Can anybody explain some of the details of this pistol> The serial number is in the high 600,000 range and may be post 1968. The barrel bushing appears to be from one of the post GCA elongated/target sighted Browning 380s, The address line is quite a bit different than vintage FNs I have found on line
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FN 1910 380
- Thread starter mec
- Start date
spacecoast
New member
Found this article -
http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg/be/fn-browning-m1910-and-m1922-e.html
It bears some superficial resemblance to the Colt Hammerless .380 of 1908 and the design has many of the same features - grip safety, 7 round capacity, etc.
http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg/be/fn-browning-m1910-and-m1922-e.html
It bears some superficial resemblance to the Colt Hammerless .380 of 1908 and the design has many of the same features - grip safety, 7 round capacity, etc.
The FN 1910's continued to be produced well into the 1980's (ca. 1984, if I recall correctly), so what you have is a gun that was made for sale in Europe or other parts of the world where "Browning Arms Company" marked arms were not sold. BAC marked arms were, by agreement, sold in North America, while the "FN" marked guns were sold in the rest of the world.
The very last gasp variant of the 1910 before it was dropped also had the squared off rear end on the slide with a protruding cocked firing pin indicator, much like the "10/70" Models that were sold in the U.S. after the GCA of 68.
You'll also notice that your grips are very similar to those found on "BAC" marked guns, i.e. the sides tend to be a bit more vertical and the checkered areas are more or less flattened.
The very last gasp variant of the 1910 before it was dropped also had the squared off rear end on the slide with a protruding cocked firing pin indicator, much like the "10/70" Models that were sold in the U.S. after the GCA of 68.
You'll also notice that your grips are very similar to those found on "BAC" marked guns, i.e. the sides tend to be a bit more vertical and the checkered areas are more or less flattened.
So, it appears that this must be made concomittant with the bAC arms- a fairly late production with co-mingled features. ????
If this is post 68, I wonder how it got into this country-maybe only indifferently legal?
The barrel bushing is a conundrum. Does anybody know if the FN bushings were prone to shere off and launch from the gun? Numrich doesn't seem to have any replacements on hand and it is posible that somebody busted the original bushing and replaced it with whatever was available- ie: a bushing form the importable target model.???
If this is post 68, I wonder how it got into this country-maybe only indifferently legal?
The barrel bushing is a conundrum. Does anybody know if the FN bushings were prone to shere off and launch from the gun? Numrich doesn't seem to have any replacements on hand and it is posible that somebody busted the original bushing and replaced it with whatever was available- ie: a bushing form the importable target model.???
Yes, you are correct; BAC marked and FN marked guns were all sold concurrently in different parts of the world. How yours got in the US is anyone's guess, but the possibilities are endless. Many guns have been smuggled in by tourists, brought back by GI's or airline employess, or it could have even been brought to the US by a European/Canadian transplant. Who knows?
Regarding the barrel bushing, while (fortunately) it is not too common of a problem, the barrel bushings can and do fly off while being shot (especially if not properly seated), or lost when launched by the recoil spring during reassembly. The style that is on your gun is a late pattern made by FN, and it most likely is a replacement for one that was lost, but it is possible, depending on how close you are to the 700,000 range, that it is original. In general, they are a lot easier to get on and off than older style bushings.
Numrich is usually out of most everything that you need, and Browning hasn't had them for years, but they are out there if you look around.
One possible source is Western Gun Parts ( www.westerngunparts.com ), in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Jeff Heimann started out a few years ago selling parts on eBay from his retired father's business (including Browning Parts Distributor), then expanded into a fairly large gun parts company. I have always had good luck with them.
I just checked www.Marstar.ca website and they are out of them, too.
If you'll also notice, your grip safety is a bit diffferent than earlier guns as well.
I was also going to have you check your trigger to see if it was plastic, but I can see blue wear on it. Some later 1910's have plastic triggers (as well as the FN "Baby" .25's).
Regarding the barrel bushing, while (fortunately) it is not too common of a problem, the barrel bushings can and do fly off while being shot (especially if not properly seated), or lost when launched by the recoil spring during reassembly. The style that is on your gun is a late pattern made by FN, and it most likely is a replacement for one that was lost, but it is possible, depending on how close you are to the 700,000 range, that it is original. In general, they are a lot easier to get on and off than older style bushings.
Numrich is usually out of most everything that you need, and Browning hasn't had them for years, but they are out there if you look around.
One possible source is Western Gun Parts ( www.westerngunparts.com ), in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Jeff Heimann started out a few years ago selling parts on eBay from his retired father's business (including Browning Parts Distributor), then expanded into a fairly large gun parts company. I have always had good luck with them.
I just checked www.Marstar.ca website and they are out of them, too.
If you'll also notice, your grip safety is a bit diffferent than earlier guns as well.
I was also going to have you check your trigger to see if it was plastic, but I can see blue wear on it. Some later 1910's have plastic triggers (as well as the FN "Baby" .25's).
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Skeeter Skelton wrote that this gun, as well as others that became prohibited by the Gun Control Act of 1968, could still be purchased by law enforcement agencies or possibly individual officers but I have no idea how that may have worked. Possibly there were some police supply houses or gun dealers that did that sort of thing.
In the same way, Washington, D.C. residents can legally buy handguns now but there are no gun shops in the district. All gun purchases there go through one dealer.
In the same way, Washington, D.C. residents can legally buy handguns now but there are no gun shops in the district. All gun purchases there go through one dealer.
As far as I'm concerned the FN/Browning 1910 is one of the finest pocket autos ever produced. I have carried one for over 30 years.
A number of years back there was a company (in Texas, I think) that was going to make a reproduction of it, but, apparently, it never got off the ground. There was a photo of a prototype in Gun Digest.
A number of years back there was a company (in Texas, I think) that was going to make a reproduction of it, but, apparently, it never got off the ground. There was a photo of a prototype in Gun Digest.
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