John Moses Browning was an absolute genius! Isn’t it amazing how his designs are still very much viable today.
So very true!!!!!! Some like Remington's Pederson (slide actions) and Winchester's Johnson (Model 12) thought they were equal..... But they couldn't even see Browning's vapor trail!
I think 'strong' and 'long life' are in all his designs! The lever action shotguns (Model 1887 and Model 1901) are his only 'Achilles Heel' in my opinion.
I have a Model 90 .22 Short. It was a 'gallery gun' when new at the turn of the century (that's the 1900 one for you young guys!) So who knows how many rounds?? It was my first gun on my 5th birthday in 1948.
Every weekend we shot a carton of .22 Shorts, Dad, Mom, and me. That's 25,000 rounds a year in round numbers....... That went on 4 years at least. As a young teen my buddy's and myself went everywhere like Ben. I had learned what hollow points were and killed all sorts of 'big game'!! Even as big as crows and jack rabbits! I still use it for garden pests and it's still going some 120 years later! Never a repair in the 70 years I've had it!
How many rounds through it? Has to be millions! Look at the knurling on the magazine knob in the picture attached. How many times was this old gun loaded to wear that knurling like that !!! ??
Model 97's I know well. I have one made in 1910. A real cool history as it was bought new here in 1912 by the Lemhi County Sheriff! I use it a bunch in vintage Sporting Clays. You can shot a lot of shells on clay birds.... If a Model 97 breaks something it usually is the left extractor. I repaired the spring on one extractor with a modification. Wanting to know the longevity of my design I counted rounds through that 1910 gun. I quit at 25,000 rounds.... and it's still going! Browning designs are
'tough' and they prove it to you given half a chance!
Pete