much time Browning used up traveling to the North East to the major gun manufacturers and to Belgium (FN) trying to sell his designs.

 

[Heinz]

1910 Browning, First year

This FN Browning 32 ACP is 111 years old and still going strong. I shot it last month.

I have acquired some original horn grips for it. Unfortunately the GI who brought it back thought it would look better if he plated the safety and trigger to match the rest of the gun. But that lets me shoot it without guilt

 

[chief38]

I have a Colt 1908 25 pocket pistol. I bought it strictly because I like it - never to carry. I've probably shot about 1,500 - 2,000 rounds through it over the last 25 years and can not ever remember having a FTF or jam, NEVER!

I also have Colt a 32 acp and a 380 acp and while they are called pocket pistols, they are a smidgeon too large for what I'd call a pocket pistol today. That said, they too have NEVER had a jam or fail to fire! All are over 100 years old and are all original including the Magazines.

 

[walnutred]

First time I took a Winchester 92 apart I looked at the vertically falling locking block and could see the relationship to the Highwall single shot rifle Browning first developed. First time I took a M2 Browning apart and saw the vertically falling locking block I could see that Browning took that falling block concept just about as far as it would go.

 

[Bill Lear]

JMB never drew Blue Prints......Once an idea was in his head. He just went filing, sawing and grinding till he had created what he was thinking

Yeah, but SOMEBODY did draw blueprints. Browning might have been an inspired genius, but his work would have gone for NAUGHT had there truly been nobody to record it ON PAPER for future replication.

Browning designed a lot of guns in his time, and over time his interests evolved. That he designed the P35 around the 9mm many years AFTER the 1911 must speak volumes as to his evolved thinking on caliber effectiveness. NO?

 

[sheppard]

No, Browning designed(along with Saive) the P35 in 9mm because that's the caliber the French wanted, just as designing the 1911 in .45 ACP because that's what the US Cavalry wanted.

 

[desi2358]

Browning did draw out some of his designs, the slide action 22 that became the 1890 Winchester was one. He was busy and sent the design drawing into Winchester, they looked at it, said it wouldn't work and sent them back. So, he made one in the shop, fired it and sent it to the factory with the drawings and a note saying "seems to work fine for me" as reported in his biography.

He often drew out the designs he thought of besides building prototypes of concepts he had. When he was still primarily dealing with Winchester he often sent the drawings to the factory where they would look them over and file for patents for him. That ended when he split with Winchester over his wanting royalties for what became the Auto 5 shotgun. Later patents were done through his own shop or with the aid of companies he licensed his designs to.

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

I have a Colt 1908 25 pocket pistol. I bought it strictly because I like it - never to carry. I've probably shot about 1,500 - 2,000 rounds through it over the last 25 years and can not ever remember having a FTF or jam, NEVER!

I also have Colt a 32 acp and a 380 acp and while they are called pocket pistols, they are a smidgeon too large for what I'd call a pocket pistol today. That said, they too have NEVER had a jam or fail to fire! All are over 100 years old and are all original including the Magazines.

Don't forget that not only did Obi-Wan-Browning design those pistols...he ALSO designed those cartridges...

Sam

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Yes, JMB and Dieudonne Saive designing the High Power around the 9MMP means we have no High Power in 45 ACP alas.

 

[.357magger]

Samuel Clemens said:

Mark Twain was also a fan of JM Browning's designs.

Mr Clements is shown here firing his personal Colt Model M (either 1903 or 1908). Just think this is such a neat photo.

As an aside, the Model M is my personal favorite of all of Browning's pistol designs. And I say that as the owner of more than a couple of 1911s.

 

[2152hq]

Just think how much time Browning used up traveling to the North East to the major gun manufacturers and to Belgium (FN) trying to sell his designs.

He invented Time Travel as well.
So the journeys did not interfere with his more constructive use of time at the work bench.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

Yes, JMB and Dieudonne Saive designing the High Power around the 9MMP means we have no High Power in 45 ACP alas.

Probably not a bad thing. The Hi Power in .40 caliber really twists in your hand. If one was made in .45 it likely would be worse.

Leave the Hi Power as it's designed…as a 9mm. The 1911 was designed around the .45 ACP…it can be engineered down to smaller diameter calibers much more easily than the Hi Power engineered up to larger.

 

[.357magger]

Probably not a bad thing. The Hi Power in .40 caliber really twists in your hand. If one was made in .45 it likely would be worse.

Leave the Hi Power as it's designed…as a 9mm. The 1911 was designed around the .45 ACP…it can be engineered down to smaller diameter calibers much more easily than the Hi Power engineered up to larger.

True. That's why early 40 Hi Powers developed cracked frames.

 

[Puller]

The only reason JM Browning didn't use polymer in his gun designs was because the material wasn't invented yet. Thank goodness Gaston Glock was around and able to perfect that process to the next level.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

Polymer technology is still being improved constantly...just like metallurgy is for steel and aluminum guns. It's an ongoing, evolutionary process.

 

[DUSTYDOGDAN]

I feel that John Moses Browning should be on an US coin or bill.

You really should go to the John Moses Browning museum in Oden Utah. It is in a very old train depot and is amazing.
I am not sure why my photos went sideways but it was a great visit back in 2019.