“To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, John M. Browning, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ogden, in the county of Weber and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Firearms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.” Those are the first words on a patent application submitted on February 17, 1910. Patent #985,519 was subsequently issued on February 14, 1911, for what would become known as the 1911 pistol. That was 114 years ago, and manufacturers are still making, and shooters are still buying, pistols based on that patent.
It might seem irrational that a century-old pistol design remains so popular in this modern world. But there are…
