Browning Model 1922 Circa 1923,1940. Captured FN commercial. Obviously, original finish, matching numbers. This Nazi marked FN Browning model. In 1922, Browning modified. The pistol pictured above has a six digit serial number with no letter suffix. The 1910 was directed at European sales. Later Browning became associated with Colt and the world market was divided—with Eastern Hemisphere going to FN and Western Hemisphere to Colt. In this section, we list arms that bear the FN banner. FN-manufactured firearms produced under the Browning banner, are listed in Browning.
CRUFFLER.COM
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HISTORICFIREARM OF THE MONTH,
May 2001:
| The FN BrowningModel 1922 Pistol |
Type: Self LoadingPistol System of Operation: Blowback Caliber: 7.65mmBrowning or 9mm Browning Short Capacity: 8 roundbox magazine Sights front: Blade Sights, rear: Adjustableaperture Length: 7.01' Weight (loaded): 25.7ozs Barrel: 4.5', 6 grooves,right hand twist |
HISTORYThe FabriqueNationale (FN) Browning Model 1922 pistol bears the distinction of beingdeveloped strictly at the request of a FN customer. Specifically,the 'Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes' (later known as Yugoslavia)which had been created out of the ashes of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the early 1920's the Yugoslav military was in a shambles. Itsconstituent entities had fought the Balkan wars of 1912 and 1913, thenthe First World War. The arsenals were empty, and the army devoidof war materiel. The Serbs, forming the majority of the new Yugoslavstate, had been an important FN client since the beginning of the firm,in the 1880's, and decided to turn to the Belgian firm for their war materielneeds. Initial considerations for the new Yugoslav service handgunwere the FN Models 1903 and 1910. The Model 1903 was rejected asbeing too expensive. The Model 1910 gained favor because of its relativelyeconomical pricing and 9mm Browning Short cartridge. While the Model1910 performed well in the evaluations, it had some shortcomings as a militarypistol. The Yugoslavs requested a longer barrel conducive to greateraccuracy, as well as increased magazine capacity.
| Thedesign problem was turned over to the FN Bureau d'Etudes (Research andDevelopment Office). The Bureau d'Etudes took stock of the situation. The Yugoslavs certainly couldn't afford the expense of developing and toolingfor a new pistol. Consequently, a series of modifications to theModel 1910 were proposed that would save considerably on tooling and startup production costs. A forged steel cap was added to the 1910 slidein order to accommodate the longer (113mm as opposed to the 1910's 88mm)barrel. The frame was lengthened to accommodate the longer magazine. A lanyard ring was added. The engineering was complete by 1922, andthe Yugoslavs placed an order for 60,000 pistols on February 28, 1923. | Image Credit: Vanderlinden, Anthony, The BelgianBrowning Pistols, Wet Dog Publications, Greensboro, North Carolina, 2001: Page129 |
The M1922is a blowback operated pistol; there is no mechanical lock between theslide and barrel. Instead, the breech is held closed by a combinationof the mass of the slide and a stout recoil spring. Operation ofthe pistol is as follows: A loaded magazine is inserted into thebutt, and the slide drawn to the rear. When the slide is released,it moves forward under pressure of the recoil spring and strips a roundfrom the magazine into the chamber, retaining the cartridge's rim underthe externally mounted extractor. When the slide is drawn to therear, the striker is also pulled to the rear, compressing the striker spring. When the slide is drawn to the rearmost position, the striker's nose ridesover, and is retained by the sear.
