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

[Kirk Freeman]

Order? If there is there is a pyramid and John M. Browning is at the top. All others are only fighting for second or third tier.

I've always wanted to travel back in time and give Browning a hot computer and the latest design software and see what he comes up with.

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

Maxim was brilliant and made quite the contribution, no question. However, as far as number of designs and number of designs inspired, only Browning is at the top of the heap.

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.

True, the Mk42(b) was a design by committee at both Walter and Haenel, although the Haenel group was lead by none other than Hugo Schmeisser.

The Gerat 06 was also a committee (at Mauser).

 

[GlockWielder]

I voted Glock

It was a toss up between Browning, Stoner and Glock for me. I chose Glock because he has revolutionized LE pistols.

 

[j706]

Not even close.

 

[krugerb]

Browning really was one of the greatest. Perhaps not well known by many is the fact that Brwoning was raised a Mormon and his father Johnathan Browning was among the early converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints while Joseph Smith (the original founder and Prophet) was still alive.

 

[ghitch75]

JMB...

 

[silentvoice71]

Maxim made the machine gun browning made it a portable infantry weapon that evolved into a lot of what we have today

 

[themadmedic]

I think JMB has to be the winner on this post given the conditions in the question-best designer.

Certainly, it could be said that Mikhail Kalashnikov's design left a bigger mark on the world as a whole though.

 

[IndyDave1776]

Browning really was one of the greatest. Perhaps not well known by many is the fact that Brwoning was raised a Mormon and his father Johnathan Browning was among the early converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints while Joseph Smith (the original founder and Prophet) was still alive.

This is true, but at the end of the day, we value him for his designs, not his prayers.

 

[Iroquois]

I guess I'd have to take into consideration how many designs each of them was responsible for
directly. Most of these men invented one gun, and all of their others were continuations on this
idea. Hence Colt's line of revolving rifles and shotguns, Kalishnakov's 2 assault rifles,
Garland's one rifle....I gotta go with Browning. I mean really, the Guy designed a machine gun overnight
after hearing about " gas operation", out of a lever action. How do you top that?.
Maxim may have invented "machineguns" but not rapid fire. And there were working
revolvers in Europe before Colt was an adult.
Yup ....Browning all the way!

 

[Kirk Freeman]

I chose Glock because he has revolutionized LE pistols.

Did not Samuel Colt do this as well?

 

[sig1473]

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

Who am I talking down to? Obviously I've offended you but oh well.

Maxim also invented smokeless powder with his brother Hudson........I think that was a pretty good one. His machine gun completed revolutionized modern warfare. That is truly a fact.

 

[richardraw316]

Did not Samuel Colt do this as well?

+1

 

[richardraw316]

Who am I talking down to? Obviously I've offended you but oh well.

Maxim also invented smokeless powder with his brother Hudson........I think that was a pretty good one. His machine gun completed revolutionized modern warfare. That is truly a fact.

and thats what you should have said, not you guys should read a book.
if you have an opinion, i like hearing it. not random statements that do not pertain to the subject.

 

[sig1473]

and thats what you should have said, not you guys should read a book.
if you have an opinion, i like hearing it. not random statements that do not pertain to the subject.

Statement wasn't random. I would feel sorry for somebody if they didn't know who Maxim was or what he invented.

 

[Iroquois]

Who am I talking down to? Obviously I've offended you but oh well.

Maxim also invented smokeless powder with his brother Hudson........I think that was a pretty good one. His machine gun completed revolutionized modern warfare. That is truly a fact.

I'm pretty sure smokeless powder was already available when Maxim built his machine
gun...in fact Mr Nobel had invented it almost a decade before. Hudson Maxim studied
and attempted to improve it after Hiram's gun was complete.

 

[sig1473]

I'm pretty sure smokeless powder was already available when Maxim built his machine
gun...in fact Mr Nobel had invented it almost a decade before. Hudson Maxim studied
and attempted to improve it after Hiram's gun was complete.

Look up the patent

 

[Wysko]

From what I have read the French army 8mm Lebel was first to use smokeless powder.
I thought it was this guy.

Paul Marie Eugène Vieille

Paul Marie Eugène Vieille - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Iroquois]

In America the patent went to the person who filed first...not necessarily the inventor.

 

[Pooty22]

I had to go with Kalashnikov for the same reason others have started from the beginning of this thread. There's something to be said for designing the most common weapon on the planet. And I don't see any other firearm on multiple countries' flags.

 

[quicksdraw]

All the designers listed deserve recognition. They account for all the advances in firearms in the last 100+ years. But John Moses Browning held 128 firearm patents for his work. No one else comes anywhere near that kind of record.