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Forums10
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Most Online1,344 Apr 29th, 2024
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,797 Likes: 565
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,797 Likes: 565 |
Robert I can come up with one gun that had a bigger impact than Flues. The A-5. In fact had the head of Remington not died just short of his meeting with John Browning I suspect that Remington would have become Brownings maker for the rest of his lifetime. Winchester had long lived off the Browning patents and had bought many which they never even produced just to keep them off the market. Browning wanted a royalty for each gun made and Remington was willing to give him that. Both would have made millions.
Emil was very talented, but John Browning was the Einstein of gun design in my book. How many of his guns are still being made today? How many of his designs of his were in production for 50 plus years. A-5, all the Winchester designs, Superposed, machine guns, BAR, pistols, you name it. It has to be close to 20. Find another designer who has three.
Every body wants the high end business it is like the lure of big breasted, good looking ladies with huntable land. Just too few for us to all be happy. Fact is that there is not enough high end business to go around and it is often split up so much that no one can survive off it. Every town had one banker and two or three other rich families which might have been a market for a high end double. They also had 500 other families with less money who were a market for a lower priced gun. I would rather sell 500 than three guns. Smart business plan, smart management and the only way to stay afloat in the gun business. Had Emil had his way Ithaca would have folded in months if not a few years.
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,096
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,096 |
Builder, Although Emil held about 5 pats...only about 2 were assigned to Ithaca...and only the first one ever enjoyed any serious pruduction success
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,096
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,096 |
KY, As the chairman of Standard Oil of New York (SONY) once said "it's better to have a small peice of a very big pie, than a large piece of a little pie"
You've got me on the Auto 5...I was thinking of doubles only...but I'll bet you I could argue the validity of the "king" by dragging out his patents, and presenting earlier patents that he simply refined (especially those of Andrew Burgess, Paul Mauser, Spencer) ...I may not win that debate, but I would certainly get you to refine your words to "the collective genius known as John Moses Browning"
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,797 Likes: 565
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,797 Likes: 565 |
Call it a friendly drawl. From the post we, the bbs, have been having lately we could use a little more of that type peace.
There have been a fair number of very creative people who never got the recognition until years after their death. Frank Hollenback and Emil are certainly two.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 5,021
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 5,021 |
That's the trouble talking about American double guns all roads eventually lead to the repeaters. All the best
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 15,457 Likes: 88
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 15,457 Likes: 88 |
it is like the lure of big breasted, good looking ladies with huntable land.
I've yet to find one....
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,401 Likes: 16
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,401 Likes: 16 |
Robert, It was Lou Smith who enticed Emil to leave Reese, MI for Ithaca, not his son, Sheldon. There were no "stockholders" at that time. The company was solely owned by the Livermores and Smiths. I would like to hear your research that documents the extensive and inflexable production line. Harry Howland's notes indicate the opposite. There was no engineering department and the first draftsman was not hired until 1910.
Last edited by Walter C. Snyder; 10/09/07 01:40 PM.
Walter c. Snyder
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,812
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,812 |
Lowell, why do we have to "face" anything if we're not dedicated followers of fashion. The valuation of the pricepoint Fox is merely the lemmingflation of the hangtag wars. Besides it's been several years since M. McI. published and BH's "lowly but important" series in DGJ has become such a cliche that someone's bound to wake up and notice how incredibly doglegged and zoftig is their (12 ga)SW. I tell you buddy, you look close at a graded Flues, you're gonna feel what it's like to drive a graver thru that buttery steel. On the other hand, I darn near lost the rear "nubbin" (ramp) off mine at the VC. To each his own.
jack
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 15,457 Likes: 88
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 15,457 Likes: 88 |
Jack you know any "big breasted, good looking ladies with huntable land" ?
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,812
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,812 |
Can't say I do. Knew a tiny, shriveled up angel of a farmer's widow who was sublimely unconcerned about us blasting rabbits just over the yard fence. Probably watching her "shows" or she just wasn't scairt of guns. We never shot at the house and she never acted like she thought we would. Funny how blind faith can make you conscious of your responsibility. Those were the days.
jack
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