FN/Browning Model 1900 - any experiences?

John Sabato · 11-08-2010, 10:20 AM

Can't help with the inscription Ron, but the Crown looks very much like the crown on the Erfurt Toggle marking of Lugers. Perhaps it is some kind of acceptance by the Erfurt State Armory of this pistol into official service? (just a theory!)

Regarding experiences with this type of pistol, a very close friend of mine bought one in a private sale in 1966 (OH MY GOSH that was FOURTY FOUR years ago!) for $20 from one of his neighbors and I believe that it had been brought back from WW1 by a grandfather in the sellers family.

It had not been fired since the end of WW1, and was wrapped in a rag and covered in congealed grease. My friend enlisted my assistance in determining how to disassemble it for cleaning. This is way before the internet, and the only exploded diagrams available at the time were in the NRA books, Shooters Bible, and the Numerich Gun Parts catalog. Luckily, my young gun library had one or more of those.

I was able to decipher the disassembly procedure and we got it apart and cleaned well and back together... then took it to the range. It was LOUD, and had about a 25 pound trigger pull as I recall. After working with it for a while with some good arkansas stones, we got the trigger down to about 7 pounds and we figured that this was good enough.

I never like the gun but appreciated the experience... it was one of my first gunsmithing "adventures"

sheepherder · 11-08-2010, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Sabato

Can't help with the inscription Ron, but the Crown looks very much like the crown on the Erfurt Toggle marking of Lugers.

My first impression of the crown was of some British/English regimental marking...Especially the "4" underneath...The stylized "S" (if that is what it is) doesn't ring a bell, but I am not familiar with Royal regimental markings, whether English or European...

Maybe something like "Queen's Own Fusiliers, 4th Regiment"...

BTW: I think I read on one of the FN sites that the "w" (or maybe "m") on the trigger guard indicates something relevant also...(But you must already know that!)...

But the engraving is exceptionally well executed and detailed...

11-08-2010, 10:20 AM	#1
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,156 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,309 Times in 1,098 Posts	Can't help with the inscription Ron, but the Crown looks very much like the crown on the Erfurt Toggle marking of Lugers. Perhaps it is some kind of acceptance by the Erfurt State Armory of this pistol into official service? (just a theory!) Regarding experiences with this type of pistol, a very close friend of mine bought one in a private sale in 1966 (OH MY GOSH that was FOURTY FOUR years ago!) for $20 from one of his neighbors and I believe that it had been brought back from WW1 by a grandfather in the sellers family. It had not been fired since the end of WW1, and was wrapped in a rag and covered in congealed grease. My friend enlisted my assistance in determining how to disassemble it for cleaning. This is way before the internet, and the only exploded diagrams available at the time were in the NRA books, Shooters Bible, and the Numerich Gun Parts catalog. Luckily, my young gun library had one or more of those. I was able to decipher the disassembly procedure and we got it apart and cleaned well and back together... then took it to the range. It was LOUD, and had about a 25 pound trigger pull as I recall. After working with it for a while with some good arkansas stones, we got the trigger down to about 7 pounds and we figured that this was good enough. I never like the gun but appreciated the experience... it was one of my first gunsmithing "adventures" __________________ regards, -John S "...We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created EQUAL *and are endowed by their Creator* with certain UNALIENABLE* rights, and among these are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness..."*