More about Browning Civilian Shotguns and .22 rifles

Winchester Model 1887 or Model 1901. (Still in production today!)
Invented in 1885, this is almost the only lever action shotgun ever designed.  It was the first successful repeating shotgun design. Browning thought pump actions were better, but Winchester was known for lever actions and wanted a lever action shotgun, so Browning designed this one. Shortly after the design was complete, Browning stopped his gun work for two years to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons) in Georgia, and was there when Winchester began selling them.

Winchester Model 1893 or Model 1897 pump shotgun (Still in production today!)
Introduced in 1893, this was the first successful pump shotgun, in production by Winchester until the 1950s, and is now being made in China!

The Four B's Trapshooting Team
John M. Browning was a shooter, as well as an inventor. He was one of the "Four B's" trap team which was very successful in the Ogden, Utah, area in the late 1890s and early 1900s. Left to right are Mr.Bigelow, John M. Browning, brewery owner and champion shot Gustav L. Becker, and John's Brother Matthew S. Browning. Bigelow is using a Winchester Model 1887 lever action shotgun. Both Brownings are using Winchester Model 1893 pump shotguns. Gus Becker has some sort of double barrel gun.

FN or Browning Auto-5; or "Sweet Sixteen,"Remington Model 11, or Savage 720 semi-auto shotgun 
Browning invented this in 1903 and it was the first successful semi-auto or “autoloading” shotgun.  Breaking ties with Winchester after they refused to allow a royalty deal instead of outright purchase of his patent, Browning sold the rights for this design to Fabrique National in Belgium. Remington and Savage were licensed to make them in the U.S.

Browning Superposed over-under shotgun (Still in production today!)
Browning’s last gun design in 1924, the "Superposed" pioneered the over-under design for better sighting, and the single- selective trigger.  The upper example is a very early gun from the 1930s, and the lower gun is a  “Diana Grade” Superposed Shotgun recently made by Browning. A few owners are able to afford not just fine performing guns, but true works of art.  The “Diana Grade,” (named after the Roman goddess of the hunt, not the late British Princess) features superb finish and engraving as shown in the second example below.

The early Superposed has some fairly simple engraving.

Details of the beautiful engraving on the Diana grade Superposed. Nice!

Winchester Model 1890-1901-62 pump .22 rifle (this one is Model 1906) (Still in production today!)
Browning designed a simple and reliable pump action .22 caliber rifle in 1887. This is one of the best of all .22 pump rifle designs.  A few changes (mainly in appearance) have been made over the years and it has been sold by Winchester as their Model 1890, Model 1906, and Model 62; and by Taurus as their Model 62.




Winchester Model 1900 .22 caliber bolt action rifle
Designed in 1899, this was a very inexpensive small size rifle intended for youthful shooters. Variations were sold as the Winchester Model 1900, 1902, 1904.



FN Browning .22 Semi-Auto Rifle  (Still in production today!)
In 1913, John M. Browning came up with this Semi-auto .22 caliber rifle.  Over the years it as been sold as the FN Browning .22 Semi-Auto Rifle; Remington Model 24 and 241.  This is a current manufacture Browning example

John M. Browning Day was Sponsored by
Browning Morgan, UT	John M. Browning Firearms Museum Union Station Museum Ogden, UT	Fort Douglas Military Museum Salt Lake City, UT	Utah Gun Collectors Association Salt Lake City, UT	Utah National Guard Draper, UT	Utah Shooting Sports Council Salt Lake City, UT
And numerous private collectors and historians from around Utah