National Holiday

Well, it SHOULD be.

On this date, January 23, in the year 1855, John Moses Browning was born.

Among his many achievements:

M1895 Colt-Browning machine gun
Colt Model 1897
FN Browning M1899/M1900
Colt Model 1900
Colt Model 1902
Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer (.38 ACP)
Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless (.32 ACP)
Colt Model 1905, the first .45 ACP
Remington Model 8 (1906), a long recoil semi-automatic rifle
Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket (.25 ACP)
Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless (.380 ACP)
FN Model 1910
+ U.S. Model 1911 pistol
Winchester Model 1885 falling block single shot rifle
Winchester Model 1886 lever-action repeating rifle
Winchester Model 1887 lever-action repeating shotgun
Winchester Model 1890 slide-action repeating rifle (.22)
Winchester Model 1892 lever-action repeating rifle
Winchester Model 1894 lever-action repeating rifle
Winchester Model 1895 lever-action repeating rifle
Winchester Model 1897 pump-action repeating shotgun
+ Remington Model 17 pump-action repeating shotgun (later the Ithaca 37)
Browning Auto-5 long recoil semi-automatic shotgun
U.S. Model 1917 water-cooled machine gun
Model 1919 air-cooled machine gun
Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) of 1917
Browning M2 .50-caliber heavy machine gun of 1921
Remington Model 24 semi-auto rifle (.22) Also produced by Browning Firearms and several others
+ The Browning Hi-Power, completed after his death by Dieudonne Saive
The Browning Superposed over/under shotgun, designed by John Browning in 1922 and entered production in 1931

Among the cartridges he developed:

.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.38 ACP
9mm Browning Long
.380 ACP
.45 ACP
.50 BMG

Among his many patents:

U.S. Patent 220,271 Winchester 1885 single-shot, his first patent
U.S. Patent 306,577 Winchester 1886 and Model 71 lever action rifles
U.S. Patent 336,287 Winchester Model 1887/1901 lever action shotgun
U.S. Patent 385,238 Winchester 1890 pump action rifle
U.S. Patent 441,390 Winchester 1893 and 1897 pump action shotguns
U.S. Patent 465,339 Winchester 1892 lever action rifle
U.S. Patent 524,702 Winchester 1894 lever action rifle
U.S. Patent 544,657 Colt-Browning Model 1895 machine gun
U.S. Patent 549,345 Winchester 1895 lever action rifle
U.S. Patent 580,924 Colt 1900 automatic pistol
U.S. Patent 632,094 Winchester 1900 bolt action single shot .22 rifle
U.S. Patent 659,507 FN/Browning Auto-5 shotgun, also Remington Model 11
U.S. Patent 659,786 Remington Model 8 semi-automatic rifle.
U.S. Patent 678,937 M1917 Browning machine gun
U.S. Patent 747,585 Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless automatic pistol
U.S. Patent 781,765 Stevens 520 pump action shotgun
U.S. Patent 808,003 Colt Model 1905 in .45 ACP (predecessor to the M1911)
U.S. Patent 947,478 FN Model 1906 and Colt 1908 Vest Pocket in .25 ACP
U.S. Patent 984,519 Colt 1911
U.S. Patent 1,065,341 Browning 22 Semi-Auto rifle and Remington model 24
U.S. Patent 1,143,170 Remington Model 17 and Ithaca 37 pump action shotguns
U.S. Patent 1,276,716 Colt Woodsman
U.S. Patent 1,293,022 Browning Automatic Rifle Model of 1918
U.S. Patent 1,424,553 FN "Trombone" pump action .22 caliber repeater (Rare in USA)
U.S. Patent 1,525,065 37 mm automatic cannon
U.S. Patent 1,578,638 Browning Superposed over/under shotgun
U.S. Patent 1,618,510 FN and Browning Hi-Power pistol
U.S. Patent 1,628,226 M2 Browning machine gun in .50 caliber

Praise Be Upon Him.