I beg to differ- John M. Browning designed the first "cornsheller" the Model 1893-for black powder, lo-pressure loads. Some evn had Damascus (aka- "frag-grenade") barrels. He later revised that to the Model 1897-for the newer (circa 1894) smokeless powder loads. Winchester produced it until in 1957 in both 12 and 16 gauges.
Winchester and John M. "split the blanket" in 1903 re: the Browning A-5- aka- "the square-back" and as Thomas Crossley Johnson helped John draw up the final designs and patents, when Winchester refused to give John a royalty on each A-5 they sold (Major League FUBAR, with 20/20 hindsight) John went to rival Remington-UMC- bad luck, Marcellus Hartley Dodge- the UMC "Head Fred" croaked in a BOD meeting whilst John M. Browning was waiting for an audience- so John "trucked over the pond" to the Belgies, and the FN lads worked him a sweet deal.
When WRA had Tommy Johnson work on a competing semi-auto- the abortion called the Model 11- aka- "The Widow Maker" he had a Hell of a time avoiding patent right lawsuits from old John M. browning. Tommy Johnson started on the design on the great Model 1912 in 1907- by 1910 they had a proto-type, a 20 bore 2 and 1/2" chambers- and after testing the living piss out of it, brought it out in 1912- rather than re-tool the Model 1897 for the smaller 20 gauge.
In late 1913-early 1914 they offered the Model 1912 in 16 gauge, on the 20 gauge receiver- with 2 and 9/16" chambers, and the 12 gauge with 2 and 3/4" chambers- all with Nickel Steel barrels. The Model 1912- later known as the Model 12 after aprox. 1919- does have the interrupted thread take-dwon and magazine tube lock feature from Browning's Model 1897- but that is ALL.
The Model 12 was and still is (I own 7-all pre-WW11 except for one)"The Perfect Repeater" . Read Dave Petzal's great article on the Model 12 in the May 1985 issue of Sporting Classics. He refers to the clays shooting for which the Model 12 set so many endurance records-beyond belief.
No repeater is as durable as an unaltered Model 12- despite the late great Rudy Etchen and his 1950 era Rem 870 12 gauge 12 grade.. IMO of course. And I deleted the rest of my posts due to the M12 being "Off Topic" on a Ithaca NID post.
Last edited by Run With The Fox; 12/09/08 09:22 AM.
