Please check Vanderlinden's 2009 book on FNs page 150-151.
Those FN produced nickel finish contract pistols were delivered to Imperial Russia between 1905-1914
According to legend, they were presented to outstanding graduates at military academy
Thirteen had been observed or reported by the author in 2009
Spoke to many Russian collectors and sent them photos, they all said that this is a fantasy about so called Russian contract. Not just about FN but about Lugers as well. There were some Bulgarian contracts but never Russian. At least Russia nor Germany have any proof of so called Russian contracts with cross rifles.
Another sign that makes me uneasy, the cross rifles are engraved when the rest are not.
Indeed, yes. All Russian contract arms have a very specific marking - "Англ. Заказ", etc. If guns contracted before 1908 it was "Eagle ПК" proof, many commercially bought and officially used guns had added numbers and inscription - like this 1903 marked "Moscow Police"
I spoke to a collector who had and saw similar cross rifles in Russia on Browning as long as Soviet times. They even contacted Browning factory about imperial Russian contracts but Browning had no proof of that. Most logical explanation is that Russian officers were allowed to buy and carry FNs before the start of WWI and some kadet (military) academies made those engraving locally to mark their pistols.
I had few Brownings with cross rifles. The mark itself was imposed before finishing the gun. It is 100% factory done. But all private purchase weapons in Russian army was unmarked, plain commercial guns. All Police, Railroad etc guns had marks imposed on the finished guns.
Skeptical minds about FN 1900 (+1903 & 1905) Russian Contracts should take advantage of also reading Vanderlinden pages 188-189, for their perusal. --- Bruno
Here 1911 with marking in Russian that says "English Order" and a photos of a compass with the similar pattern cross rifles done at military academy. Another Browning with similar cross rifles. Looks like they were added later at academy.
Also, take a look at the correct binoculars with cross rifles added later. All these looks like some military school additions to mark their equipment.
I would be very sceptical about these so called Russian contract lugers and Brownings. To pay extra money for some engravings that are questionable makes no sense to me.
Oleg, your FN 1905 is great, congratulations!
Vanderlinden has listed 13 similar ones, the closest SN to yours is 36883 / issue nr. 2022. Most have been shipped in 1908-1909.
Author writes (p. 188) "A small number of these Russian contract Model 1905s are found in the U.S. These pistols were traded and brought back by U.S. servicemen who served in Russia... during the Allied intervention after World War I."
--- Bruno
I do not own them. I was considering the one I posted FN 1900 but the more I read about them and the more photos I see, the more uneasy I become regarding legitimacy of so called "Russian Contract"
The X-rifles on some pistols with proven Russian provenance are commonly associated with the Officer's Rifle School (ОСШ = Офицерская стрелковая школа). They do not indicate a Russian contract. The ОСШ was allowed to import duty-free a certain amount of "weapons, ammunition, universal lathes, shooting aids and manuals for use by the School" as long as the total estimated duty didn't exceed 1,750 rubles annually. The Russian text is below:
"Предоставить Офицерской стрелковой школе право выписывать из заграницы без посредничества других лиц и учреждений: ружья, револьверы, патроны и другие принадлежности огнестрельного оружия, универсальные станки, стрелковые приборы, учебные книги и пособия, относящиеся к разряду предметов, подлежащих испытанию в школе или потребных для ознакомления с ними состоящих при ней лиц, беспошлинно, до такой суммы, что бы размер причитающейся пошлины не превышал 1750 руб в год."
A 1910 inventory catalog of the ОСШ states that the Browning pistols owned by the School are "marked with two crossed rifles and have a special number" - see scan below. It is not known to me at this point what the "special number" is.
I thought it would be interesting for those of you who collect Russian stuff or Browning pistols. While there is no Russian contract for Brownings, at least we know who marked them with X-rifles.
Again, the ОСШ doesn't have a monopoly over the crossed rifles and extending the meaning of the documents posted here over other pistols would not be correct.
"While there is no Russian contract for Browning Pistols" ??? I am not sure what you mean by this or how you can make such a statement. Are you resurrecting this unfounded old tale that FNs were marked in Russia and re-finished to a perfect FN factory finish?
All these pistols were part of multiple FN Russian contracts and are identified in FN logs by contract number and "Imperial Russian School". They were marked at FN per contract requirements including the numbers, the numbering die/machine being a seperate operation.
No need to be so passive aggressive. If you look on page 168 of the CURRENT edition of the book, you will see that this was long corrected. When I make a mistake I am the first to correct it, that is why I do revised editions.
Anthony
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