Beutewaffe 1906 FN Browning

[Horten229]

As a digger I've found a big range of German Beutewaffen from all over Europe (Most of it shells an cartridges) on the whole Westfront and the Atlantic Wall (France, Belgium and Holland). I've found this 1906 FN Browning at a Widerstandsnest in Holland (Including some .25 cartridges), from 1940 FN was under German occupational management. The quality is amazing, after the clean-up all the parts fit together and the trigger is functional, even the lands and grooves are still intact. By the serial number I dated this pistol to the production year 1911. Because the gun is forbidden in Holland in this state it is stored in Belgium. The engraving on the gun is clearly readable: FABRIQUE NATIONALE D’ARMES de GUERRE HERSTAL BELGIQUE, BROWNING’S PATENT, DEPOSE.

[Kris]

Cool find !

[Admiraal]

Very nice find!
What did you put on it to protect it from rusting again? oil?

[Horten229]

Thanks for the remarks guys , I used Rust converter spray, this converts rust particles and gives a protective coating, 2 treatments is usually enough, I use 4 to 5 treatments to give it a nice shine. The funny thing is that I use one of the cheapest rust converters you can get in Holland and it works great.

The converter I use:

[nolle47]

Hello,
This is not a usual FN Mod.1906
Normally they dont have a ring attached to the grip.
Are there any other marks on the pistol?
Could you send me the serial number for my data base.
Thanks,
Cool find.

[Horten229]

Hey Nolle47, I can tell you that it is the 3rd model 1906, production ended in the 1930's (I did some extra research and the manufacturing date 1911 is incorrect, it is nearer to 1914/15), I see no additional markings. The only difference with the standard model is that the serial number is on the inside of the slide, i've send you an e-mail with the s/n.

[Kris]

The pistol features some characteristics of an early gun, like the flanged trigger.
I think 1914/15 might be correct. That could make it a ww1 bringback. Maybe FN added the lanyard ring as a customer request or it was done afterwards.

[Horten229]

That is a good possibility, FN was also under German management during WW1, it could have been reissued during WW2. Here's another very interesting example of Beutewaffen from Belgium, I've found 2 FN Mauser shells on the Westfront in the South of Holland, made for Yugoslavia, 1x 7.92x57 (Probably also used in the Browning wz. 1928) and 1x 7.65x54 for the M24 Mauser.

[Kris]

That is a good possibility, FN was also under German management during WW1, it could have been reissued during WW2.

Yes indeed. Or a ww1 souvenir that was still in the family and used as a personal sidearm in ww2.

[Horten229]

, everything is possible but 1 thing is sure, it's a German