Northbrook, Illinois,1992: Page 66 | Whenthe trigger is pressed, the trigger bar presses against the sear, rotatingit back and down. This frees the striker to move forward and firethe chambered round. Upon firing, the case moves sharply rearward,imparting rearward motion to the slide. The case is pulled from thechamber by the extractor. As the slide moves to the rear, the striker'stip is pushed out through the firing pin hole and serves as an ejector. The M1922 is equipped with a triple safety system. There is a gripsafety which, unless depressed, prevents the sear from rotating and releasingthe striker. There is a thumb safety which, when engaged, preventsthe grip safety from being depressed. The thumb safety cannot beengaged unless the grip safety is released. There is also a magazinesafety that prevents the sear from rotating unless a magazine is fullyseated in the |
grip. Finally,the trigger bar incorporates a disconnector that prevents the sear frombeing tripped unless the slide is fully forward and into battery.Disassemblyis effected by first removing the magazine There is a latch on theforward left side of the slide at the junction of the slide and the slidecap. By pressing the latch toward the muzzle, the slide cap is freedto rotate. By rotating the slide cap ninety degrees, the cap's internaltenons are freed from the interrupted raceway internal to the front endof the slide, and the cap can move forward and out of engagement with theslide (note: it is under considerable pressure from the recoil spring). The slide is then easily retracted and the safety locked into the forward,disassembly notch. The barrel is now aligned with the slide's disassemblyrecess. The barrel can now be rotated ninety degrees counterclockwise(as viewed from the muzzle). This rotates the barrel tenons out oftheir recesses in the frame. The slide and barrel can then be slidforward off the frame. The recoil spring can be removed, the barrelrotated back, and then pulled out from the front.
CONTRACT PISTOLSBrowning Gun Values By Serial Number
Many nationsadopted the Model 1922, each of them under a separate contract from FN. The following is a short listing of the Model 1922 contract pistols.
Yugoslavia: Yugoslavia was the first nation to adopt the Model 1922, placing an orderfor some 60,000 pistols in February, 1923. Orders for the pistolscontinued into the late 1930's, with service being provided for the Yugoslavpistols at the Kragujevac Arsenal (which had been set up under the guidanceof FN personnel). Many of the Yugoslav Army M1922 pistols were capturedby the Germans during World War Two. These captured pistols werereissued to German and satellite forces under the designation P641(j). Large quantities also remained in partisan hands, becoming known as theprimary pistol of Tito's Army. Yugoslav Army pistols are marked inCyrillic on the right side of the slide with the legends 'Army State' or'Officer.' | Publications, Greensboro, North Carolina, 2001: Page135 |
Publications, Greensboro, North Carolina, 2001: Page140 | Holland:The Dutch government placed its first order for Model 1922 pistols in October1924. The 2,000 7.65mm pistols in this shipment received the Dutchdesignation Pistool M25 No.1, and was intended for issue to twodifferent law enforcement agencies. The Koninklijke Marechaussee,or Royal Military Constabulary, received approximately 1,200 pistolsfrom this order, while the Politie Troepen, or Police Troops, receivedthe remaining 800. In the following year the Dutch expanded issueof the M1922 to machine gun crews. The M1922's issued to the DutchArmy were known as Pistool M25 No.2, the designation differing asthe army guns were chambered for the 9mm Browning Short instead of 7.65mm. Serialization of the M25 No.2 started at 3000, with the first order of2,000 pistols being shipped in April 1926. Military orders continued |
Fn Browning Model 1922 Serial Numbers 22
AdditionalDutch orders were placed for law enforcement agencies. In 1927, 150M25 No.2 pistols were purchased for the Curacao police. In 1929,the rural police force purchases 100 M25 No.1, and in 1934, the Dutch NationalBank upgraded 100 M1910 pistols to M1922's.
| Greece: The Greeks purchased 9,980 M1922 pistols chambered for 9mm Browning Shortin 1926. This was the official sidearm of the Greek Army and AirForce from 1926 to 1941. The order was delivered between 1926 and1929. | Publications, Greensboro, North Carolina, 2001: Page143 |
Publications, Greensboro, North Carolina, 2001: Page144 | Turkey: Continuing an Ottoman tradition of FN patronage (Ottoman police were armedwith FN Model 1903 pistols), the newly formed Turkish Republic purchasedM1922 pistols for the Turkish Army. Three contract variations havebeen noted, although it is possible that more may surface.
