Gentlemen,
I am confused concerning FN 1922 serial numbers. I understand that wartime serial numbers continued into aprox 155,000 under German occupation. I know that the Germans re-configured the serial numbers to run in blocks of 100,000 with a letter suffix in late 1943 until the end of production in 1944. My understanding is that when the Belgians continued producing this pistol in late 1944 they used an 'A' prefix to distinguish the pistols made after liberation. So, my question is were the FN 1922 pistols utilized by various postwar German Police agencies made during the war of after? They seem to fall into the 1943 serial number range since they do not have an 'A' prefix. Is this perhaps a special postwar contract serial number run without the prefix letter?
Here is an example of a pistol issued to the postwar Berlin Polizei in the American Zone of Occupation with such a serial number. It has full Belgian proofs (no Germans ones) and no 'triangle' stamp on the back of the frame or slide. When was it made?
Color iq test. This arrangement was only used until 1976, when Browning standardised its serial number identification. The serial number remained at the front but a two letter code now denoted the year of manufacture with a three digit numerical code for the firearm type and grade of finish. 01035RT246 = a.22” Semi-Auto Grade 2 rifle, made in 1976. The serial numbers for these pistols started around the 67,000 to 68,000 range and proceeded to approximately serial number 155,000. At the end of 1943, serialization of these pistols was changed so that it limited serial numbers to five digits and a one letter suffix. The letter indicated a block of 100,000 pistols.
- Browning pol marking.JPG (90.3 KB, 111 views)
- Browning left.JPG (94.1 KB, 74 views)
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FABRIQUE NATIONALE
In 1889, Fabrique Nationale (or FN) was founded by a group of Belgian investors for the purpose of manufacturing Mauser rifles for Belgian army. This was to be accomplished under the license from Mauser, with technical assistance of Ludwig Loewe of Berlin. A few years later, in late 1890s, John Browning arrived in Europe seeking a manufacturer for his semi-automatic shotgun. He had severed his ties with Winchester, after a disagreement. This led to a long association that worked out extremely well for both parties. Later Browning became associated with Colt and the world market was divided—with Eastern Hemisphere going to FN and Western Hemisphere to Colt. In this section, we list arms that bear the FN banner. FN-manufactured firearms produced under the Browning banner, are listed in Browning section of this book.