Browning Model 1955

Grayfox · Nov 6, 2020

I picked up this little beauty earlier today from a local seller. Browning Model 1955 .380.

This was a re-introduction of the FN Model 1910 intended for the U.S. market and sold by Browning.
The gun is absolutely perfect. Not a mark on it anywhere. I seriously believe it may be unfired. No box or papers, but it did come with the original Browning black leather gun rug.
Serial number dates it to 1968. It snuck in just before GCA 68 banned them. The guns continued to be sold in Europe until the mid-1970s.
Very sweet little gun. For $550, I think I did quite well.

Unfortunately the weather forecast is calling for rain most of next week. Don't know when I'll get a chance to shoot it. But I will shoot it.

Kurusu · Nov 6, 2020

For me(my side of the big pond

). They are called FN(the folks that helped JMB pursue his semi auto dream talking scatterguns here

).

The 1910(your 1955).

The 1922.

Kurusu · Nov 6, 2020

But I will have to admit.

That the Browning name on the patent line. Ended up making the term "Browning" a synonime of slide operated auto pistols in Europe.

Absalom · Nov 6, 2020

I wonder whether Colt ever regretted not picking up their option on Browning’s 1910 design. FN ran with it and it became the numerically most successful European pistol family next to Walther’s PP series, with a longer service history. German railroad police carried the long version until 1979:

Of course it made sense at the time. FN’s 1900 was getting long in the tooth and they’d used the 1903 for the larger military model. So they were ready for a new pocket design. Colt had used the 1903 for their Pocket Hammerless series and didn’t really need another new model at such a short interval.

I can’t seem to open the photo of your Browning 1955, but your description of it as pristine isn’t unusual. I think a lot of them were purchased by US enthusiasts of Browning’s designs, but by the 1950s, when the American Browning company introduced them here, there wasn’t that much practical demand for another .380 auto that was technically pre-WW I. So these weren’t carried and used a lot.

rockquarry · Nov 6, 2020

There was a gunshop in Dallas that apparently had quite a few of these new for $50.00. My wife bought one in '72 or '73. We both shot it a little and sold it for some reason years later. This was the original version before the adjustable target-sighted one. The .380's not much of a cartridge, but the Browning was a neat little gun.

H Richard · Nov 6, 2020

They are wonderful little pistols. Point naturally, and usually very accurate within 15 yards or so. A 6" piece of 1/2" ID rubber garden hose can be a real assist removing and replacing that barrel bushing.

4T5GUY · Nov 6, 2020

Grayfox said:
I picked up this little beauty earlier today from a local seller. Browning Model 1955 .380.

Super nice find of a really nice and “classic” pistol.

I also found a ‘68 one two years ago after waiting patiently till one appeared. All my other Browning pistols are 1968 and 1969 so I wanted to keep things the same when possible.

Some of the ‘55’s came with, or were later fitted with a .32 acp barrel in addition to the .380. The one I finally found and got was one of those. It was a little more in price than yours but still just over $500.00. I made one of those hose “tools” to assist in takedown and that made things easy.

They are super fine pistols and a great addition to any collection, Browning or other.

Jim

Gene L · Nov 6, 2020

Got a .32 FN 1910, neat little pistol made prior to WW 2 and German occupation. It points very well, which is fortunate since the sights are pretty non-existant.

Absalom · Nov 6, 2020

Gene L said:
Got a .32 FN 1910, neat little pistol made prior to WW 2 and German occupation. It points very well, which is fortunate since the sights are pretty non-existant.

Looks like your gun and especially the horn grip panels are in really good shape for the vintage.

Mine are considerably more degraded, although this gun is quite a bit older, a first-year four-digit serialed .32 from 1912/13. That was actually the first year of production since they were still working off FN 1900 contracts until then.

Gene L · Nov 7, 2020

I had to replace the grips because moths big eaten big holes in them. I don't know if my photo shows replaced grips or is just due to a low quality photograph.

KEN L · Nov 8, 2020

Recently picked up this Model 10/71, as you see it, from 1972. I would have much preferred the 1910 Model the OP picked up. Nice score!

desi2358 · Nov 8, 2020

KEN L said:
Recently picked up this Model 10/71, as you see it, from 1972. I would have much preferred the 1910 Model the OP picked up. Nice score!

I had one of those! The mods to make it legal for import kind of canceled it's utility as a pocket pistol but man it really shot great! I wish I had kept it instead of trading it off but I'm bad about that, always seeing another gun I have to have.

2152hq · Nov 8, 2020

Nice pocket pistols the 1910.
They got little notice compared to the Colt 1903 for a lot of years.

On the Browning 1955 they started using a trigger made of plastic somewhere later the production. I don't know where ser# wise/when yr of mfg that started to appear.
They did the same thing with the 25acp Baby Browning auto.
IIRC the mag catch on those 25acp pistols with the plastic trigger was also sometimes made of plastic.

That the part(s) are of plastic on a certain gun makes no difference in any other parts or changes in specs of them. It's simply a replacement material for cheaper and easier production.

Browning Model 1955

Grayfox

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Kurusu

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Absalom

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rockquarry

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H Richard

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