Most influential gun designs since 1900

C

Chad Young

New member
This is insprired by this month's issue of Shooting times.

What, in your opinion, are the five handgun designs of the 20th century that have most influenced the design, function, construction, and engineering of handguns today?

My nominees are:

1. Model 1911 in .45 ACP
2. Browning Hi-Power in 9mm
3. S&W model 29
4. Glock 17
5. CZ-75
 
In no particular order:

Pistols:
1911 (time served/first US issue auto)
Walther P38 (DA/SA pattern)
HK VP70 (first polymer)

Rifles:
AK series
STG 44
CETME

MG:
MG 42

SMG:
Thompson
UZI
MP-5
 
SMG:
MP18

Pistol
Baby Browning
1911
Glock

Rifles
K98/Enfields belong to previous century, so...

AK
M16
FAL as derived from FN49/earlier similar designs
AUG
 
Greetings; Here are my pick's:

1) Browning Hi-Power
2) Colt Mod of 1911
3) Sig-Sauer P series
4) Glock
5) H&K USP series

------------------
Ala Dan
 
Baker's Dozen, handguns only, in no real order......

1. 1911 (naturally)
2. Walther PP (DA police pistol)
3. Luger (so ugly it's gotta be influential)
4. Walther P-38 (DA military pistol)
5. S&W Model 59 (first true "Wonder 9")
6. Glock (popularized composite materials)
7. Berretta Brigadier (granddaddy to 92F)
8. Colt Python (prototypical modern revolver)
9. S&W .357 Magnum (granddaddy to all magnums)
10. CZ-75 (prototypical modern pistol)
11. Browning Hi-Power (high cap mag & linkless locking system)
12. S&W Model 60 (first stainless)
13. T/C Contender (what can't you hunt with it?)

-- Kernel
 
Wow, what a remarkable number of responses! Let's keep the lists to *pistols* only please. ;>

In retrospect, perhaps I should have added the Python...
 
It was my understanding that the first wonder 9 was the CZ-75. This by borrowing design ideas from the Hi-Power (P-35). S&W was a close second. Let me do some more research...
 
yep the winner is...

1911 damn near 90 years and still going strong.... (pick your flavor mine are still colts) Hi-cap low cap miniatures and sa/da now available as well as stainless and polymer.

1935 Hi-Power gee ANOTHER JMB design.... simple elegant and all steel. (note how MANY pistol;s use a "modified browning action" on the market)

Smith and Wesson revolvers.. for bringing us the magnums (even Patton carried an early Smith 357, opposite his 45 peacemaker.)

Walther P-38 (first DA/SA auto)

Mr. Seecamps's groovy DA conversion guns that are the basis of the short stroke double actions all over the world. (ok this was a personal bias of MINE)

SW 59 FIRST american gun to REALLY popularize the 9mm cartridge (prior to that the 9mm was still a "war trophy" round or a special order item.. real men shot 38's and 45's)

RUGER for making good firearms inexpensively (maybe a kudo for doing good business period) AND the coolest .22 auto pistol in the world the mark 2, and the STRONGEST (yet affordable ) handcannon, the super blackhawk hunter, and the vaquero (so we CAN ALL play cowboy with 6 loaded cylinders)

HK Vp70z Composite construction, 4 moving parts ultra hi-capacity (17 was UNHEARD of at the time) dao only fired by striker badass pistole' and to GLOCK for marketing the idea soundly. Best idea that got away for sure. ;)


Those are my picks.
;)

Good shooting,

Dr.Rob
 
Browning Hi-Power. It gave us the locking system used by most modern handguns today. When you see the words, "modified Browning tilting barrel system" you know you're reading about the Hi-Power.

Walther P38. The double action feature (trigger bar acting on the rear of the sear) has been copied, albeit in different forms, by virtually all makers of DA/SA pistols. The slide mounted safety has also been widely copied (S&W, Beretta, Ruger). The falling block locking system was copied by Beretta in the 92 series.

