Gun design has come a very long way since the firearm’s conception, with the Americans spearheading so many revolutionary changes. However, these changes did not just occur on their own naturally. The firearm industry has some inventive and ingenious men to thank for our quick advancements. While there are many to take note of, we will touch on 6 individuals and their contributions to society.
John Browning
Beginning this list is John Browning, born in Ogden, Utah, in 1855 and occasionally referred to as the “father of modern firearms.” He was the son of a gunmaker, so, in many ways, he was born for this.
His contributions are vast, and he has more than 120 firearms and firearm part patents. However, some of his most successful and renowned inventions included the Browning Automatic Rifle, the M2 machine gun, the Colt M1911, and the telescoping bolt and pistol slide that led to the first semi-automatic pistols.
Browning died of heart failure doing what he loved – working on the Browning Hi-Power pistol.
Samuel Colt
Next on the list is Samuel Colt, a well-known name in the firearm industry due to the Colt manufacturing company’s legacy. Sam Colt was born and raised in Hartford, CT, where he started his own company. He contributed to creating the next gen of revolvers, specifically the Single Action Army. Arguably, one of the most revolutionary contributions Colt made was the creation of interchangeable parts. This increased the reliability of the products, and assembly line manufacturing streamlined the process of producing and packaging the products, making Colt as successful as it is today.
Benjamin Tyler Henry
Benjamin Tyler Henry was born in Claremont, New Hampshire, in 1821 to a family of inventors. His grandfather invented the wry-fly water, allowing paper and textile mills to prosper. Henry created the 1860 Henry Rifle by improving Walter Hunt’s mechanism in his 1848 Volition Repeating Rifle. This rifle formed a foundation for all lever actions after it. Henry also created the .44 Henry rimfire ammunition and self-cocking mechanism.
Christian Sharps
Christian Sharps was born in Washington, NJ, in 1810 and later moved to Pennsylvania. For the first portion of his career, he worked below John Hall at Harper’s Ferry. While the 1819 Hall Rifle was the first breechloader, Christian Sharps invented the first successful breechloading rifle, as the 1819 Hall Rifle still used a flintlock or percussion cap weapon. Using this updated rifle, a skilled shooter could shoot game or enemies at an impressive 1,000 yards. The 1874 Sharps rifle was also notoriously used in the American Civil War.
Oliver and William Winchester
William Winchester was born in Baltimore, Maryland and migrated over to Connecticut where he spent most of his life and worked with his father, Oliver Winchester, to take over the family business, Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Oliver refined the designs of the Henry rifle and improved it into the first Winchester rifle, the Model 1866. Additionally, the Winchester repeating rifle went on to become known as the ‘Gun that Won the West’.
Eugene Stoner
Last, but certainly not least, is Eugene Stoner, the “father of the modern sporting rifle”. Eugene Stoner was born in Gosport, IN in 1922. Stoner cultivated a simple but elegant design behind the Armalite AR-15. Its distinct features include plastic, aluminum and a small caliber. Despite the odds and belief of everyone else, this rifle eventually stole the favor of the public and rose above its wood and steel counterparts.
Target Sports USA is the premier destination for high-quality ammunition in the United States. We offer exceptional service, an extensive inventory, and some of the best pricing on the web.
To save an additional 8% and get FREE shipping, go to Target Sports USA and JOIN AMMO+ Today!
Call or email us at:
Phone: (860) 426-9886
Email: Sales@TargetSportsUSA.com