2011 is the 100th anniversary of one of John Moses Browning’s most iconic handguns, 1911.
Widely considered a genius in his era, Browning’s most enduring legacy was the short recoil design behind the 1911 handgun, which remains the pre-eminent operating system in today’s semi-auto handguns, a century after it was first introduce...d.
He was born in Ogden in 1855 and died at his desk in 1926. He is credited with 128 gun patents and made his first firearm at age 13 in his father’s gun shop.
His other famous creations include the Winchester Model 1886 lever action rifle, Model 1887 lever action repeating shotgun, Model 1897 pump action shotgun and Models 1894 and 1895 lever action repeating rifles. For good measure throw in the Colt Model 1895 “Peacemaker” machine gun and Model 1817 .30 cal. water-cooled machine gun.
