Selecting the 100 greatest American-made guns is hugely subjective. What I pick is surely not the same list or ranking that some fellow gun nut would choose, if given the chance. That thought shared as a casual disclaimer, I jumped into the task of selecting, as it were, my favorites. The criteria was simple; after pouring over reams of historical information and manufacturing data, I ranked several American firearms that either played a pivotal role in history or were down right manufacturing successes. Many of these arms played major roles in wars over the past two centuries. Some even made the transition to the civilian ranks, where their popularity swelled even more.
When readers scroll through the list, it will be easy to find a common tapestry woven through many of the firearms creation. John Moses Browning was and is the greatest gun inventor in the world. He registered 128 patents on more than 80 distinctly separate firearms, which include a horde of the most famous guns produced by Colt’s, Remington, Savage, Winchester and Belgium’s Fabrique Nationale.
At the turn of the 20th Century, when Browning felt snubbed in his efforts to earn royalties on a landmark automatic shotgun patent from Winchester’s top brass, and Remington’s president died of a sudden heart attack, he made the decision to carry his work to Belgium for manufacturing. A quarter century later, Browning died of a heart attack himself in November 1926 while he was in the final stages of development of the Browning Hi-Power pistol. This is one of the guns that made the list, too. Even though it was originally manufactured in Belgium, its design was decidedly American.
I hope this list of America’s 100 Greatest Guns finds commonality with many of your favorites. From first to last, I’m sure this list will compare with many of your favorites, too.
Kahr PM9 Pistol #100
Kahr’s lightweight compact 9mm PM9-series pistols borrow their heritage from Kahr’s other successful polymer pistols, a collection of single-strike, DAO (Double-Action Only), recoil operated semi-autos chambered for various cartridges.
Ithaca Model 37 #99: America’s 100 Greatest Guns
Ithaca based the Model 37s off of John Browning and John Pedersen’s design for the Remington Model 17. Like the Model 17, the Model 37 is a pump-action shotgun that ejects spent casings from the bottom of the receiver rather than the side, as most shotguns do.
Remington Model Seven #98
Remington based the designs for the Model Seven off their bolt-action chambering mechanisms and feature similar receivers, actions, and overall designs.
Savage Model 24 #97: America’s 100 Greatest Guns
From deer to birds, combination guns like the Savage Model 24 Combo rifle and shotgun are often used primarily for hunting a wide selection of game.