Greatest firearms designers?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Greatest firearms designers? (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:08:34 PM EDT

John Moses Browning
Eugene Stoner
Mikhail Kalashnikov
John Cantius Garand

Who else?

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:11:29 PM EDT

[#1]

Sergei Simonov, though his design was a short-lived success when the Kalashnikov came out.

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:13:16 PM EDT

[#2]

Samuel Colt
Hiram Maxim

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:13:34 PM EDT

[#3]

Helmut Welde.

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:14:24 PM EDT

[#4]

Gaston Glock.......

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:14:27 PM EDT

[#5]

Gaston Glock is to handguns what John Garand was to battle rifles.

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:23:07 PM EDT

[#6]

John Moses Browning 1911... M2... IMO the 2 best wepons ever made

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:26:09 PM EDT

[#7]

Browning wins hands down. He made so many designs its not even funny. Plus, several of them are still used today, after nearly a century of service.

If anyone else can say that about Ak's in the 2050's call me then. And still, its only one gun. (And a handful of others, point is Browning has him beat on quality and quantity.)

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:27:24 PM EDT

[#8]

The Mauser brothers

John D. Pedersen

Arthur Savage

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:27:31 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Browning wins hands down. He made so many designs its not even funny. Plus, several of them are still used today, after nearly a century of service.

If anyone else can say that about Ak's in the 2050's call me then. And still, its only one gun. (And a handful of others, point is Browning has him beat on quality and quantity.)

There is something to be said for having designed the single most common rifle EVER.

Edit to say that I can't believe I forgot Maxim, Colt, Mauser, and Glock.

Who was Helmut Welde?

And who designed the MG42?

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:28:02 PM EDT

[#10]

Bruce Jennings

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:30:06 PM EDT

[#11]

Jeff Cooper

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:30:29 PM EDT

[#12]

John Moses Browning. No one else even comes close. PERIOD. I doubt if there will ever be another firearm designer that will ever come close to his contributions.

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:33:55 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Gaston Glock is to handguns what John Garand was to battle rifles.

I tend to think he was more of the Mikhail Kalashnikov of handguns:

They both made (basically) one good design (with variants) that is superbly reliable, relatively cheap, extremely famous, and slightly less accurate than their competitors. Both their designs are used by countless people on both sides of the law, and are probably the most popular weapons in their respective niches. They also more or less revitalized their respective niches in roughly the same way....the AK was not the first assault rifle, but it was the first to become a huge, major player in financially-challenged world militaries. The Glock was not the first semi-auto pistol, but it was the first to become a huge, major player in American Law Enforcement. Both have been copied and have had design elements borrowed from them, and they both spark heated debates between "experts" (AK vs. AR and Glock vs. 1911 are probably the two biggest gun...not ammo...debates in the history of internet gun forums

).

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:34:22 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Who was Helmut Welde?

Heckler & Koch P7 designer.

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:35:45 PM EDT

[#15]

in the beginning, there was Browning.

Browning is so far ahead of anyone else it makes the question silly.
The others made one great gun that lasted for years.
Browning made a half dozen great guns and dozens more.
The AK is the triumph of manufactoring rather than design.
AR is, technically speaking, a much more revolutionary design.

Take away Browning's actual patents, his sticky little fingers are in so many guns.
The FAL, the MAG-58, damn near every semi auto currently manufactured, the auto shotgun, etc etc.
While the FAL is a browning derivative, it is interesting to note that Browning never made the general issue rifle.
Most of the other designers are admired for their manufacture of the basic infantry gun.
Mauser
Kalishnikov
Stoner
Garand
Thompson
etc.

While Browning is without doubt the greatest, it makes you wonder if he had turned his attention towards that aspect what his genius would have developed.

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:35:56 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Gaston Glock is to handguns what John Garand was to battle rifles.

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:37:49 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Jeff Cooper

While I have met Colonel Cooper and I think highly of him, he is not exactly a firearms designer.

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:38:17 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
in the beginning, there was Browning.

Browning is so far ahead of anyone else it makes the question silly.
The others made one great gun that lasted for years.
Browning made a half dozen great guns and dozens more.
The AK is the triumph of manufactoring rather than design.
AR is, technically speaking, a much more revolutionary design.

..

While Browning is without doubt the greatest.

Agree 100%

Seeing the inside of precisely how an M2 operates is amazing. It is a thing of mechanical genius.

The 1911 is pretty snazzy too.

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:39:50 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Browning wins hands down. He made so many designs its not even funny. Plus, several of them are still used today, after nearly a century of service.

If anyone else can say that about Ak's in the 2050's call me then. And still, its only one gun. (And a handful of others, point is Browning has him beat on quality and quantity.)

You can see the influence of J.M.B. (May the Sauce be Upon Him!) in many(most) of the weapons of today.

All from his simple little workshop, and his Awe inspiring genius. Because of this wonderful man, We all have many things to "Play" with today.

I only wish I could have met him somehow.......

Tall Shadow

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:49:37 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Browning wins hands down. He made so many designs its not even funny. Plus, several of them are still used today, after nearly a century of service.

If anyone else can say that about Ak's in the 2050's call me then. And still, its only one gun. (And a handful of others, point is Browning has him beat on quality and quantity.)

You can see the influence of J.M.B. (May the Sauce be Upon Him!) in many(most) of the weapons of today.

All from his simple little workshop, and his Awe inspiring genius. Because of this wonderful man, We all have many things to "Play" with today.

I only wish I could have met him somehow.......

Tall Shadow

Me too. My career goal is to design firearms. If there was one person I could sit down and chat with about it, it'd be Browning.

