Anyone know where I can find these? (printed material)

[NeoWeird]

I've always held John Browning in high regard, and I want to try and get a biography or in depth book on him that doesn't rabbit trail off about his guns. Obviously you have to discuss them, but what I don't want is something like "John Browning developed this shotgun in late July of some random year. It is an over under design and has sold over 12,000,000 of it's variations world wide." which is all I can find. I found ONE book along the lines of what I want that was used on Amazon but it seems horribly overpriced for a used book.

The second thing I am looking for is full sized prints of firearms, similar to this:

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1696&title=D%26J+CUSTOM+1911+A1+FRAME+DETAIL+PRINT

Which is the only one I can find. Any ideas on where I can get them? If possible I would like true industry prints (with title block and everything), but I imagine for legal reasons that will be hard. I have no intention to manufacture them, but I would like to be able to do so if I ever want to. So the closer to the real thing (you know ~size D paper) the better.

Summary:

1. Biography on John Browning still in print.
2. True industry prints of firearms.

[NeoWeird]

Does this mean I should take comfort knowing that other people also have a hard time finding these?

[Kruzr]

Here is a timeline of the Browning company. It's pretty much all JMB until his death in 1926.

http://www.browning.com/faq/detail.asp?ID=202

[EricCartmanR1]

Let me know when you find something too! I love history. Especially gun history and the life of the greatest gun designer of all time. One can even say if there is no Browning there is no FN. No FN means no FALs and SAWs. Browning even died at the FN plant in Belgium.

Can you believe the Browning .50cal machine gun is still being used today? And what about the 1911 .45cal, the Marines still use those too. And the BAR, one of my favorite weapons in Call of Duty. Only thing I don't like about the BAR is it should be a 50 round mag instead of a 20

I too am interested in the Greatest Gun Designer of all time.

[SemiAutoSam]

Browning didn't invent the FN FAL from what ive read in the big black book
By the late Blake Stevens.

[rorschach]

Browning didn't invent the FN FAL from what ive read in the big black book
By the late Blake Stevens.

He didnt. Dieudonne Saive did, as well as finishing work on the Hi-Power when Browning died. Browning didnt design the SAW either, I think the poster was just trying to say that without Browning, there would be no FN. Without FN, there would be no SAW or FAL.

Browning also designed the Remington M17, which, when the patent expired, became the Ithaca M37, still in use by LAPD, LA County Sheriffs, and numerous other police departments across the nation.

[EricCartmanR1]

He didnt. Dieudonne Saive did, as well as finishing work on the Hi-Power when Browning died. Browning didnt design the SAW either, I think the poster was just trying to say that without Browning, there would be no FN. Without FN, there would be no SAW or FAL.

Browning also designed the Remington M17, which, when the patent expired, became the Ithaca M37, still in use by LAPD, LA County Sheriffs, and numerous other police departments across the nation.

you are correct. FN manufactured a lot of Brownings designs. Also, Dieudonne Saive, the inventor of the greatest battle rifle of all time (The FAL ofcourse), was a Browning protege. The SAW as well as other FN weapons are all very similiar. When you pick up an FN design, you immediately know it was from FN. I got to lug around a SAW for 6 months... great weapon. Would be better if it was chambered in 7.62x51 NATO. But the 5.56 is easy to lug around and the 200 round belt fit perfectly with the SAW. I love FN designed weapons. Can't wait to get a SCAR.

[dw1784]

actually more correctly, if it hadn't been for Browning, there wouldn't be a Winchester- high wall, low wall, 1886, 1887, 1890, 1892, 1893, 1895, 1897, 1906, just to name a few. Indeed, it was Browning who's responsible for "The Gun that Won the West".

going farther back, if it hadn't been for religious persecution against Mormons, his father, Johnathan Browning, wouldn't have the need to relocate to Utah, where John M. Browning was born. You have the Methodists to thank for that. Some have said it was because of religious persecution that Johnathan Browning built percussion rifles for self defense.

anyways...in Gun Digest Treasury(6th ed), there's a great article on Browning , written by a D. A. Tomlinson, that goes into further details of his achievements. He used 6 books as reference, one of them is titled:
John M. Browning, American Gun Maker.
by John Browning and Curt Gentry, 1964.

chk Browning museum in Ogden for more info on his biography.

I can list all the patents mentioned in the article if you like.

Lastly, you can find prints on gunbroker's. Home gunsmith forum used to have them in the file section, but it's been a while and last time I chkd it's been pulled or from lack of activity. I've got a pdf of ar lower if ur interested.

[EricCartmanR1]

John Browning created all these weapons. If there is one individual that can take credit for American prosperity it is him. His guns enabled us to win WWI and WWII.

I am greatful for Josh Browning for giving birth to John Browning. But Josh Browning should have also gave birth to a super lawyer son to fight all those Nazi's (the CaliStapo falls under this category too) trying to take away our 2nd Ammendment rights.

[NeoWeird]

Ok, this is where I was coming from/going with this.

I am about 75% done with my machining classes, going to try and take welding classes next semester (I know how to arc weld, but not tig, mig, etc), and I am still chugging along in my AGI Gunsmith courses (slowly but surely) with the hope of jumping into the firearm industry next year when I get married and have to move to where ever my now fiance chooses to go to law school. I have built 2 firearms from 80% receivers and I have designed several concepts and mechanisms, have worked out some general wegith/density/pressure equations, worked on lengths, etc and I am apporaching the point where I am going to set out and try to make my first 100% original designed firearm (a direct blowback semi-auto rimfire rifle).

I have the motivation and I like to look up to Browning as motivation, but I know very little about him outside of his guns. I want to know the man. I find the fact that he worked with his brother VERY interesting, yet there is nothing else mentioned in the Browning FAQ past saying that they worked together. There is no comments on home life, personal study/schooling, etc. I want to get to know the man who I belive is one of the most important person in modern history a bit more.

For the prints, I want to frame them and put them in my room/work area. Both for insight, guidance, inspiration, etc. and if the time ever comes, a full scale reproduction on lathe/mill/cnc machine.

I liked the FAQ at Browning, just wish it was more pesonal and indepth (can't argue with free though). I also try to visit here once a day, and had I seen the topic mentioned I would have been all over it. I kind of wish I missed it. I would VERY much appreciate it if you could find it for me, and if not, if you have anything from it still you can post it or PM the info.

I'll keep looking, and keep my eyes open when I go to local book stores and the likes; I just wish places like Barnes and Noble didn't have like 5 books on firearms where two are gun value books, two are about hunting, and the last is on western firearms.