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An Ed Brown Special in 9mm Luger
Category: All About Guns
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Ian’s Customs: Remington Auto-8
I don’t think the claim was that it had no recoil; rather, I believe it was designed to fire bursts so fast that it could send three rounds downrange before the operator perceived the recoil, thus improving accuracy.
Beyond that: I don’t really know. If I had to guess, I’d say the G11 is an example of one of those guns that comes along once in awhile that’s basically the solution to problems nobody really has. The idea of a rifle that can easily carry 50 rounds, and is immune to the sorts of malfunctions/stoppages that can be associated with metal casings, is intriguing…but not really the answer to anyone’s prayers.
Moreover: forward leaps in technology with no proven track record can be scary and intimidating to organizations in any context, especially when the industry is one in which reliable and effective performance is literally the difference between “life” and “death.” It may seem funny now, but when the first M16 rifles made it to line troops during the Vietnam War, one of the reasons why it was initially regarded with distrust was that troops accustomed to large-bore weapons of forged iron/steel and wood felt that the new space-age weapon made of lightweight composite alloys and polymers was flimsy and toy-like (“the Mattel plastic gun”) and assumed it’s small, high-velocity bullet wouldn’t inflict much injury.
H&K’s M8 rifle, which in my opinion incorporated a lot of great features— particularly it’s highly-modular nature— has nonetheless failed to get much traction (or buyers) despite getting serious consideration in military trials by a number of countries, including the US.
Other typical reasons for certain weapons not getting wide acceptance: politics, military bureaucracy, cost of purchase/integration of new weapons systems.
The Remington Model 8 and FN 1900 rifles were the brainchild of John Moses Browning. Originally patented in 1900, the design was the first successful high-powered semi-auto rifle made, and it is no surprise the great J.M.B. was the designer. While Remington built the U.S. market version, Browning contracted with FN to build the European market model 1900s as he already had a good relationship with the firm who already produced many of his designs.
The rifle is long-recoil operated and feeds from a fixed magazine. The Remington Model 8 was chambered in four different Remington rimless cartridges, they were the .25, .30, .32, and .35 Remington while the FN produced variant was only made in 9mm FN which for all intents and purposes is .35 Remington.
The 1900 models were offered starting in 1911 by FN retailers and were available as late as 1931-1932. Some believe that the rifles were mostly all built before the outbreak of WWI but there may have been a small parts clean-up run in the years following.
FN only produced 4,913 of these rifles and they were never officially imported into the United States, there was really no reason to do so when Remingotn was selling the model 8. Considering the price of the 1900 was also $17 dollars more than a Grade III Model 8, it was a wise business decision to not spend the time or money importing them when Americans could get, effectively, the same gun with a different roll mark.
Compared to its sibling made by Remington, the FN model has a few differences, namely the markings, the more elegant looking bolt knob, the lower tang locking screw…and most have a rib. This is an already rare rifle made even rarer by not having a rib and is an early variant with the proofs on the left side.