FN Browning Model 1900
FN Herstal (Fabrique Nationale) · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1900
Also known as: FN M1900, Browning No. 1, Browning Old Model, Pistolet Browning Mle 1900
Overview
The FN Browning Model 1900 was the first commercial firearm produced in the legendary collaboration between American designer John Moses Browning and Belgian manufacturer Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre. Introduced in 1900 and chambered for the new .32 ACP (7.65x17mm Browning SR) cartridge that Browning had designed expressly for it, the M1900 was the first production handgun in history to use a slide reciprocating over the barrel - establishing the visual and mechanical template followed by virtually every semi-automatic pistol since. The recoil spring is housed above the barrel and doubles as the firing pin spring.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 625 g (22.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 172 mm (6.77") |
| Barrel Length | 102 mm (4.02") |
| Height | 121 mm (4.76") |
| Width | 28 mm (1.10") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 7 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 290 m/s (951 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 196 J (145 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.65x17mm Browning SR (.32 ACP) · primary — also known as .32 ACP, 7.65mm Browning, 7.65 Auto
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: First Pistol With Slide, Recoil Spring Above Barrel, Combined Recoil And Firing Pin Spring
Service history
Operators
- Belgian Army · adopted 1900 · as Pistolet Browning Mle 1900
- Imperial Russian Army (officers)
- Republic of China
- Finnish Army
Conflicts
- Boxer Rebellion era / Late Qing (1900-1911)
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Estimated total produced: 724,550 · Production years: 1899-1914
Approximately 724,550 manufactured before production ended with the German occupation of Belgium in 1914. Heavily exported worldwide as one of the most common civilian self-defense pistols of the early 20th century.
Origin
Country of origin: Belgium
Designer: John Moses Browning
Discontinued: 1914
Notes
Commonly nicknamed 'Old Model' to distinguish it from the later Model 1903 and Model 1910. Used by the assassin of Korean Resident-General Ito Hirobumi in 1909. Approximately 724,500 produced before WWI ended FN production.
Background
The FN Model 1900 is the original semi-automatic 'slide' pistol - the gun that taught the world what a modern handgun was supposed to look like. It was also the murder weapon used by Korean independence activist An Jung-geun to assassinate Ito Hirobumi, the first Japanese Resident-General of Korea, on a Harbin railway platform in October 1909.