I Have This Old Gun: Colt Model 1895 Potato Digger

by
posted on June 23, 2015
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Its been called the greatest automatic rifle of all time—the John Moses Browning-designed Model 1918 Browning Automatic Rifle. Browning actually created gas-operated self-loading firearms. Noticing the disturbance in the grass caused by the passing of a bullet out of the muzzle, Browning hooked a “flapper” onto the barrel of a lever-action that harnessed the expanding propellant gasses through a hole drilled in the barrel. He used the force of the gas to move a lever linked to the action to cycle it. That principal, what we call gas-operation, was applied to the Colt Machine Gun Browning designed in 1889, better known as the Model 1895, and later the Model 1914 called the “Potato Digger” before eventually becoming the Browning Automatic Rifle.

Watch this episode of American Rifleman TV's "I Have This Old Gun" to learn the full history and see the gun in use.

Latest

Left A3 Bullpup Web
Left A3 Bullpup Web

Bullpup Your AR-15: The A3 Industries Triad Modular Bullpup Chassis

This chassis kit provides a handy way for AR fans to try a bullpup carbine on for size.

Hillsdale College & The Shooting Sports

Hillsdale College has invested in the Second Amendment and the shooting sports in a way that few schools have. At its John A. Halter Shooting Sports Education Center, collegiate shotgun and action pistol teams compete and build their firearm-handling skills.

Thompson/Center Arms Acquires Green Mountain Rifle Barrel Company

Thompson/Center Arms announced it has acquired the Green Mountain Rifle Barrel Company.

Teaching Liberty: Hillsdale College & The Second Amendment

At Hillsdale College, students don't just learn about the fundamental truths behind the Second Amendment. They also learn the practical side of the right to keep and bear arms.

Smith & Wesson Partners With Lipsey's On Line Of "Mountain Guns"

First applied to its Model 629 in 1989, the Smith & Wesson "Mountain Gun" is a lightweight and compact variant designed to be carried afield, and thanks to a partnership with Lipsey's, Smith & Wesson is bringing them back.

Pro-NRA & Second Amendment Supporter Dr. Michael Fuljenz Wins National Writing Award

Longtime NRA benefactor Dr. Mike Fuljenz, president of Universal Coin & Bullion, was honored by the Numismatic Literary Guild for his recent and timely article about the need to eliminate copper pennies.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.