Which gun designer made the largest contribution to the firearms world?

[churchmouse]

i would agree with most of what you said, but it was colts manufactuing facilities that produced the most weapons and designs. including designs from browning and stoner. plus the pistol that won the west.
i personally believed this should have been a closer contest.

Samuel Colt is listed by name...not as a Manufacturer. I see your point but it would not be that much closer. Well, IMHO anyway.

There were a butt load of pistols in the old west and many were decent enough. The Colt peacemaker and other variants were among the best. But the run was not 100 years on the old single action wheel gun.

 

[pokersamurai]

IMO it's a tie.

John M. Browning made the largest contribution to the firearms world based on the many new designs and patents he created.

Mikhail Kalashnikov made the largest contribution to the firearms world based on the number of people his design have killed over the years.

 

[richardraw316]

Samuel Colt is listed by name...not as a Manufacturer. I see your point but it would not be that much closer. Well, IMHO anyway.

There were a butt load of pistols in the old west and many were decent enough. The Colt peacemaker and other variants were among the best. But the run was not 100 years on the old single action wheel gun.

the arguement could go on a while on this one. And i do believe browning designed a whole lot of fine weapons and designs.
i just have never been a fan of putting him on such a high pedistal, he had a lot of help along the way, colt being the first that comes to mind. followed closely by fn.
i also thought people like thompson, maxim, and garand should have gotten more votes, but thats just me.
thompson is just plain getting the cold shoulder.

 

[257robertsimp]

Browning, with Maxim a close second.

 

[Limpy88]

I went with J.M.B. not just because of the 1911 but the 50 BMG and others as well.
Both are still in use around the world and have had a significant impact on weapons design for more years. .

i disagree with this only certain specialist group of the us military use the 1911. it is not in common use in any military in the world.

yes the m2 is still in use. it is probably the longest running service gun in the world. but considering the number it is very low to you average rifle.

also none of you mention brownings superposed over/under shotgun. which is still in use and copied be nearly every manufacturer and has more titles then the 1911 in competitions world wide. (since it is not tacticool or a pistol very few members in the form know of its worth).

i voted for Kalashnikov.
Why. because the question was the world not the united states.

their isnt a single country in this world were you wont find a ak-47 or its many variants. has been in use for 65 years. though he may be a one hit wonder. no other gun in the world has set country free while at the same time conquered them. or been on both side of a large battles and wars.

brownings designs were limited to the U.S. and its allies that could afford it.

mauser and the rifle is a close second. variants of the design are in use all over the world. its hard to say but on would assume it no firearm was destroyed. since the mauser action has been around for 114 years. the rifles and its varients might over take the ak in numbers.

ask your self how many ppl of the world have touched a gun that browning has designed

then ask the same question of the others.

Definition: Impact
The effect or impression of one thing on another

10-20 million ppl watch a nascar race

close to 1 billion ppl watch an F1 race.

 

[quicksdraw]

i disagree with this only certain specialist group of the us military use the 1911. it is not in common use in any military in the world. ...

While this is currently true (though with the news that the Marines are finally going to pull the plug on that M9 POS and go back to an updated 1911 as their standard issue handgun, that is about to change), but you conveniently overlook the fact that from 1911 to 1985 the 1911 Colt was the standard issue handgun for ALL branches of the US armed forces. It served in WW 1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam and Grenada, oh and the wars in the banana republics in the twenties. More than a few of us old farts on this forum were issued one when we served.
Under license from Colt, the Argentines manufactured the Modelo 1916 and the Modelo 1927 (the 1916 was based on the 1911, the 1927 was based on the 1911A1) and issued them to their armed forces and police, as well as exporting them to many other South American countries. Prior to WW 2 the Norwegian military issued their model 1914, a Norwegian licensed and manufactured version of the M1911. After the Nazis overran Norway, they captured a stockpile of these pistols and eventually issued them to Wehrmacht soldiers. After Dunkirk the Brits, desperate for any arms to defend against invasion, acquired 1911s through lend lease for issue to the Royal Navy and Royal Flying Corps.
Yeah, its current military use may be limited, but no other pistol in history has the gravitas of the 1911.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

So many tough choices! I voted for Kalashnikov, but only because 1) I tend to root for the underdog and 2) As far as I know you can't bury a 1911 in mud and still have it come up shooting (although I concede that I really don't know this to be fact).

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

I have to go with Browning, not just for the 1911, but he designed a great version of just about everything there was back then. The M2 machine gun is still in service and its cartridge has escaped into the sniper world, the A5 shotgun is a classic, etc. etc. The others did great things, but if you think about it, only one each. JMB was the renaissance man of firearms.