Posted: 2/2/2006 8:25:57 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Browning wins hands down. He made so many designs its not even funny. Plus, several of them are still used today, after nearly a century of service.

If anyone else can say that about Ak's in the 2050's call me then. And still, its only one gun. (And a handful of others, point is Browning has him beat on quality and quantity.)

You can see the influence of J.M.B. (May the Sauce be Upon Him!) in many(most) of the weapons of today.

All from his simple little workshop, and his Awe inspiring genius. Because of this wonderful man, We all have many things to "Play" with today.

I only wish I could have met him somehow.......

Tall Shadow

Me too. My career goal is to design firearms. If there was one person I could sit down and chat with about it, it'd be Browning.

I have two pistols from his design(Remington Rand,and Colt Government model) but the Browning designs I collect now are the A5 Autos,and the Rem 11's shotguns!!

I even have the cross overs Rem 11-48 the mother of the Rem 870!

JMB started his A5 in belgium but offered it to Winchester(they turned him down) he then offered it to REM they took him up on it untill about 1948 or so!

I have a Rem sportsman(1935) and a Rem Mod 11(1930) and a Browning Light Twelve(1957)I like the attention to detail and hand fitting and hand machined parts!

Most shooters hate the weight of these fine made and engraved shotguns!

I collect them because as said JMB was King of design!

I say now and forever!!

Bob

Posted: 2/2/2006 8:28:39 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Jeff Cooper

While I have met Colonel Cooper and I think highly of him, he is not exactly a firearms designer.

Didnt he have a lot to do with the Bren Ten?

Posted: 2/2/2006 8:29:43 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Gaston Glock is to handguns what John Garand was to battle rifles.

+1

Gaston Glock is more to handguns as what Earl Silas Tupper is to plastic kitchenware, or how Firestone is to tires

Posted: 2/2/2006 8:30:15 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Jeff Cooper

While I have met Colonel Cooper and I think highly of him, he is not exactly a firearms designer.

Didnt he have a lot to do with the Bren Ten?

And the Steyr Scout rifle.

Posted: 2/2/2006 8:31:45 PM EDT

[#25]

Colt
Winchester
Browning
Kalashnikov
Garand
and a few wacko Germans I do not know ( invented a few goodies arouind WW1 and WWII)
Glock

and one more
Daisy

Posted: 2/2/2006 8:33:48 PM EDT

[#26]

Todd Bailey

of Special Weapons fame!

Posted: 2/2/2006 8:34:54 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
~~Gaston Glock~~ JMB(1911) is to handguns what John Garand was to battle rifles.

Posted: 2/2/2006 8:38:33 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
Quoted:
~~Gaston Glock~~ JMB(1911) is to handguns what John Garand was to battle rifles.

here we go

Posted: 2/2/2006 8:41:16 PM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
~~Gaston Glock~~ JMB(1911) is to handguns what John Garand was to battle rifles.

here we go

The truth hurts huh?

Gaston Glock has more in common with J.F. Brondel, the inventor of the flush toilet, than he does with John Moses Browning.

Posted: 2/2/2006 8:52:36 PM EDT

[#30]

Don't forget:

Freddie Lorcin

Seymour Jennings

Jaques Chaut-Chaut

Johnny Bersa

Sammy Raven

Suk Kee Tec

Bobby Bryco

Posted: 2/2/2006 8:54:28 PM EDT

[#31]

Gaston Glock

Posted: 2/2/2006 8:57:08 PM EDT

[#32]

Posted: 2/2/2006 9:00:01 PM EDT

[#33]

Hiram Maxim

UZIEL GAL!!!

Hugo Schmeisser

Eliphalet Remington

Posted: 2/2/2006 9:03:08 PM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Gaston Glock ~~JMB(1911)~~ is to handguns what~~John Garand was to battle rifles~~ David Oreck was to eight-pound vacuum cleaners.

Posted: 2/2/2006 9:03:36 PM EDT

[#35]

Mikhail Kalashnikov

Posted: 2/2/2006 9:05:49 PM EDT

[#36]

Browning
Maxim
Kalishnikov

All envisioned a less populated world

Posted: 2/2/2006 9:44:40 PM EDT

[#37]

Herr Luger

How many others besides Browning have their name on a cartridge too

Posted: 2/2/2006 9:47:53 PM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:
i1.tinypic.com/n3ahlc.jpg

Posted: 2/2/2006 9:48:35 PM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:
Herr Luger

How many others besides Browning have their name on a cartridge too

Dick Casull

Gaston Glock (.45 GAP)

Skip Talbot

Those three are just off of the top of my head.

Posted: 2/3/2006 1:18:31 AM EDT

[#40]

How in the hell did you guys mention Glock fourteen times, but completely fail to mention:
Richard Jordan Gatling
Patrick Ferguson

Posted: 2/3/2006 3:25:57 AM EDT

[#41]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Herr Luger

How many others besides Browning have their name on a cartridge too

Dick Casull

Gaston Glock (.45 GAP)

Skip Talbot

Those three are just off of the top of my head.

Colt (all the ACPs).

Posted: 2/3/2006 4:30:05 AM EDT

[#42]

What about the guy that designed the Red Ryder bb gun? This, and "A Christmas story" has done to spark many of my friend's first interest in firearms.

Posted: 2/3/2006 4:36:36 AM EDT

[#43]

Reginald Vernon Sheppherd and Harold John Turpin

Posted: 2/4/2006 7:15:16 AM EDT

[#44]

Quoted:
Reginald Vernon Sheppherd and Harold John Turpin

What'd they design?

I don't know what a lot of these guys designed, actually. There are even more that I haven't heard of but know by last name (Arthur Savage, Richard Jordan Gatling).