Which individual has had the greatest overall impact on firearms?

Think about it from a price and saturation perspective, back in the 70s my uncle claimed to have bought a crate (I assume that means 10) of milsurp Yugos by picking up bottles on roadsides for recycling.

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Like I said I get that there are millions of Mauser bolt actions in the world, But the military hasn't used bolt guns in bulk for 50+ years in that same time most every LEO officer and soldier has dropped a browning tilting barrel in their holster and given all the LEO trade Glocks, Sigs and 1st 2nd and 3rd gen Smiths on the market many LEOs have been thru a few.

I think I already voted:



Tinpig

The USA is the premier hand gun market but compared to world population we are but a drop in the bucket.

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While the USA only accounts for a bit less than 5% of the world's population, it is home to almost half of all firearms in the world, and that's including all of the world's military arsenals.

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Yup. And our military doesn't account for much of the small arms ownership, either. American citizens own about 280 million of the 550-600 million small arms in the world.

American citizens own about 280 million of the 550-600 million small arms in the world.

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You're actually buying in to the liberal's numbers, the ATF has records of 140 guns manufactured in the US and 60 million imported from 1986 to 2014, assuming 15 and 16 had similar numbers to 13 and 14 add in another 25-30 million and it's really hard for me to believe that there were only about 50 million guns in civilian hands in 1986.

"Expert" estimates of the number of guns in private circulation typically include a 1% per year attrition rate to account for broken, destroyed, and lost firearms. I think that percentage is high, I'd use 0.5%.

John Moses Browning obviously.


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How about

John Wayne,
Clint Eastwood
Charleton Heston - NRA

or
Randolph Scott? (AHHHHHHHH - Blazing Saddles reference)

Kidding aside, I think many movie stars of old had a definite impact on firearms

d

You're actually buying in to the liberal's numbers, the ATF has records of 140 guns manufactured in the US and 60 million imported from 1986 to 2014, assuming 15 and 16 had similar numbers to 13 and 14 add in another 25-30 million and it's really hard for me to believe that there were only about 50 million guns in civilian hands in 1986.

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Numbers ranging from 250-300 million are estimates by many sources, not just lefty organizations.

Remember, we export, too, so not all of those 140 million domestically manufactured are still here. Most, yes, but not all.

If I had to guess, I'd say the number civilian hands in 1986 was probably closer to 100 million. The US population has increased by nearly 100 million since 1986, and the gun owning demographic has changed quite a bit as well. A 150-200% increase in the last 30 years is pretty easy to believe, especially the last 15 years of increased popularity in shooting sports, increased ownership for the purposes of home/self defense, and the massive relative drop in gun prices to income. Most firearms are substantially cheaper today if viewed from a % income perspective.

Remember, we export, too, so not all of those 140 million domestically manufactured are still here. Most, yes, but not all.

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Export numbers are there too and it's less than 5%
of the over 9 million guns manufactured in 2014 less than 400k were exported

Gaston Glock


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Hugo Schmeisser

Great poll topic. I am going to have to really think about it hard before I hit the poll. Browning and Colt are the obvious choices for me.
I do think that there is a major omission with the absence of Hugo Schmeisser on this list. Kalashnakov is listed, where Schmeisser is not. If you are not familiar with the name, you should look him up. He effectively invented the modern assault rifle with the STG 44 as well as other advancements in automatic firearms. He then had to work for the Soviets post WW II on what became the AK. Personally I don't believe the nationalistic propoganda that a tank driver came up with the design for the AK. What do you think?

None of the above.

Without Paul Vieille's smokeless powder, modern firearms as we know them would be impossible.

I finally decided on Browning but I was tempted by Bill Ruger. Over the last 60 years Ruger has supplied millions (I think) of solid, accurate, safe (okay, overbuilt) guns that can last for generations and are relatively affordable. Let's see, 10-22, Mk I, Mk II, Mk III, Single-Six, Blackhawk, Redhawk, Old Army, Mini-14, etc.

And yes, I do have a lot of Rugers. Why do you ask?

Jeff

Eli Whitney and interchangeable rifle parts. The very concept that you can take a part off of one firearm and have it fit any other was a huge leap forward. Browning wins on design brilliance however Whitney concept was vastly more important.

Export numbers are there too and it's less than 5%
of the over 9 million guns manufactured in 2014 less than 400k were exported

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I didn't put a finite figure on it, so I find it very interesting that you choose to argue that, basically making a strawman.

250-300 million is a figure that pops up frequently from either camp. If you have a credible source that shows something differerent, I'm all ears. Otherwise, it's just speculation on your part for the purpose of arguing with me, for reasons I cannot understand.

Another Browning vote here. The man was brilliant.

The gentleman who invented the percussion cap the Reverend Forsythe

JMB was obviously the most influential on this list but I will tip my hat to Sam Colt. After the saying goes "God made man, Sam Colt made them equal."

John Moses Browning

The Chinese guy that invented gunpowder

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I had that thought as well.



Black powder was what got the ball rolling.
But of course we could give the winning point way way way back when to someone who figured out how to make fire......

Browning is just so prolific across so many different types of guns. Shotguns auto and pump, lever action rifles, machine guns, automatic rifles. And what is more we are still using many of them in great numbers. Ma Duece will make 100 years in service easily. The 1911 was in military service for 70 years. No one else is like him.

Who brought forth the swinging revolver cylinder to replace break-top revolvers? Who developed the Volcanic repeater pistol. Who promoted the idea of guns having safety mechanisms prior to WW1?

JMB was an incredible design engineer and businessman. With several huge accomplishments, but most of Brownings achievements were on automatics or semiautos, a market growing rapidly at that time. Had he not figured it out, someone else would have shortly afterward. Daniel B Wesson and Horace Smith (mainly Wesson) took a mature market and made innovations that are still copied today. They also were responsible for the Volcanic pistol if memory serves me, so that predates all the lever action guys who only had to add an extractor claw (exaggerated). My vote is for Daniel B Wesson. JMB is a close second. In the modern world Georg Kelgren certainly is top tier.

John Garand only gets one vote?
Benjamin Tyler Henry got mine as we are related.

Some guy in China playing with honey and saltpeter and then charcoal, sulfur and saltpeter.

I vote for JMB with Sam Colt coming in 2nd.