I'm not a collector but but I do have four 1910s plus another one that
I bought as a box of parts that is missing the striker and it's spring
and spring guide that I plan to assemble some day. Two of my guns
are marked as Brownings and are in .380 and date to 1968. The other
two are FNs in .32 ACP and are probably pre WW2. I have read that JB
designed the 1910 to be convertable between .32 and .380 by just
changing the barrel and I believe it. Magazines may be marked for
either caliber or unmarked but seem to be identical and will accept
both ctgs. The breech face looks to be the same on my guns and will
accept either ctg. External barrel dia is the same on both ctgs. As to
recoil spring strength, I don't know. I would guess that it's not a
critical issue and that spring compression length prevents battering.
I have never seen a parkerized 1910 and don't think it's original. The
magazine safety is easily removed and I have removed them from my
guns. I have read that some early guns were offered from the factory
with barrels in both calibers and as to buying a barrel in another
caliber for your gun you will likely have to do a little filing or stoning
on the barrel lugs to achieve a proper fit to the lug recesses in the
receiver. Here's my two FN .32s along with a Savage 1908 and one of
my Browning marked .380s.
Last edited by alwslate; 03-16-2016 at 05:51 PM.
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