Need Help Identifying Automatic Pistol

[dlewis]

I was given an older automatic pistol and cannot find out much information about it. The bullets in the clip are W-W, 32 Auto.

The gun measures 6" x 4 1/2" and is quite heavy. The writing on the gun is: AUTOMATIC PISTOL ??EFFECO DEPOSE
BREVETTE S.G.D.G.PATENT 24875.??
BELGIUM

There is also an insignia on the slide - a circle containing a crown and the letters HR.

The serial number is in three places on the right side – it is 22783.

I have posted some images to my Sharepoint site. They can be viewed by going to http://portal.changingskies.com. Log in as “[email protected], p/w=identify. Under Pictures, click on Automatic Pistol. Each picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.

Any information would be appreciated.

Darin

[Barber2678]

See this page http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20belge...robar%20gb.htm

Your gun seems to fall in between what they are describing based on the markings.

[SDC]

It's a Jieffeco "Old Model", a copy of the Browning 1900; "Jieffeco" was a trade-name used by Jannsen, Fils, & Cie (Jannsen, Sons, & Company), of Belgium, but they actually had the pistol built for them by another sub-contractor.

[James K]

I can't see the picture, as it keeps saying the page cannot be displayed. The old model Jieffeco and the nearly identical old model Melior look like copies of the Browning 1900, with the recoil spring above the barrel, but they are not the same mechanism. IIRC, the Jieffeco/Melior are hammer pistols, while the 1900, of course, is striker fired. The later models are similar in appearance to the Browning Model 1910, but have a separate breechblock in the slide and are different in the way they take down.

Jim

[SDC]

This picture shows the Jieffeco/Melior as being striker-fired;

[James K]

Thanks, SDC. I must have been thinking of another gun. I am glad to have that straightened out.

Jim

[dlewis]

Thanks for all of the great information. I did not see the "exact" model on the link but your assistance has been VERY helpful. Thank you again for the responses.

Darin

[James K]

Hi, SDC, the penny dropped and I finally realized the main difference between the Browning 1900 and the Melior. It is not that the Melior is a hammer gun (as I erroneously thought), it is that the striker is driven by a separate spring, like the Model 1910 Browning, where in the 1900 Browning the single spring serves as both recoil spring and striker spring.

Jim

[Tom2]

How about that? an incredibly obscure early Browning clone and these guys pull the info out of their hats. Good thing you had photos

[dlewis]

I was also impressed how Barber2678, SDC and Jim Keenan were able to provide such specific information. I looked and looked and came up with nothing. Even with the information they provided, I had a hard time coming up with more.

The writing on this one is all english, it doesn't say Melior anywhere on it but does have the JF&Co logo on the grips. I wanted to throw out a couple of other questions.

Would date be approx 1910-1915?

Any idea of the value?

I haven't done anything except wipe it with a cotton cloth. Anything I should do (or more importantly) not do?

Thanks again for all of your help.

Darin

[SDC]

You're right on the pre-WW1 date; right around the beginning of WW1, Jieffeco dropped this model in favour of their "New Model", which (just like the Old Model) was supposed to be a direct competitor to Browning's offerings. So, where their Old Model looked like the Browning 1900, their New Model looked like the Browning 1910. After WW1, the American rights to produce these pistols were bought out by Davis Warner.

[James K]

Davis Warner also had import rights on the Schwarzlose blow-forward pistols. When they couldn't get those anymore, they had their own pistols made, called the "Infallible". They weren't. Also if the little lever was not put in the right position, the bolt blew back in the shooter's face.

Jim