S/N help with Browning (FN) 1910 .380

H Richard

H Richard

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Purchased a 1910 Browning (FN) .380 today at auction. Very nice and clean and little used. I did purchase with my C&R and brought it home, but I am trying to date it, at least generally. I know they were made over a pretty long period of time, I believe up until 1954. Mine has Browning labeled grips, not FN. Does have made in Belgium on the left side of the slide, below "Browning Arms Co. St Louis MO and Montreal, PQ". The S/N is 614054. I've been numerous places on the internet, but can't come up with any time frames for S/N groupings. It does have a fair number of markings stamped on the frame and barrel.

Any help appreciated. Thanks
 
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They were sold in the US as Brownings from 1955 to 1968 and were
sometimes referred to as model 1910/55s. Importation ended with the
GCA of 1968 along with several other handguns. I'm sure yours came
from this time span with the Browning grips and Slide logo. By looking
at many on the auction sites over the last few years I have gotten
some general idea of serial numbers. I have one close to yours at
6135XX and I believe this puts both at fairly close to the end of sales
in the US in 1968. They are on the C&R list regardless of actual mfg
date as are numerous discontinued guns. You will find that the trigger
is made of plastic on late guns but I don't know when this change
occured. It makes no difference with their design. Nice ones are
getting pretty pricey on the auction sites.
 
Thank you. That's a little newer than I thought. Somewhere last night I did see where the highest # was just over 700000 when they were discontinued. Just curious, the book I checked listed them as having 4" barrels, and this one is a 3 1/2". I had one years ago and hated it when I traded it off but needed cash at that time. I'm glad I was able to replace it. It's one of the few handguns that feel good in your hand as soon as you pick it up.
 
I also had one many years ago and traded it off and regretted it. I
grabbed this one on a buy it now auction on one of the net sites. It
was unfired when it fell into my hands a few years ago, not any more
though. The 4" barrel length you mention could come from confusion
with the 1971 model that replaced the 1910/55 in the Browning line.
The old 1922 version had a 4 1/2" barrel. My 1968 Shooter's Bible
lists the 10/55 as having a 3 7/16" barrel and 20 oz weight for a list
price of $59.50.
 
Thank you, that pins it down to 1968. Next step is to hope the weather improves so I can get it out and see where it shoots. Weather not looking good for the entire next week, 2-4" more forecast starting this afternoon.
 
FWIW, my .32 from 1922 is a whole lot of fun to shoot, points nicely and shoots to point of aim.
I've had only one FTF in the first magazine I shot, probably due to me not being used to it.
 
Yeh..I just bought an FN M1910 7.65mm/.32acp pistol.

Had always thought these were good-looking handguns and have wanted one for a long time.

My only real complaint is the miniscule sights...same as the FN Browning 1905/1906 grip-safety .25 acp...little tiny milled from the slide sights!
 
Yeah, the sights are what I would classify as "tunnel" sight. Just a grove down the slide with miniscule front sight. I have two other .380's so I have plenty of ammo on hand. I would consider this strictly a close in handgun. I wouldn't think of taking a shot much beyond 15 or 20 yards max.
 
That's interesting - about the plastic trigger. I did not know that. My gun, s/n 636xxx, no doubt has one. :(

There is not much good to be said about the sights, but the gun itself is a nifty one. I can't say I have shot mine much. I do recall it didn't like one brand of European .380 ammo, I believe it was GECO, but that was a long time ago. It would misfire horribly with it, and did fine with U.S.-made stuff.

At the ranges the gun might be used (10-yards or less) I suppose the sights didn't concern me. I was more interested in finding a spare mag, which at that time was not easy. In its day, I preferred it to the PPK but seemed to be alone in that. :)

I think it is about time to drag it out and warm it up again - and hope nothing breaks! :D
 
From: FN...BROWNING ARMORER TO THE WORLD, by Gene Gangarosa, Jr. In reference to commercial imports. Page 49. Browning Arms Company imported the Model 1955 only in .380caliber, but from 1966 on offered a .32ACP version as well. The 32 caliber Model 1955 had only two years of importation. Thus the .32 caliber is scarcer today than the .380 making pistols in the smaller caliber worth slightly more to collectors.
 
Simson-Suhl said:
BROWNING DATES OF MANUFACTURE 1824 TO PRESENT, First Edition by George Madis. Dates of manufacture 1955 Pistol. 1968 603891---619474.
Click to expand...

Simson:

Does that book you quote also have FN manufacture dates pre-war? I have this FN 1910, #8056, which I know to be first year of production because it has the slide/frame overhang in front that characterizes these guns, but 1910 wasn't actually the first year for the 1910, the most common years being bandied about being 1912 or 1913. Does the book have anything on that?
Thanks for checking.
 

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I have two of the old FN 1910s in .32 acp, haven't seen them for a
while as they are buried in the safe somewhere. As I recall one is in
the 130,000 serial # range and the other is around the 225,000 area.
I have no way of knowing but I assumed they were from the 20s and
30s. I didn't know the 1955 was imported in .32 until I saw a couple on GB. They went pretty high. The sights aren't much but my 1955
does shoot to point of aim with 95 gr FMJ at self defense distance
of about 25 ft. Old JB surely designed the 1910 as a defense-carry
piece and went for a smooth exterior. Taking them apart and seeing
how the few parts interact has convinced me that the gun is a marvel
of simplicity and the best design ever for a gun of it's type. FN
claimed it was safe to carry cocked in a pocket and I agree. They are
easily disassembled and the magazine safety can be easily removed
if you so desire. In contrast to many other designs the 1910 was
basically unchanged from 1910 until 1968 and that says a lot.
 
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