Variant 3: Marked 'Subaylara Mahsustur' (Property of Officer of the Armed Forces) |
| Romania: The Romanian contract pistols were shipped from FN in September 1935, andwere marked with the crest of the Ministry of the Interior, indicatingissuance to a law enforcement agency. These pistols were orderedthrough the FN dealer and distributor in Bucharest, B.D. Zissu. | Publications, Greensboro, North Carolina, 2001: Page145 |
Publications, Greensboro, North Carolina, 2001: Page146 | FrenchNavy: Ordered in approximately 1932,these 7.65mm pistols are often mistaken for postwar guns. Carefulexamination notes several pre-war features (17 as opposed to 16 cockingserrations, horn grips, differing slide legends). Ordered with typicalFrench cost saving features such as black enamel finish and unfluted slidecap, the guns were refinished by the French after the war with a green/grayparkerizing over the original remaining finish. |
| DanishPolice: Denmark ordered 3,000 7.65mmM1922 pistols for the Danish Federal Police in the 1930's. | Publications, Greensboro, North Carolina, 2001: Page149 |
Publications, Greensboro, North Carolina, 2001: Page156 | NaziOccupation Pistols: The M1922 hasthe dubious distinction of being produced in larger numbers than any otherfirearm at the FN plant during the Nazi occupation. The German designationsfor the M1922 were Pistole 626(b) for the 7.65mm version and Pistole 641(b)for the 9mm Short version. M1922's found their way to all cornersof the German government and military as officer's and official's sidearms. The primary user of the M1922, however was the Luftwaffe. Interestingly,the M1922 was also offered as a commercial pistol up to 1942, being soldmostly as sidearms for war factory security personnel and police. M1922's accepted by the German military show one of three Army WeaponsOffice inspectors markings (Waffenamt stampings). |
- WaA613: This stamping was used from May 1940 until early 1941, and is found onsome 6,300 M1922's made prior to the invasion or assembled from parts madeprior to the invasion. They may or may not contain parts made duringthe occupation.
- 9mm Short, partof 1940 Dutch Order - Serial Range 63,000 - 77,000
- 9mm Short or 7.65mm,FN Commercial Production - Serial Range 288,000 - 289,000
- 7.65mm, prewarparts - Serial Range 20,000 - 23,000
- WaA103: This stamping was used from early to later 1941, and is found only on the36,000 7.65mm pistols within the 24,000 to 60,000 serial number range. They are usually found with some pre-invasion parts and retain prewar commercialquality standards.
- WaA140: This stamping was used from late 1941 to the liberation in 1944 on approximately325,000 7.65mm pistols. Serialization began in the 67,000 - 68,000range and proceeded to approximately serial number 155,000. In late1943 serialization was restarted using the German military system. In this system serial numbers were limited to five digits with a one lettersuffix. The letter indicated a block of 100,000 pistols. (Example: A pistol with the serial number 34554b is actually the 234,554th pistolproduced - the first block of 100,000 had no suffix, pistols 100,000 -199,999 were suffixed with an a, and pistols 200,000 through 299,999were suffixed with a b.) In 1944, serial number markings weresimplified with the full serial number appearing only on the slide, withthe last four digits appearing on the frame.
| Post-LiberationM1922's: With the liberation ofLiege in late 1944, what was left of the original factory staff returnedand restarted production. The M1922 was one of the first productsto come off the lines of the liberated factory. Most of these pistolswere for military or government contracts. These pistols were builtwith at least some parts made during the occupation, and were so notedby having their serial numbers prefixed with the letter 'A.' Finish on the A-prefix pistols was either a matte bluing or black enamel. These pistols were purchased by the French military and police, the Belgianmilitary, the Dutch military and Department of Finance, and the securitypersonnel of the Netherlands Steamship Corporation. | Publications, Greensboro, North Carolina, 2001: Page157 |
PostwarContracts: After the war, the M1922found extensive use with West German police agencies and the French government. The M1922 was used by the French Army up to 1957, by French Customs to1983, by forestry agents until the late 1980's, and by the Parisian policeup to at least the 1970's.
