Browning: A Legendary Name In American Firearms

by
posted on February 19, 2022
** 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. **
Browning

Browning officially began business in 1878, although the genius behind it was already hard at work years before. John Moses Browning was born in 1855 and at the age of 13 used spare parts to assemble a slide-action rifle for his 10-year-old brother’s birthday.

The pair formed the John Moses and Matthew Sandefur Browning Company in Ogden, Utah, in 1878, aptly named for the siblings. John Moses immediately began work in a single-shot rifle, which received a patent a year later. A factory was established in 1880, but the firearm caught the eye of Connecticut-based Winchester.

In 1885, the vice president of Winchester visited Browning in Ogden, then in the territory of Utah, and purchased the single-shot’s production rights for $8,000. Thus, a working relationship launched between two companies, with Browning designing or making significant contributions to the Winchester Model 1887 and 1897 pump-action shotguns and models 1886, 1892, 1894 and many others.

A shift in the company came after Winchester declined what turned out to be of one of his most timeless designs, the Auto-5 shotgun. Belgium’s Fabrique Nationale (FN), however, jumped at the chance in 1902, and that gun is considered a classic and valuable collectible to this day.

He designed the first semi-automatic, recoil-operated handgun sold in the United States. His was the genius that produced the 1911, innovative machine guns and much more. In all, John Moses Browning received 128 firearm-related patents before he died—at a work bench in Liege, Belgium—on Nov. 26, 1926.

In 1927, the J.M. & M.S. Browning Company incorporated, with Browning Arms as a subsidiary. The famed Superposed shotgun was introduced four years later, but the parent firm struggled after World War II and liquidated in 1951.

The firearm branch, however, survived as an importer and wholesaler and began methodically adding to its product line. Success was limited in some cases, although there was no slowdown in new gun introductions or innovation through the 1970s.

In 1977, FN acquired Browning Arms. The Walloon government (a region of Belgium) purchased the entire FN line in 1997. Those assets included Browning and Winchester Repeating Arms, another legendary firm that came under FN control in 1987. The pair of gun makers operate independently as sporting units.

Browning continues to produce the quality enthusiasts have come to expect from a firm wearing the legendary name. The long list of innovative and new products just for this year includes an X-Bolt Speed Ovix Suppressor Ready, X-Bolt Target Pro McMillan and much more. 

Latest

Taurus Expedition Rifleman Review 1
Taurus Expedition Rifleman Review 1

Rifleman Review: Taurus Expedition

Taurus entered the bolt-action rifle market with its Expedition, a Remington 700-pattern design that's built to be versatile and affordable.

New For 2025: Charter Arms Pathfinder II

Charter Arms updated one of the oldest models in its lineup with the new Pathfinder II, which features a lightweight 7075 aluminum frame, making it more well-balanced and easier to carry.

Review: Kimber 2K11

The 2011-style pistol was designed to address the capacity limitations of the single-stack M1911 platform, and Kimber's approach to the concept is its 2K11, a competition-ready offering with several notable features.

Favorite Firearms: A High-Flying Hi-Standard “A-D”

Manufactured in New Haven, Conn., in late 1940, this Hi-Standard pistol was shipped as a Model “A,” but a heavier Model “D” barrel was installed later to replace the original, light barrel, leading one American Rifleman reader to call it a Model “A-D.”

Ruger Helps Families In Need Through The Kids & Clays Foundation

In the effort to help tens of thousands of critically ill children and their families across the nation through local Ronald McDonald Houses, Ruger is among some of the industry’s foremost Platinum-level sponsors of The Kids & Clays Foundation.

Unlocking The Future: Smith & Wesson's "No Lock" Revolvers

The future is shaping up to be a good one for fans of Smith & Wesson revolvers. The iconic American company had released 14 new models thus far in 2025 at the time this was written mid-year. And, with one exception, they have all shared a common feature—no internal lock.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.