Small 25 auto unknown origin

I sort of wonder why the consensus that the gun absolutely must be European? Why would Asian manufacture be impossible, either in China or in central Asia (Khyber pass area)? The stamped numbers on the right side do not appear to be original to the gun and might have been registration numbers of some kind. As far as I can tell, the slide markings are meaningless, though perhaps I am not enlarging the pictures properly. If some one can provide a clear picture of the slide markings, it might help.

P.S. "Brev" is a common abbreviation of the French or Italian word for "Patented", but that doesn't help much as it was also marked on many copies from other areas to give them a fake "European" look.

Jim
 
James K said:
I sort of wonder why the consensus that the gun absolutely must be European? Why would Asian manufacture be impossible...?
Click to expand...
I think I inadvertently started it. :o

I agree that there's a possibility of Asian manufacture, particularly given that the gunmaker seems to have been trying extra hard to emulate an FN, although they didn't apply fake FN Browning slide markings like Asian workshops often did (often with typos, or accidental cryptic faux letters that aren't found in the Roman alphabet). :rolleyes:

[EDIT TO ADD] One detail that supports the Asian theory... even the smallest European companies generally did a better job of striking serial numbers. The workmanship is sloppy enough that I wonder if it was applied upon import, and almost all European pistols other than "last ditch" wartime guns have serial numbers as originally manufactured.
 
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Slide roll mark might be IAG-Br for Industria Armi Galesi in Brescia, Italy.
The grip logo looks like NG for Nicola Galesi, the founder of IAG in 1910.
First series of guns made 1914-1923.

Or a copy of same.
 
"Slide roll mark might be IAG-Br for Industria Armi Galesi in Brescia, Italy."

I barked up that tree.

There was no coon in it.

Galesi never used that rollmark.
 
I found a picture of one without the proof marks in the OP's



Now hear this: I found it at a Spanish forum. A Belgian (in fact, the guy from Littlegun) was asking there if it was Spanish. The Spaniards had never seen something like it.
 
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A good mystery with a happy ending. I like these little 25 auto's and always keep an eye out when visiting LGS/pawn shops in the local area.
 
I do not see it in that book. I mostly get the message

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Cool, thank you. My gun does not have the lettering though this one has on the sides? Would that mean that mine is maybe a fake version of this gun?
 
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