The History of Browning Firearms is a captivating and wonderfully illustrated chronicle of one of the most influential and ­legendary names in gunsmithing history.
John M. Browning was born in Ogden, Utah, in 1855, into a world of gunsmithing. His father was a gunsmith who was already well known for a number of innovations in the field. As a young boy, John spent hours in his father’s shop and allegedly knew the name of every part of a gun before he could read. It’s hardly surprising that at age twenty-three, he was filing his first patent for the “J. M. Browning Single-Shot Rifle.”
He inherited his father’s business, and with funds of less than a thousand dollars turned it into a thriving gun-making workshop with seven employees. One of Browning’s guns was chanced upon by a representative of Winchester, who admired the design so well that the Winchester managing director made the six-day journey to Utah to conclude several lucrative commercial deals that would endure for the next few years. Browning’s designs for Colt and the manufacture of many familiar Colt guns also helped boost his company’s ­reputation as a premier gun-maker.
Browning’s designs have covered a whole range of small arms, from semi-automatic ­pistols through single-shot rifles, repeater rifles, and machine guns. His enthusiasm and creativity have led many to believe he is the greatest firearms designer of all time.
This fascinating book describes the Browning history, and covers its full range of inventions and designs, from frontier weapons such as the Colt Peacemaker to military arms, shotguns, and hunting rifles. Also shown are ­various gun-making artifacts, copies of designers’ drawings, and interesting photographs of the weapons in the hands of users. The History of Browning Firearms makes a perfect addition to the libraries of Wild West buffs, amateur historians, and firearms enthusiasts.

David Miller is a former officer in the British armed forces, who served in England, the Falkland Islands, Germany, Malaysia, the Netherlands, and Singapore. He subsequently worked as a freelance author and as a journalist for Jane’s Information Group. He worked on the staff of the authoritative International Defense Review, is the editor of the two-­volume Jane’s Major Warships, and has written more than fifty other works relating to guns and warfare including Illustrated Directory of Guns.