Chapter 309 The John Moses Browning
Cabinet meeting emphasized the development of all aspects of Australasia, and the cabinet budget for the new year also increased by nearly 20 million Australian dollars.
This also means that if fiscal revenue growth is not large in the new year, Australasia may once again experience fiscal losses.
However, the 20 million Australian dollars in the financial budget have been used where they should be used, so Arthur does not feel distressed at all.
After all, spending 20 million Australian dollars at this time is better than after the war, the skyrocketing prices and the shortage of materials caused the cost to increase several times.
Especially the advance preparation of medical supplies, which is very important for Australasia and future layout in Europe. The profits that can be earned from these medical supplies alone are enough for Arthur to prepare them in advance.
Of course, in addition to what was planned at the cabinet meeting, Arthur had a lot of preparations in private, such as the guest he was going to meet next.
The guest's name was John Moses Browning, an American living in Belgium.
Of course, John Moses Browning is also famous as the expert who developed the Browning M1910 dual-purpose automatic pistol.
This small pistol has a glorious history, with nearly 1 million produced in its history.
Of course, this pistol was used by Princip, the assassin of Archduke Ferdinand, in the incident in Sarajevo that shocked the world and even triggered the First World War.
Browning is not as famous now as it will be in the future. In addition to the breech-loading single-shot rifles he designed decades ago, the only weapons he produces are the Browning series of automatic pistols.
But Arthur knew that this famous small arms design expert would later study a variety of automatic rifles, light machine guns, heavy machine guns and automatic pistols, making considerable contributions to American small arms.
Before Browning's name could be heard throughout the United States, it was the best time to poach him and come to Australasia.
The good news is that because the automatic musket produced by Browning was rejected by Winchester in 1897, Browning angrily went to the Herstal National Arsenal in Belgium and became the chief designer of the Belgian National Arsenal.
It will be difficult for Australasia to compete with the United States, but there is no problem competing with Belgium.
After Arthur invited Browning to become the chief expert on small arms at the Royal Australasian Ordnance Factory, and allowed Browning to design and produce weapons developed by himself while assisting the arsenal's weapons research, Browning I am very excited about coming to Australasia.
After all, the reason why Browning went to Belgium was entirely because his talents could not be well displayed in the United States.
American companies did not believe in Browning's technology, which made Browning go to Belgium, a small European country.
But the problem is that even if Belgium is willing to produce Browning firearms, the arms factory only has so much business. The competitiveness of the Belgian arms factory is completely inferior to that of the British and German arms factories.
What's more, under these two major powers, there are also France, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Russia and other European powers' arsenals competing for the market. This has also resulted in Belgium's production orders being very few, and naturally it does not have too much funding. Browning for research.
But Australasia is different. The people sent by Arthur vowed that as long as Browning is willing to become the chief expert of small arms at the Royal Ordnance Factory of Australasia, there is no upper limit on his research funding.
Moreover, on the premise of producing existing weapons and equipment, the Royal Ordnance Factory will also help Browning produce weapons of his own research, and work hard to sell the weapons of Browning's research to the world.
You know, the arms trade between Russia and Australasia is not confidential, and Browning naturally knows about this arms purchase treaty.
This also means that the weapons produced in Australasia have a market at the international level, and the firearms designed by Browning can also be better developed in the Royal Ordnance Factory.
After much thought, Browning finally decided to agree to go to Australasia, firstly to go to the Royal Ordnance Factory for an on-site inspection, and secondly to see if what Arthur said was true.
On January 2, 1912, at Sydney Palace, Arthur finally met this famous ordnance expert.
Browning is now in his 50s, but his eyes still look bright and his whole body seems full of energy.
After meeting Arthur, Browning excitedly asked if he could officially start work the next day.
Yes, before being summoned by Arthur, Browning had already visited the Royal Ordnance Factory. The reaction he received was that the scale and expert reserve of the Royal Ordnance Factory had completely exceeded Browning's expectations.
Browning is also looking forward to working in such a huge military factory, and can't wait to invest in the research and development of weapons.
Arthur smiled. What Australasia currently lacks is motivated talents like Browning.
