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The bottom loading and ejection port opening showing the retracted lifter and the bottom of the locked bolt with an unobstructed access for loading a fresh round with the bolt and slide in the foreword or firing and loading position.

The bottom port opening showing the lifter in the down or eject position with the slide and bolt in the rear position.

Howie and I returned to BJT elated at our success, and we made plans for the final phase of our agreement, the actual building and test of the prototype. This required many hours of concentrated effort by carefully-chosen tool makers. Once again our good fortune held. The prototype went together as planned, and it performed beautifully right from the start. Quite frankly, I was very proud and grateful to the many individuals who made it happen. Usually a new prototype generally requires parts redesign and fabrication due to malfunction, worn or broken parts in test, awkward assembly, etc. – but the BPS required absolutely no rework.

Our involvement in the BPS program was virtually over at this point; it was up to Browning to put the final approval on the gun and get it manufactured in quantity production. For many years Browning guns were manufactured by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal in Liege, Belgium. The Browning Company was required to seek an outside contractor to manufacture the BPS because they lacked the large facility necessary to build the production guns in the U.S.A. A decision was made to make the BPS in production by the Miroku Firearms Mfg. Co. in Japan to Browning’s exacting quality standards. Browning sent an early sample of the production gun to BJT for our examination. We were highly pleased with the performance and high quality of this production gun. Howie gave me the gun as a souvenir for proposing and designing the BPS.