John Browning rifles

[Curt Larsen]

Last week I visited the restored Mormon settlement at Nauvoo, Illinois.  One of the main exhibits was the John Browning house and gunshop.  I was surely aquainted with Browning modern sporting arms and of course the good old BAR of WWI and WWII fame.  I didn't know that he (the original John Browning) was a Mormon and that he had built rifles for the Mormon trek west to Utah.  The guy leading the tour knew his general lines pretty well but really didn't know too much about the rifles he might have built at his shop at Nauvoo or the subsequent Mormon "winter camp" where he also set up.  The only vintage guns on display were a "harmonica" early breechloader and and revolving rifle.  I asked if any of Browning's rifles built for general use were still in existence, but the gent on duty had no idea.  Do any of the rest of you know of any of Brownings early pieces?  Just curious since Browning is such an important influence on our arms making.

Curt

[msmith]

I never been to it , but seems there is a museum in Odgen Utah, that has guns by the father..Not sure if Cody Museum In Wyoming has any by  Jonathan, but they may since the son John designed a bunch of guns for Winchester..There was a gun , plain looking muzzler loader awhile back on one of the online sites that was suppose to be a Jonathan gun, can't remeber where..I think a recent Rock Island auction had one of Jonathan's Harmonica guns at auction ,you may be able to  find it in their past auctions...In the book, " John M. browning  American Gunmaker, there is some stuff on the father, not a lot of pics, though..One of the amazing things about John, was most of the first guns he made worked flawlessly. What I mean is his prototypes was final design, unlike most big companies that had a lot of trial & error..

[BGC]

Check out Little John's Auctions. Lot #103   Original Jonathan Browning rifle. This is the current upcoming auction.

[Levy]

On one of my visits to Fremont Cty and Lander, WY, I stopped by the local museum and saw what I thought was a piece of a receiver for one of Browning's harmonica guns.  It was only a fragment and I could be mistaken.  Those were my thoughts at the time.

James Levy

[mike e]

 I saw a picture in a magazine or book of a John Browning muzzle loading rifle. It was a heavy barrelled half stock with a back action lock IIRC.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

When you mentioned Browning, it made me think of a magazine article I cut from "Guns" or "Shooting Times" about forty years ago.  I thought this rifle was worthy of saving all these years, and tho' I don't know if it's a John Browning rifle, I present the pages here for your perusal.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I just read the article accompanying the pictures, and the maker is August Browning, working out of San Francisco in the middle of the 19th century.  The top of the flat is stamped Browning and Heber -San Francisco, Cal.  Oh well, nice rifle just the same.

[Mike R]

I have seen several other "Calif. rifles" by other makers, too and many look very similar to the modern T/C "Hawken" rifles--so much so  that I have wondered if they were the models [but I have seen a few NY rifles that also looked similar].  Whenever some critic says T/C's are not a "period" style, I have to point out these models such as the one in the article posted--of course the period is later than many buckskinners use them for.

[mr. no gold]

There is a good chance that the Frisco Browning is a member of the Utah gunmaking family. Brigham Young had designs on adding California to his desert empire, and he sent Sam Brannan and others to implement that goal. Needless to say, it was not successful. There were similar efforts elsewhere such as San Bernardino, CA; and Las Vegas, NV in addition to many other locations. While there are substantial LDS communities throughout these various locales, states and most of the west, the Deseret Empire, conceived by Young never materialized as a polity.
Dick