However, work was not in a hurry. Arthur gave Browning nine days of leave, plus the seven days of the National Day holiday, which added up to more than half a month, allowing Browning to solve problems outside of work. After the National Day holiday, it was officially put into work to research and produce more small arms for Australasia.
"Mr. Browning, do you have any suggestions for the semi-automatic pistols and submachine guns currently available in the Royal Ordnance Factory?" After talking about work, Arthur looked at Browning and started some small talk.
After all, Browning is a well-known expert in the design of small arms, and although the Australasian light weapon has Arthur's vision, it is very difficult to realize it.
Especially in terms of pistols, the only pistol in Australasia is the AS-1898 semi-automatic pistol developed and produced by the Royal Ordnance Factory in 1898. Compared with the automatic pistols popular in other powers, it has long been outdated.
Arthur's expectation for Browning is to develop the latest automatic pistol as soon as possible based on AS-1898 and equip the Australasian army and police with such pistols.
"Your Majesty, the current pistol design of the Royal Ordnance Factory has lagged behind the times. It is already the era of automatic pistols. Give me three months, I will improve the pistols currently owned by the Royal Ordnance Factory and design a brand new one. Automatic pistol." Browning thought seriously for a while, then said with a slight frown.
In fact, Browning does have this confidence.
Although currently not well-known in other weapons, Browning is considered one of the world's top design experts in pistol design.
The M series automatic pistols designed by Browning, whether it is the M1910 or M1911, are among the most advanced automatic pistols in the world.
The M1911, in particular, has become the standard pistol of the U.S. military and has been equipped in large numbers to troops in the United States.
It is worth mentioning that, unlike the Browning M1910 automatic pistol, the full name of M1911 is Colt M1911 automatic pistol.
Although the designer of the M1911 pistol was Browning himself, the pistol was produced by Colt, a competitor of Browning's company.
The Colt Company bought the patent rights for this pistol and named the pistol the Colt M1911 pistol. It won the favor of the US military and successfully became the standard pistol of the US military.
Historically, this pistol has been equipped with the US military for 70 years. After the United States re-selected guns in 1985, the M1911 withdrew from the stage of the US military's intellectual weapons.
This also shows that the performance of the pistol designed by Browning is powerful enough to equip the United States, the most powerful country in the world, for 70 years after World War II.
Winning Browning to Australasia will not only improve Australasia's design capabilities in small arms, but also weaken the United States' design capabilities in small arms.
As one goes and the other goes, the gap between the two countries will always get closer, which is why Arthur attaches great importance to attracting talents in the United States and Europe.
Australasia attracts more talents at this time, and accordingly, the United States absorbs fewer talents after the war.
What's more, when the time comes, the United States' competitors in absorbing talents will also be Australasia, and the United States will definitely develop worse than it has historically.
Arthur nodded, having no doubts about the three months proposed by Browning.
After all, 13 years have passed since the development of the AS-1898. This is an outdated pistol.
For a small arms expert like Browning, it is not impossible to improve a new pistol in three months.
"As for the Kassadin submachine gun from the Royal Ordnance Factory," Browning said about the Kassadin submachine gun, a hint of admiration and surprise flashed in his eyes, and he said sincerely: "The design of this weapon, which is different from that of a rifle, is very advanced. I am very much looking forward to meeting and working with the researchers of the Kassadin submachine gun."
Perhaps because of the sympathy between talents, Browning was very curious about this submachine gun designer whom he had never met, and at the same time he admired him very much. Talent in weapons.
Arthur smiled and said: "That's for sure. You should be able to see Kassadin after the National Day holiday. Speaking of which, submachine guns are also small weapons, and you and Kassadin are both researching small weapons. Experts should be able to have good topics."
Although the Kassadin submachine gun owned by Australasia is already very advanced, Arthur does not mind having a more advanced submachine gun.
If Browning also has some unique insights into submachine guns, it will also be good for the development of submachine guns.
"Of course, improvements in pistols are also important. But as the chief expert on small arms at the Royal Ordnance Factory, you are fully capable of having your own independent research laboratory and office. In addition to the series of weapons currently owned by the Royal Ordnance Factory, I am also looking forward to seeing Mr. Browning to design your own weapons. I believe that in addition to pistols, you are also a rare talent in other weapons." Arthur said with a smile.
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(End of chapter)