One of the most innovative, successful and famous firearms inventors of both the 19th and 20th centuries, John Moses Browning (1855-1926) was a pioneer of repeating, semi-automatic and fully-automatic firearms.
“John M. Browning is the unrivaled Dean of arms inventors and designers,” said the late Philip Schreier, director of NRA Museums. “Throughout the long history of firearms, from the year 1350 to the present, no one person has had such a staggering effect on the evolution of firearms technology as John Browning. Now, 100 years after his death, most of his firearms designs and patents are still being used on a daily basis to defend life and liberty.”
But what do you know about this genuine firearms genius and his many inventions? Take our 10-question quiz below to find out. The answers are at the end of the quiz, but don’t peek ahead—we’ll know if you do!
- 13
- 15
- 17
- 19
2. How old was John Browning when he was awarded his first firearm patent?
- 21
- 24
- 27
- 30
3. One of John Browning’s most iconic military firearms was the M1918 BAR; what do the letters BAR stand for?
- Browning A-Plus Rifle
- Browning Assault Rifle
- Browning Army Rifle
- Browning Automatic Rifle
4. One of John Browning’s machine guns still in use today by armies around the world is the M2; what nickname has U.S. military personnel given the M2?
- Ma Deuce
- Mine Too
- Misery Times Two
- Mucho Duo
5. John Browning’s M1911 semiautomatic pistol is one of the most famous and copied handguns in the world; in what year was it introduced?
- 1911
- 1912
- 1913
- 1914
6. The Browning Auto-5 “Humpback,” introduced in 1903 and manufactured through 1999, was the world’s first semi-automatic…?
- Handgun
- Rifle
- Shotgun
- Slingshot
7. In addition to inventing firearms, John Browning also invented various rifle and pistol cartridges; true or false?
- True
- False
8. How many firearm patents did John Browning hold at the end of his life?
- 18
- 58
- 88
- 128
9. How did John Browning die?
- He was accidentally shot by a fellow firearms inventor.
- He passed away suddenly of a heart attack while at his workbench.
- He died of tuberculosis, a disease known at the time as “consumption.”
- He died of boredom watching “Dancing with the Stars” reruns on YouTube.
10. John Moses Browning ended his life where it had begun, in Ogden, Utah; true or false?
- True
- False
Answers
- a. (Age 13)
- b. (Age 24)
- d. (Browning Automatic Rifle)
- a. (Ma Deuce)
- a. (1911)
- c. (Shotgun)
- a. (True)
- d. (128)
- b. (Heart attack)
- b. (False; he passed away at his son Val’s firearms shop in Liege, Belgium, while working on a new pistol design for Fabrique Nationale.)
Scorecard
- Zero to three correct answers = Rookie
- Four to six correct answers = Keep Shooting (and learning firearms history)
- Seven or eight correct answers = Well done
- Nine or 10 correct answers = Firearms Historian!
