[eartrumpet]

I read a biography of him once. My favorite story was when he was a Mormon missionary in Georgia, I think. Back then they lived off the charity of others and sometimes there wasn’t much charity so he and his partner were looking pretty shabby. In a store window they saw a new Winchester that he had designed and sold before he went on his mission. He hadn’t seen the finished product so he asked the store owner if he could look at it. No. Get out of here, you bums.

[TexasRepublic]

I read a biography of him once. My favorite story was when he was a Mormon missionary in Georgia, I think. Back then they lived off the charity of others and sometimes there wasn’t much charity so he and his partner were looking pretty shabby. In a store window they saw a new Winchester that he had designed and sold before he went on his mission. He hadn’t seen the finished product so he asked the store owner if he could look at it. No. Get out of here, you bums.

I read a different version of that story. I believe the rifle was the "High Wall" model, his first successful design. Browning and his brothers had made and sold a few in Utah before selling the design to Winchester. Anyhow, Browning convinced the store owner to let him examine the rifle. The store owner reluctantly agreed. After a few minutes of handling, the store owner commented that Browning seemed knowledgeable about the rifle. Browning replied, "I should be, I designed it". Then the store owner snatched away the rifle and showed who he believed to be a smartass kid the door.

[Little Bill]

I don’t think so, my Great Uncle was Mission President in that area and I see no mention of this in our family lore.