Interesting to note that the two-line left side slide is stamped with 'FABRIQUE NATIONALE D'ARMES DE GUERRE S.A. The signature rust bluing on these FN 1922 pistols is very attractive, and the same specimen can range in appearance from a near royal blue in natural light, to a dark slate gray in artificial or low light. My example is in pretty decent overall shape at 90-plus % of finish, with light freckling and grip thinning, some minor edge/holster wear, and minor scattered pitting on top of the slide. They are not rare in the States, but are less commonly encountered than those FN1922 pistols of other major contract countries. The Yugoslavian Contract pistols were among them. The Yugoslavian crest is stamped into the top forward area of the main slide.įollowing WWII, a great many FN pistols came to the US with our returning service members.
Another version is rarely encountered and is stamped as официрски, for Officer's issue (not pictured). Today's featured pistol is the most commonly seen version of the Yugoslavian Contract FN M1922, and has the Serbian Cyrillic stamp on the right side slide of Војно државни, for Army (or Military) State. Other country's contract versions of the FN 1922, as well as those produced under Nazi occupation at the FN factory, were already popular with German officers, and the Luftwaffe in particular. And post-war contracts continued up through the early 1980's to countries such as West Germany and France.įabrique Nationale pistols were once again depleted from the Balkan Region during the occupation of Yugoslavia in WWII, with a large percentage of them being pressed into German service.
During war-time occupation of Belgium, Germany produced more M1922 pistols than any other model at FN (1940 - 1944). The model began to spread throughout Europe in the 1920's and 1930's, with military, police, private security and commercial contracts going out to Holland, Turkey, Greece, France, Romania, Finland and Denmark. It was offered in 9m/m kurz (9mm short, 9 X 17mm Browning. The relatively simple and reliable design of the M1922 became a great selling tool for Fabrique Nationale. In early 1923, Yugoslavia contracted for 60,000 units, with the final orders being filled into the late 1930's. The upgrades were finalized in 1922 and the new pistol design became known as the FN Model 1910/22, also referred to as the FN M1922 or FN1922. A lanyard ring was also added to the lower left rear frame. The grip frame and magazine were extended to allow for an eight vs. This provided for a greater sight radius.Ģ. The barrel was lengthened from 88mm to 113mm, which required the introduction of an interlocking extension collar to the front of the main slide. As with the original M1910 design, the blowback/striker-fired pistol would employ three safety mechanisms - grip, thumb and released magazine.ġ. To defer the cost of retooling for a new gun design, the Browning FN M1910 in 9m/m kurz was chosen as the base. Fabrique Nationale was again chosen to be the producer. And in the early 1920's the newly formed conglomerate country of Yugoslavia (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes) sought to re-outfit its army, but with a more significant pistol in terms of barrel length and capacity. Through the two Balkan Wars and WWI, the number of FN sidearms were greatly depleted in Serbia. Of course, the best Fabrique Nationale pistol reference is the book by Anthony Vanderlinden, FN Browning Pistols, Side-Arms that Shaped World History. This event is most commonly cited as the tipping point to roll the world into the chasm of The Great War.
One pistol in particular - it was the infamous FN M1910 with serial number 19074 which was allegedly used by the Young Bosnian member, Gavrilo Princip, to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo in June 1914. By the eve of the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) and WWI, the most common officer-issued sidearm for the Serbian Army was the Browning FN Model 1910 in 9m/m kurz in (.380 acp). From its inception prior to the turn of the 20th Century, Fabrique Nationale of Belgium had become a significant supplier of small arms to Serbia.