Initially, the handgun only relied on it’s grip safety. This, in addition to a few other clues, indicate this handgun was likely made sometime between 1924 and the early 30’s as mentioned above.Īnother development in the pistol’s design was the safety. The *E mark indicates the pistol was inspected under Auguste Jamart from 1924-1959, making this a post WWI handgun. Note the Belgian proof marks on the slide. This particular variation was used between 1907 and the 1930s. There were also some minor variations in text style and punctuation used over the years. Initially, prior to the patents being registered in Belgium, the word “Depose” would be omitted, however this is not common and many were stamped over once the patent was on file. Throughout production, slide markings would vary. Additionally, the Japanese would acquire some early wartime occupation production handguns to be used by their officers during WWII. It’s worth noting that these guns were used in military and police service, notably by some Imperial Russian General Staff Academy graduates, the Imperial German Detectives, and the Shanghai Municipal Police. Unfortunately, this doesn’t really allow me to speculate who may have had this gun, what it may have been used for, and how it may have ended up in the country. Now it’s an eyesore and a reason why this particular gun was very inexpensive. This was populate to do at one point in time… presumably to tie ownership of a gun to a particular person in the event it was lost/stolen. It appears to be an old social security number from a previous owner. What’s also puzzling about this gun is the number lightly engraved in the frame of the handgun. This particular handgun was made sometime between 1924 and the early 30’s. In the US it would be introduced in the Colt 1908 as. By 1904, prototype cartridges had been manufactured and the cartridge would be introduced as the 6.35 Browning Cartridge in this very handgun. Years earlier, in 1903, Browning would ask William Morgan Thomas of the Union Metallic Cartridge company to design a cartridge suitable for a direct blowback pocket pistol. Unlike the previous two handguns though, this was strictly considered a commercial endeavor. The FN 1905 would be the 3rd mass produced firearm by FN, following the successful FN 19. Regardless, calling this the FN 1905 or 1906 is generally considered accurate. This would be called the “Baby Browning” by retailers in the 20’s, but a later model of handgun would come out in 1931 that was officially designated the “Baby Browning”. Additionally, the gun’s designer John Browning, licensed the exact same design to be manufactured in the United States as the Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless. The Model 1905 was had been introduced by FN as the “Pistolet Browning 6.35mm” as well as the “Modèle de Poche” or pocket model. The first production model wouldn’t be made however until 1906. FN would receive their first prototype in 1905 and patents would be summited that same year in Belgium. Nomenclature on these guns is quite tricky.