Glock 17. While not the first polymer framed gun (The HK VP70 deserves that credit), it was a milestone in that it took the world by surprise and quickly won over countless agencies (and really bit into the market). If sired the Sigma, the Walther P99, and caused quite a few other manufacturers to consider polymer as a viable material for frames.

Ruger Mark I. Strong reliable gun built with some rather novel features. Stamped metal frame instead of milled and stamped internal parts. Wonderfully simple tubular steel receiver. Easy to make, cheap to make and yet a very high quality and reliable gun. Very clever use of modern techniques. Compare it to a High Standard HD Military and you know why Ruger survived (you can't afford to make a High Standard HD today when you consider all the machining and fitting required).

Thompson Center Contender. Multiple barrel is not new, but no one did it like Thompson. You can have a complete weapons system (shotgun, pistol, rifle) with various calibres and configurations (short or long barrel, scope or iron sights). Marvelous concept well executed.

------------------
Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
1911
Browning HP
CZ75

That about covers most of them.
I would also add the following:
Uzi pistol
Desert Eagle
Glock
AMT Auto Mag

------------------
"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." - Sigmund Freud
We, the people, are tired of being taxed, penalized, supervised, harassed,
and subjugated by a federal government which exceeds the powers
enumerated in the U.S. Constitution.
 
As I see it, there have only been two significant design innovations that have materially influenced handgun design in the twentieth century. #1 John Browning's locked breach design in the 1911,from which most important larger caliber autos have been copied and #2 Walthers double action design in the PP which is the system used in most double action designs. Most other "innovations" seem to largely be variations of previous ideas.
 
Highspeed, Who made the first "Wonder Nine"?

According to C.E. Ezell's book SMALL ARMS OF THE WORLD the S&W M59 began life in 1968 as an all stainless steel 9mm pistol for the military. It was adopted by the Navy as the Mk 22 silenced pistol, called the "Hush Puppy" it was used in Viet Nam by SEALs to, purposely, shoot guard dogs (hence the nickname).

Commercial versions of the M59 hit the civilian market in 1971. The M59 was derived from Smith's M39 which was introduced in 1954. The only significant difference between the two is the M59's 15 rd clip.

The CZ-75 was first seen on the commercial market in 1975 (hence it's designation), though it surely existed in some form as a prototype before that, designs that perfect don't just spring forth. The CZ-75 has a lot going for it and in my opinion is superior to the M59. Though they are both "Wonder Nines" there is no doubt the S&W M59 came first.

My personal experience with the M59.... At the behest of my Platoon Sargent, in 1983 I bought a used M59 at pawn shop in Downers Grove, Tx. I was a lowly E-3 Cavalry Scout in the 4/9 Cav of the 6th Cav Brigade (Air Combat) at Ft. Hood, Tx. Since I was issued a M-60 when I got to Hood, Sarge said I should get a 9mm pistol for a personal sidearm. If the SHTF my 60 would end up on a bunjee cord in the door of an OH-58 and I'd be sans firearm since our unit didn't issue sidearms to enlisted men (all the officers were issued .38Spls). In those days the only mission we carried about was the Ruskies charging thru the Fuda Gap, and in a European war 9mm would be the way to go. Most people don't realize what a scary time the early 80s were, how unstable Russia was. I believe we came very close to TEOTWAWKI with the Soviets in '83/'84, some of this is just now coming to light, but that's a subject for another forum. The whole time I was at Ft. Hood I kept that M59 in my wall locker, the kicker is we were not authorized to keep firearms on post, had it been discovered it'd gotten an instant Article 15. Typical Army "Catch-22" logic. -- Kernel

--------------------------------------------

"A Communist is just a Socialist in a hurry." Dick Culver, USMC, Ret.

[This message has been edited by Kernel (edited December 16, 1999).]
 
My list:

Hi-power (The high cap concept)
Walther PP (sa/da)
Glock 17 (poly materials)

There are many grat handguns out there (1911, Luger, CZ-52) but I'm not sure how much influence they had on the design world. I'm glad we don't have to pick :)
 
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