Ben Nicholson

The John Browning Firearms Museum is part of the Union Station Museum in Ogden, Utah. The firearms came from the Browning factory reference collection before passing to the Utah National Guard in 1959, and on to the current Browning Museum in 1978. The Museum has prototypes of John Browning’s classic designs, the experimental models that were not put into production, and original and modern production guns. Cases show designs by John Browning’s father, Jonathan, son, Val, and grandson Bruce Browning. An entrance display shows part of the Browning Company’s current product line.

The 1978 exhibit was designed for stand-alone, double-sided, neon-lit display cases that showed the original prototype, beneath which were production guns. The cases were organized by date of invention and set down on four curving paths of color-coded carpet, which were divided into single shot and lever action rifles, shot guns, gas operated guns, and pistols. A large glassed-in area contained Browning’s machine guns. Today, the logic of the four categories is redirected: the color-coded carpet is gone and the cases are set at angles with mismatched shotguns on the left and rifles on the right and pistols scattered in between. All the texts have been shortened. A new display of Matt Browning’s collection of miniature firearms narrates firearm history, and four wall cabinets showcase special firearms.

For gun owners, the Browning Museum is a historic site of pilgrimage. John Browning’s single shot rifles (Winchester 1885, Model 1902), lever action rifles (Winchester 1892, 1894, ‘Winchester 30/30’ and Model 1895), pump-action shotgun (Winchester Model 1897), auto-loading shotguns (Browning Auto-5 or Remington Model 11), semi-auto rifles (Remington Model 8), semi-auto pistols (Colt 1903 Pocket, FN Model 1910, Colt M1911, Colt Woodsman, Browning Hi-Power), machineguns (M 1895 ‘Potato digger’, M1917.30 cal. M1921 .50 cal.) ‘assault rifle’ (M1917 BAR) and superposed shotgun (B25) are exhibited.

http://www.browningmuseum.com/
Browning, V.A., John M. Browning Armory, Ogden, (1959)
Browning, J., Gentry, C., Retz, W.R. John M. Browning American Gunmaker, Browning Co., (2013)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loeCj0YOyj8
Ogden Union Station
http://theunionstation.org/museums/john-m-browning-firearms-museum/