How dare you disparage the name of John Moses Browning!?
Cool your jets, though, because the opinion is not mine its Brownings.
Yes, thats right.
John Moses Browning thought the world of another less famous but remarkably skilled designer.
And in many ways, the two mens careers mirrored one another.
Born in 1855, Browning was 26 years older than Pedersen, who was born in 1881.
As I stated above, the two mens careers mirrored one another.
At the very least, Brownings career afforded Pedersen a sturdy pair of shoulders on which to stand.
Unsung Genius
Pedersen also designed a handgun to compete with the newly adopted, Browning-designed Model 1911.
Tested by both the U.S. Army and Navy, it was reviewed favorably, but was never adopted.
The Army dismissed it because arms factories had already been tooled up for a large 1911 contract.
Pedersen also submitted a gun to compete in the trials for the M1903s replacement rifle.
However, Pedersen did find some success.
(To learn more about the M1 Carbine, clickhere.)
Introduced in 1921, they completed the design for a 20 gauge pump-action shotgun.
The success of that design led to several more very successful shotgun designs.
The two gunsmiths who had so much in common also had a commonality to their deaths.
Both men died of heart disease specifically, heart failure for Browning and a heart attack for Pedersen.
Browning died in 1926 at the age of 71; Pedersen at the age of 70 in 1951.
If Browning thought he was the best, well, then thats good enough for me.
