FN Browning Model 1903
Official wording
Browning FN, Model 1902 (usually known as the Model 1903) semiautomatic pistol, cal. 9mm Browning long.
What this entry requires
- INFOATF states no date; production was about 1903–1927.
Editorial facts · Our research
- Country
BelgiumBasis: no citation - Manufacturer
- Fabrique NationaleBasis: the ATF wording
- Type
- PistolBasis: the ATF wording
- Action
- Semi-autoBasis: the ATF wording
- Caliber
- 9mm Browning LongBasis: the ATF wording
- Made
- 1903–1927production; ATF states no dateBasis: outside reference ¹
- Service
- Military
Source
- Official wording
- ATF P 5300.11, April 2025 edition · Section II · PDF p. 3 ↗ · ATF original ↗
- Entries
- 1 line
- Verbatim check
- Checked against the PDF text before every release
- Editorial facts
- Confidence: Medium · Last revised 18 October 2026 (Evidence pass) · How we rate confidence
- References
- 1. Wikipedia, “FN Model 1903” ↗, years: Wikipedia: FN production 1903–1914, resumed after WWI; "FN stopped production in 1927 after manufacturing a total of 58,442 pistols", commercial sales continuing into the 1930s
- Fact tags
- ATF the ATF wording states it.
- REF ¹ an outside reference supports it; the number points to the list of references.
- ESTIMATE an approximate or indirect reading, for example the production range of the base model.
- NO CITATION we haven’t attached a reference for this fact; it’s our editorial reading, not ATF’s.
- Source checked
- 20 October 2026: ATF’s page still lists the April 2025 edition
- Corrections
- 1 change · see below
Correction history
- Evidence passYears: 1903–1940 → 1903–1927. Wikipedia FN Model 1903: FN stopped production in 1927 (only sales from inventory continued into the 1930s; Swedish Husqvarna copies are not FN manufacture)
Historical context
Image: Wikimedia Commons, “FN Model 1903 002 (cropped).jpg” by Swedish Army Museum, CC BY 4.0. Retrieved October 2026.
Summary: Wikipedia, “FN Model 1903”. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.
FROM WIKIPEDIA
The FN Model 1903, or Browning No.2 is a semi-automatic pistol designed by John Browning and manufactured by Belgian arms manufacturer Fabrique Nationale (FN). It was introduced in 1903 and fired the 9×20mmSR Browning Long cartridge. It should not be confused with the US-made Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless, nor with the Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer. The FN Model 1903 is based on the same mechanical design as the Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless, which Browning sold to both companies, but enlarged to handle the more powerful 9mm Browning Long cartridge. The M1903's reliability, accuracy, light weight, and quick reloading made it a popular service pistol for many police forces and militaries. The pistol was initially introduced by FN as the Browning Modèle de Guerre or Browning Grand Modèle.