Information on FN/Browning 1922

JohnSmallTX · June 29, 2015, 05:21 PM

Recently a neighbor and I were doing a Show-n-Tell of our pistols.

He has an unusual one that we’d like to know more about.

After a few google searches I believe I got it pegged as a FN/Browning 1922 of a Serbian/ Yugoslavian contract.

Anyone have any insights to this pistol. In particular, he’s curious to what it is worth (no, he isn’t interested in selling it).

Many Thanks for any inputs.

James K · June 29, 2015, 09:52 PM

Yugoslavia was formed as a nation after WWI from parts of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, and its people set about building a country, including an army. They obtained arms from several sources, but primarily from Fabrique Nationale in Belgium, which provided the FN Model 1924 rifle (the medium length action that we see in the Models 24, 24/47 and 48) and also the Model 1922 pistol in 9mm Browning short (.380 ACP). Yugoslavia bought the machinery to make the Model 1924 rifle, but did not obtain equipment to make pistols, which were bought from Belgium.

The FN Model 1922 was a modified version of the older Model 1910. Yugoslavia wanted a pistol with longer barrel and a greater magazine capacity, so FN put on a longer barrel and modified the bushing to extend to the end of the barrel, a lot cheaper and easier than making a new slide. The frame was then extended to accept a longer magazine, again with minimal change to the existing forging dies.

Yugoslavia ended up buying some 60,000 M1922 pistols from FN. The factory-applied markings varied; the one on that pistol translates roughly as as "National Military" or "State Army". Markings were also applied in Yugoslavia.

The Germans captured many thousands of those guns when they overran Yugoslavia and they were widely distributed to Germany's allies and security forces. Captured by American troops, they were brought back in large numbers, and also were sold off as surplus after the war by the Tito government. They are a fairly common pistol; at one time they sold for about $20, but today seem to bring around $500.

Jim

gyvel · July 1, 2015, 03:26 AM

That particular variation is the most common of the Yugoslav 1922s. I formerly collected 1922s, and had five different variations at one time or another. The one really oddball was a Zagreb Police 1922 that was marked in Roman letters since Croatia didn't use the Cyrillic alphabet.

July 1, 2015, 03:26 AM	#3
gyvel Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2009 Location: Northern AZ Posts: 7,172	That particular variation is the most common of the Yugoslav 1922s. I formerly collected 1922s, and had five different variations at one time or another. The one really oddball was a Zagreb Police 1922 that was marked in Roman letters since Croatia didn't use the Cyrillic alphabet. __________________ As always, YMMV. __________________________________________ MIIAA SIFE

June 29, 2015, 09:52 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Yugoslavia was formed as a nation after WWI from parts of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, and its people set about building a country, including an army. They obtained arms from several sources, but primarily from Fabrique Nationale in Belgium, which provided the FN Model 1924 rifle (the medium length action that we see in the Models 24, 24/47 and 48) and also the Model 1922 pistol in 9mm Browning short (.380 ACP). Yugoslavia bought the machinery to make the Model 1924 rifle, but did not obtain equipment to make pistols, which were bought from Belgium. The FN Model 1922 was a modified version of the older Model 1910. Yugoslavia wanted a pistol with longer barrel and a greater magazine capacity, so FN put on a longer barrel and modified the bushing to extend to the end of the barrel, a lot cheaper and easier than making a new slide. The frame was then extended to accept a longer magazine, again with minimal change to the existing forging dies. Yugoslavia ended up buying some 60,000 M1922 pistols from FN. The factory-applied markings varied; the one on that pistol translates roughly as as "National Military" or "State Army". Markings were also applied in Yugoslavia. The Germans captured many thousands of those guns when they overran Yugoslavia and they were widely distributed to Germany's allies and security forces. Captured by American troops, they were brought back in large numbers, and also were sold off as surplus after the war by the Tito government. They are a fairly common pistol; at one time they sold for about $20, but today seem to bring around $500. Jim