FN Model 1910

Development

The FN Model 1910, also known as the Browning model 1910, was a departure for Browning. Before, his designs were produced by both FN in Europe and Colt Firearms in the United States. Since Colt did not want to produce it, Browning chose to patent and produce this design in Europe only. Introduced in 1910, this pistol used a novel operating spring location surrounding the barrel. This location became the standard in such future weapons as the Walther PPK and Russian Makarov.

It incorporated the standard Browning striker-firing mechanism and a grip safety along with a magazine safety and an external safety lever (known as the "triple safety") in a compact package. Offered in both .380 ACP (6-round magazine) and .32 ACP (7-round magazine) calibres, it remained in production until 1983. It is possible to switch calibres by changing only the barrel. However, FN never offered packages containing a single pistol with both calibre barrels.

Variants

The FN Model 1922 was also used by the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (60,000 Automatski pistolj (Brauning) 9mm M.22) between 1923 and 1930.

Use in assassinations

An FN M1910, serial number 19074, chambered in .380 ACP was the handgun used by Gavrilo Princip to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, the act that precipitated the First World War. Numerous previous sources erroneously cited the FN Model 1900 in .32 calibre as being the weapon Princip used. This has led to confusion over the calibre of the pistol actually used.

Paul Doumer, President of France, was assassinated by Russian emigre Paul Gorguloff on 6 May 1932 with a Model 1910 in .32 ACP. The pistol is now in the Musée des Collections Historiques de la Préfecture de Police.

A Model 1910 was also allegedly used to assassinate Huey Long, governor of Louisiana, on 5 September 1935. Physician Carl Weiss, the alleged assassin, bought the FN M1910 now on display Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge, in Europe for $25 in 1930.

Hannie Schaft used a model M1922 during her assassinations as part of the Dutch communist resistance against German occupation of the Netherlands.

Users

• Belgium
• Bolivia
• Denmark
• France
• Finland — In February 1940, 2,500 M1910 and 2,500 M1922 pistols were bought from Belgium and used in the Continuation War
• Nazi Germany — M1910/M1922s were produced at FN after the fall of Belgium for police use
• West Germany
• German Empire
• Kingdom of Greece
• Empire of Japan — Purchased by some officers
• Netherlands — Adopted as the Pistool M.25 no.1 (in 7.65mm Browning) and Pistool M.25 no.2 (in 9mm Browning). Used in the Battle of the Netherlands.
• Peru
• Poland
• Romania
• Spanish Republic — 200 M1922 pistols imported for the air force
• Turkey
• Venezuela
• Kingdom of Yugoslavia — Imported 60,000 FN model 1922 pistols, called the Automatski pistolj (Brauning) 9mm M.22, between 1923 and 1930.

Citations

General and cited references

• Modern Firearms - Handguns - Browning 1910, 1922 and 380
• Vojta, Jira T. in AutoMag, Volume XXXII, Issue 10, January 2000, pp. 231–233.
• Henrotin, Gerard. FN Browning pistols 1910 & 1922. HLebooks.com, 2006.
• Unblinking Eye - FN Model 1910

References

1. "Small Arms of WWI Primer 058: Belgian FN1910".
2. "FINNISH ARMY 1918-1945: REVOLVERS & PISTOLS PART 3". www.jaegerplatoon.net.
3. Scarlata, Paul. (1 October 2017). "Yugoslav Part II: World War II small arms: an assortment of small arms from friends and foe alike".
4. Belfield, Richard. (2011). "A Brief History of Hitmen and Assassinations". Constable & Robinson, Ltd..
5. Kate Connolly. (2004-06-22). "Found: the gun that shook the world". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
6. Kinard, Jeff. (2004). "Pistols: An Illustrated History of Their Impact". ABC-CLIO.
7. Chibli Mallat. (6 December 2014). "Philosophy of Nonviolence: Revolution, Constitutionalism, and Justice beyond the Middle East". Oxford University Press.
8. [http://www.prefecturedepolice.interieur.gouv.fr/Nous-connaitre/Services-et-missions/Service-de-la-memoire-et-des-affaires-culturelles/Le-musee-de-la-prefecture-de-police Le Musée de la Préfecture de Police] (The webpage photo of the pistol misidentifies it as a revolver.)
9. "Huey Long Death Gun, Speechifying Statue, Baton Rouge, Louisiana".
10. "Holes in the Story: Huey P. Long, Carl Weiss, and the American Spectacle of Conspiracy".
11. (21 August 2019). "Hannie Schaft of the Dutch Resistance (The girl with the red hair)".
12. "The military and police handgun cartridges of Belgium: from 9.4mm to 5.7mm. - Free Online Library".
13. Huon, Jean. (September 2013). "The Chaco War".
14. "FINNISH ARMY 1918-1945: REVOLVERS & PISTOLS PART 3".
15. "Japanese handguns of World War II: were they as bad as they looked? Pretty much, says Kokalis, who argues that the greatly increased recent interest in collecting them doesn't mean they still weren't ineffective guns.".
16. McCollum, Ian. (2021). "Pistols of the Warlords: Chinese Domestic Handguns, 1911 - 1949". Headstamp Publishing.
17. "Vuistvuurwapens".
18. "República - Armas de Infantería".