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Please check back frequently as this page will be expanded to include more
useful information for the FN and Browning collector:
1
Millionth Browning Citori up for auction
Beware of PP or PPK pistols that are on the U.S. market with FN - Fabrique Nationale slide legends… These are NOT FN made pistols and do not feature the typical FN quality. The PP pistols were made in one of the former Soviet countries and are available with any marking or manufacturers marking at extra cost. Somebody ordered a batch of these pistols with FN’s older legal name marked on the slide, this was done solely to mislead buyers / collectors into believing that they were getting a genuine FN made gun. FN never produced the PP or PPK and these were not made for the Belgian police as often claimed in U.S. advertising. Belgian law-enforcement agencies did not use the PP or PPK. Popular misconceptions on FN The following misconceptions circulate in the international
collector community. Here are some answers and comments that may clarify how the
facts were misunderstood. Please credit Anthony Vanderlinden and www.fn-browning.com
if using this information in any form of publishing. Misconceptions are in
italics and shown in red. General History
FN has always been a Belgian company, from its inception up to
the World Wars. It should be noted that the company did endure a German majority
take-over from 1896 to 1914. In such, the majority of shares were in hands of a
German company. Majority ownership however does not mean that a company changes
national identity. During both World Wars the company was sequestered and under
German control.
The Belgian government (not FN) purchased the production
rights for the 1889 Belgian Mauser and ceded those to FN. Loewe had no influence
or control in the establishment of FN. FN engineers did purchase equipment and
technical assistance from Loewe after the company was in existence. Loewe was
selected after FN engineers had explored buying their machinery in the U.S. but
ran into problems when U.S. manufacturers did not want to modify and make the
machinery on metric specifications.
FN was not one of the most useful bodies to the Germans in WWII. Instead it was more a source of aggravation for the Germans, as they could not get production up to desired significant numbers prior to 1943.
FN Browning Pistols
Because no research was done for decades, the first Browning pistol is often credited to the FN Browning 1900. We know now that the 1900 was a modified 1899 model. The 1899 was the first of the Browning pistols to go into production at FN in January 1899. The 1900 followed in mid 1900 after the Belgian military requested changes to the original Browning design. There is a clear distinction between the 1899 and 1900 models, their production run and production periods.
One of the most unfounded assumptions is that the Belgian army adopted both the 1903 as well as the 1922 in the prewar era. The Belgian military only adopted four pistols in the pre-1940 era:
Only two pistol models were produced; the 1922 model as well
as the High Power.
A frustration that advanced collectors share is the fact that the High Power and High Efficiency are rarely credited correctly. The forerunner of the High Power was the High-Efficiency, so named by FN in 1929. The High –Efficiency model was catalogued and made available in the 1929-1930 period. I suspect that the High Efficiency was made in very limited numbers just like FN did with the 1903 model before securing a large military contract. Just like distinguishing the 1899 and 1900 models, it is important to call a pistol by its correct designation.
FN Military Mausers
The confusion with FN Mauser models originated with the 1930s FN Catalogs, which often showed the 24/30 nomenclature. This was done as customers could select either model, as both models were available in the early 1930s. This nomenclature should never be used today in order to identify rifles as customers did either select a 24 or a 30 model. There is no such model as a 24/30 as there is no hybrid between the two. There are distinct differences between the 1922, 1924, 1930, and 1950 models.
Unlike stated in many places, FN never produced any Mauser rifles during the occupation. Only a select few parts were made, most notable barrels and bolts. Those were exported to other plants and FN’s role was only to supplement parts production.
Another great misconception is that many claim that FN had a
1935 Mauser model. Belgian Officers and their
Pistols in Period Photographs It is relatively easy to locate a period photograph from either World War where German officers or soldiers are showing their side-arms. Not so fortunate are those who collect Belgian Brownings and are looking for period photographs. One can literally go through thousands of period Belgian photographs and never see a single picture of a pistol or even a holster. A few years ago I started to wonder if there was not much more to it. It could not just be coincidence. I found out there were strict guidelines imposed on when a holster could be worn and when a pistol should be used. The Belgian military maintained an archaic 19th century view on pistols. Pistols were considered, (quote), "vulgar". The proper weapon for an officer was the sword or saber and the saber was the proper weapon to display during ceremonies but also in photographs. Much to my surprise, there were even guidelines about how an officer should present himself for a portrait photograph. Holsters could only be worn on maneuvers or in time of war. Pistols were only allowed to be drawn out of a holster for self-defense or to lead an assault. Prewar Belgian photographs of commissioned officers holding pistols are extremely rare, almost non-existent. One such photograph is in the Belgian military archives and taken circa 1929 showing young officers holding three 1910 pistols during maneuvers. I do not hold the rights to it so I can’t reproduce it. The only chance of finding a photograph of an officer with a holster is limited to press photographs taken during maneuvers or German WWII photographs of Belgian POWs. Photographs of pistols and holsters can rarely be seen with servicemen who did not share the strict guidelines. Tank crews and machine-gunners were part of the few servicemen who carried pistols and were not bound to the strict regulations. These photographs however are also ultra rare. Photographs of soldiers holding (Belgian) Mausers are on the other hand quite easily found. Most photographs date from before or after WWI. Most of the photographs were taken in the 1920s but very few are encountered in the 1930s, which makes me believe that further restrictive regulations were implemented in the 1930s. These period restrictions have made any revealing photograph precious. As such is the photograph of the Free Belgian air man showing both the individual prewar HP holster together with the combo-holster both on his belt while also holding a Thompson SMG (Belgian Browning Pistols p.174, photograph taken in England during WWII) and the photograph of the captured Belgian officer showing both the individual prewar holster and double magazine pouch (Holsters and Shoulder-stocks of the World p.82, photograph taken by German photographer). Although this is a difficult subject to research, I have now gathered photographic evidence of all the pre- WWII Belgian holsters and will show more of these period photographs in the second and expanded edition of the Holsters and Shoulder-Stocks book.
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