CONCLUSION
The M1922is often overlooked by American collectors for any number of reasons; itwasn't offered in a 'major' caliber, it wasn't an 'official' military sidearmof any of the major combatants in World War Two, it was little morethan an upsized pocket pistol. This lack of interest belies the historicalsignificance of this pistol. With its older brother, the M1910, theM1922 was THE European sidearm of the interwar years, and the gunresponsible for the word 'Browning' continuing to be synonymous with 'automaticpistol.' Moreover, its design, while elegantly simple, wasinnovative, reliable, and effective. M1922's can be found on theUS collector market for surprisingly low prices, and in surprisingly goodcondition. For the collector of European pistols or, for that matter,the Cruffler, the M1922 is a piece of history that should not be missed.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Vanderlinden,Anthony,The Belgian Browning Pistols: 1889 - 1949, (Wet Dog Publications,Greensboro, North Carolina: 2001)
The BelgianBrowning Pistols: 1889 - 1949 is available from Wet Dog Publications. Click on the image to order:
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John Moses Browning probably completed the prototype for his “New Model” pistol in 1908. This can be deduced from the fact that it was patented in Belgium on 20 February 1909, though it is often reported that the prototype was made in 1909 or even 1910. The gun was never patented or manufactured in the U.S. Manufacture of the New Model in 7.65mm by Fabrique Nationale (FN) of Belgium began late in 1912. Manufacture in 9mm Browning Short (.380 caliber) probably began a few months later. FN deliberately delayed release of the new design for nearly three years because sales of the Old Model were still brisk. Once released, the Browning Automatic Pistol, New Model, quickly supplanted the Old Model. However the Old Model (Model 1900) continued in production right up to the beginning of the Great War in 1914, in order to fulfill Belgian military contracts.
The year model designations 1900 and 1910 apparently did not come into use until sometime after World War I, though the guns were both always known as the Browning Automatic Pistol. By 1910, the word “Browning” was virtually synonymous with “automatic pistol” in much of Europe. FN’s instruction manuals in the 1920’s continued to refer to the gun as the “Browning Automatic Pistol, New Model,” but this gradually gave way to “Browning Automatic Pistol, Model 1910,” and after World War II to “Browning Automatic Pistol, Model 10.”
The New Model was lighter and less complicated than its predecessor, while retaining the remarkable reliability and accuracy of the Old Model. Pollard notes that the New Model is “...smaller and handier, but has a much more appreciable recoil.” Both guns are blowback operated. The 1910 model follows the Savage Automatic Pistol in placing the recoil spring around the barrel, rather than over the barrel as in the 1900 model. The recoil spring is secured by a bushing with bayonnette-style lugs on the front of the slide. The Model 1910 also incorporates a grip safety like the 1903 Colt and 1903 FN Grand Modele. The patent drawing shown in Anthony Vanderlinden’s book FN Browning Pistols: Side-Arms that Shaped World History shows a lanyard ring in the lower rear corner of the left grip, but in actual production the lanyard was an option and was rarely seen except for police and military purchases.
Unlike the Model 1900, which was only available in 7.65mm Browning (.32 ACP), the Model 1910 was offered in both 7.65mm Browning and 9mm Browning Short (.380 ACP). John Moses Browning had asked “UMC” Thomas of the Union Metallic Cartridge Company to design the .380 ACP in 1907 because Colt wanted a larger, heavier bullet for the 1903 Colt Pocket “Hammerless”. Browning specified that the case length for the new cartridge must be identical to that of the .32 ACP. The idea was that the only modification necessary for the gun to use the new cartridge would be a new barrel and magazine. The .380 barrel for what became the 1908 Colt Pocket “Hammerless” had the same external diameter as the .32 barrel for the 1903 Colt, but a slightly larger bore. When Browning set out to design the Model 1910 FN Browning, he designed it so that only the barrel need be changed to convert from one caliber to the other. The 1910 magazines for the two calibers were identical, even though they were marked 7.65mm or 9mm to match the respective barrels. The magazine holds seven rounds of 7.65mm (.32) or six rounds of 9mm Short (.380).
The relatively small size and sleek lines of the Model 1910 made it easily concealed, and the the lack of protrusions such as large sights or a slide release lever made the gun easy to draw quickly from a pocket. A 9mm (.380 ACP) Browning Model 1910 was used to assassinate the Archduke Ferdinand and his wife the Duchess Sophie Chotek, thus igniting World War I. (For many years it was thought the gun used was the “Old Model” 1900 Browning, primarily because the press at the time simply reported that the Duke and Duchess had been assassinated with a Browning pistol, and the “Old Model” was very well known, whereas the “New Model” was not.)