 

[richardraw316]

While this is currently true (though with the news that the Marines are finally going to pull the plug on that M9 POS and go back to an updated 1911 as their standard issue handgun, that is about to change), but you conveniently overlook the fact that from 1911 to 1985 the 1911 Colt was the standard issue handgun for ALL branches of the US armed forces. It served in WW 1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam and Grenada, oh and the wars in the banana republics in the twenties. More than a few of us old farts on this forum were issued one when we served.
Under license from Colt, the Argentines manufactured the Modelo 1916 and the Modelo 1927 (the 1916 was based on the 1911, the 1927 was based on the 1911A1) and issued them to their armed forces and police, as well as exporting them to many other South American countries. Prior to WW 2 the Norwegian military issued their model 1914, a Norwegian licensed and manufactured version of the M1911. After the Nazis overran Norway, they captured a stockpile of these pistols and eventually issued them to Wehrmacht soldiers. After Dunkirk the Brits, desperate for any arms to defend against invasion, acquired 1911s through lend lease for issue to the Royal Navy and Royal Flying Corps.
Yeah, its current military use may be limited, but no other pistol in history has the gravitas of the 1911.

i think the big one got missed. the browning hi power was one of, if not the most popular pistol in the entire world. just about every country had its copy. its been made almost as long as the 1911, and i have yet to meet someone who says" i hate the hi power, it is ammo picky".
i still vote for colt, but browning is a whole lot more than just the 1911.

 

[Mosinowner]

Sergei Ivanovich Mosin and Léon Nagant and the mosin is still killin over 100 years later, but if i have to choose one its Browning.

 

[T4rdV4rk]

I don't see how anyone could vote for any of them besides browning. Browning didn't just make the 1911, he patented tons of stuff, including an entirely revolutionary shotgun, air cooled machine guns, the 1911 and similar autoloading pistols, etc. Nobody had the kind of breadth of firearms design that he had.

Agreed

 

[Mosinowner]

I don't see how anyone could vote for any of them besides browning. Browning didn't just make the 1911, he patented tons of stuff, including an entirely revolutionary shotgun, air cooled machine guns, the 1911 and similar autoloading pistols, etc. Nobody had the kind of breadth of firearms design that he had.

 

[richardraw316]

i disagree with this only certain specialist group of the us military use the 1911. it is not in common use in any military in the world.

yes the m2 is still in use. it is probably the longest running service gun in the world. but considering the number it is very low to you average rifle.

also none of you mention brownings superposed over/under shotgun. which is still in use and copied be nearly every manufacturer and has more titles then the 1911 in competitions world wide. (since it is not tacticool or a pistol very few members in the form know of its worth).

i voted for Kalashnikov.
Why. because the question was the world not the united states.

their isnt a single country in this world were you wont find a ak-47 or its many variants. has been in use for 65 years. though he may be a one hit wonder. no other gun in the world has set country free while at the same time conquered them. or been on both side of a large battles and wars.

brownings designs were limited to the U.S. and its allies that could afford it.

mauser and the rifle is a close second. variants of the design are in use all over the world. its hard to say but on would assume it no firearm was destroyed. since the mauser action has been around for 114 years. the rifles and its varients might over take the ak in numbers.

ask your self how many ppl of the world have touched a gun that browning has designed

then ask the same question of the others.

Definition: Impact
The effect or impression of one thing on another

10-20 million ppl watch a nascar race

close to 1 billion ppl watch an F1 race.

i am willing to give Kalashnikov all the credit in the world. his weapon is ultra reliable and has been well distributed around the world.
but some of his success as a designer needs to go to the germans.

this owes alot to this:

i would have included the designer of the stg 44 in here, but i could not find anyone person responsible. so i guess the germans get the credit here.

 

[sig1473]

WOW......A lot of people should read a book or two. Hiram Maxim hands down.....not even close.

 

[Wysko]

Eugene Stoner. Hard for me to argue against the AR15/M16.

Stoner had some good ideas that never caught on. Have you ever read up on the Stoner weapons system? Very clever.

 

[Wysko]

suprised that no love going towards garand. rifle pretty much won world war 2

Great! rifle but Garand is just one rifle. John Browning has the edge in more variety, military, sporting, hand gun, shot gun, rifle, lever action, pump, gas, recoil etc. Love the Garand, our troops had the best rifle in the war imo. For what its worth the AK47 has several M1 garand design elements.

 

[richardraw316]

Great! rifle but Garand is just one rifle. John Browning has the edge in more variety, military, sporting, hand gun, shot gun, rifle, lever action, pump, gas, recoil etc. Love the Garand, our troops had the best rifle in the war imo. For what its worth the AK47 has several M1 garand design elements.

well yes it is just 1 rifle but the action was used and is still being used to this day. and most importantly, had we not won ww2 what would the world look like today?
i would say thats a pretty big game changer.

 

[richardraw316]

I decided it best to put them in order
10. Gaston Glock
9. Richard j gatling
8. john t thompson
7. paul and william mauser
5. tied for 5th Stoner and Kalashnikov
4. sir Hiram Maxim
3. John C Garand
2. John M Browning
1. Samuel Colt

you guys hit me back with your order. and please feel free to add the designers i either forgot or would not fit.

 

[richardraw316]

WOW......A lot of people should read a book or two. Hiram Maxim hands down.....not even close.

Wow maybe you should elaborate on that and not talk down to people.

 

[Wysko]

well yes it is just 1 rifle but the action was used and is still being used to this day. and most importantly, had we not won ww2 what would the world look like today?
i would say thats a pretty big game changer.

The rifle yes, a game changer, but the designer not so much. The MP43(first assult rifle), AK47 (Large numbers world wide) & AR15( started the small caliber revolution) were game changers as well. I guess I am more focused on the man who designed the weapon than the weapon itself. Tough call as the desingers and weapons listed on this posting a all among the best of the best.

Mike