WI: John Moses Browning died in childhood

Let’s analyze the situation of what if the inventor and gunsmith John Moses Browning had died before reaching adulthood. Let’s perhaps also add that his death was in a gun related accident that also detours his family from further gunsmithing as well. How might advancements in weapons technology be changed without him? Which other inventors and weapon designs might become popular without his influence? How might war tactics be changed without the weapons he had designed?

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Wow, huge implications. For a start the US forces armoury would be much different, probably adopting Maxim's or Vickers MG's. The famous M1911 would never be so the Borchardt C-93 could be possible contender as a US sidearm as it lost out in trails to the good ol' .45.

I think .50 cal MG's wouldn't be as popular as they are today in western armouries, perhaps staying with GPMG's in rifle calibre or going for a different large round.
 
In regards to handguns I'd imagine that without him the use of revolvers as service pistols would remain popular for a longer period of time than in OTL. And when it comes to the use of automatic pistol designs a greater number of varients on the german designs for the Luger and C-96 may be created. Also the interesting invention known as the Webley-Fosbery automatic revolver may have a better chance a popularity without Brownings competition.
 
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