Early Career
Pederson is best known for the 1918 Pedersen device that converted a standard military Springfield 1903 rifle to a semi-automatic, intermediate-caliber firearm.
He designed several successful sporting guns for Remington, including the novel Model 51 pistol, the Model 10 pump-action shotgun and the Models 12, 14, and 25 pump-action rifles. He collaborated with John Browning to design the Model 17 pump-action shotgun. The Model 17 was a trim, 20-gauge shotgun that was later redesigned and made in three highly successful forms: the Remington Model 31, Browning BPS, and the Ithaca 37.
Pedersen designed the two second best U.S. military firearms of the 20th century. His .45 caliber automatic pistol, based on the same design as the Model 51, was accepted by the Navy Board for production, but the First World War intervened and Remington tooled to produce the M1911 instead. He also designed a competing design to the M1 Garand rifle. His design utilized a toggle-lock and patented waxed cartridges. The Garand was selected instead. His "Pedersen rifle" was also trial tested by the British and Japanese between World War I and World War II, but it was not adopted.
Pedersen was issued 69 patents listing his home as Wyoming, and others listing Colorado and New York State.
Read more about this topic: John Pedersen (arms Designer)
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