John Browning

John Browning is arguably most famous for designing the M1911 pistol, which served as the standard-issue sidearm for the United States military for over 70 years. He also invented the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) and the M2 .50 caliber machine gun, both of which saw extensive military use.

Yes, early in his career, Browning had a highly productive partnership with Winchester, designing iconic lever-action rifles like the Model 1894. He eventually left Winchester after a dispute over royalty payments for his revolutionary Auto-5 shotgun design.

The Browning Auto-5, introduced in the early 1900s, was the first commercially successful semi-automatic shotgun. Its long-recoil operated design heavily influenced the development of modern semi-automatic sporting and combat shotguns.

After John Browning died in 1926, his unfinished designs and manufacturing rights were continued by the Fabrique Nationale (FN) company in Belgium. The Browning Arms Company was later established in Utah to import his Belgian-made sporting firearms into the United States.