The grip safety on the Model 1910 directly blocks the sear (not the disconnector as reported by W.H.B. Smith), preventing it from moving downward and releasing the striker. The manual safety lever merely locks the grip safety in place so that it cannot be depressed, though an external lug on the manual safety lever also moves into a notch in the slide to prevent the slide from being opened. When the magazine is withdrawn a lever moves up and likewise blocks the grip safety from being depressed--hence, the arm cannot be fired unless the magazine is fully inserted.
The earliest grips on the 1910 FN Browning were made of checkered horn and featured a logo similar to that of the Model 1900, with a facsimile of the gun above the FN monogram in an oval at the top. These grips were only used for a few months and are now exceedingly rare. They were succeeded by checkered horn grips with the FN monogram in an oval at the top. According to Vanderlinden, horn continued in use until the beginning of World War II, after which molded plastic was used. Horn grips are easily identified by their flat backs, whereas plastic grips have depressions in their backs from the molds. After World War II wood grips were sometimes used for the Model 1910, most with rudimentary checkering, though some luxury models featured very finely checkered wooden grips.
Guns produced in the first year of production (1912-1913) have a cutout area on the lower forward portion of the slide that extends beyond the front edge of the frame. Very early on, however, this cutout area was reduced in length so that it ended just before the front edge of the frame, making a more natural-looking curve that melded with the curve of the frame and the bow of the trigger guard. Early guns with the longer cut may be considered rare.
The serial number is on the right side of the frame, just above the trigger. The right side of the slide is blank. The inscription on the left side of the slide remained the same throughout production, though there were minor changes in the characters and spacing which cannot all be reproduced here. See Vanderlinden for complete details. Guns made prior to World War I feature serif characters in upper case with the exception of the “de”.
FABRIQUE NATIONALE D’ARMES de GUERRE HERSTAL BELGIQUE
BROWNING’S PATENT DEPOSE
After World War I the inscription changed to sans-serif characters, but retianed the lower-case “de”.
FABRIQUE NATIONALE D’ARMES de GUERRE HERSTAL BELGIQUE
BROWNING’S PATENT DEPOSE
There was a return to serif characters in the 1925-1929 time period, after which the legend appeared in all upper case sans-serif letters (including the “DE”).
FABRIQUE NATIONALE D’ARMES DE GUERRE HERSTAL BELGIQUE
BROWNING’S PATENT DEPOSE
Finally, the space between “Browning’s Patent” and “Depose” was eliminated.
FABRIQUE NATIONALE D’ARMES DE GUERRE HERSTAL BELGIQUE
BROWNING’S PATENT DEPOSE
Belgian proof marks were stamped on the left side of the frame just above the trigger, and in the same location, just above, on the slide. Proof marks were also stamped on the barrel such that they could be seen through the ejection port.
There were some variations in barrel bushings over the lifespan of the gun, which are documented in Vanderlinden.
The Model 1910 FN Browning was manufactured from 1912 through 1975. Production was halted during the two World Wars, though a few were assembled from parts during the German occupation in World War II. There was no interruption in serial numbers. Year-by-year production figures are not available, but it is known that approximately 69 ,000 had been made by the beginning of World War I in 1914, and approximately 467,760 had been made by the beginning of World War II. Total production is estimated to have been 704,247.
Field Stripping
- Remove the magazine and make sure the chamber is empty.
- Use a barrel bushing key or a spanner wrench to depress the barrel bushing and turn it 90° to unlock it. Be careful because the bushing is under spring pressure.
- Ease the bushing off the front of the slide and remove the recoil spring.
- Draw the slide back to the second detent on the left side and lock it in position with the manual safety lever.
- Turn the barrel counterclockwise (as you face the front of the gun) approximately 90° to unlock its lugs from engagement with the slots in the frame.
- Lower the safety lever and draw the slide and barrel off the frame.
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