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Browning .25 Caliber Automatic Pistol |
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My gun was manufactured and
imported in 1968. It was purchased new for $50, by the father of one
of my friends, who was a gun dealer at the time. He put the gun in
his safe, still in the wax paper and pouch where it stayed for
thirty years untouched and still unfired. Read the whole story
below... |
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Specifications:
- Capacity of Magazine...6
- Over-all Length...4"
- Length of Barrel...2"
- Height of Pistol...2¾"
- Width of Pistol...¾"
- Number of Rifling Grooves...6
Grooves
- Twist of Rifling...Right Hand
- Weight of Pistol (w/Empty
Magazine)...9-7/10 ounces
- Sights...Fixed
- Weight of Bullet...50 Grains
- Muzzle Velocity...820
ft./sec.
- Muzzle Energy...75 ft. lbs.
- Penetration...3*
* Number of ⅞" Pine Boards at 15
ft. |
The Baby Browning 6.35 mm: Made in Belgium, this is a great gun for
concealed carry. It is very accurate at distances under 25 ft. and
totally reliable in my experience. The 1968 Gun Control Act (signed by
President Johnson on October 22, 1968 in the wake of the King and
Kennedy assassinations) prohibited the importation of these guns. With
the American market cut-off, F.N. produced far fewer guns in 1969 and
thereafter, for export to other countries like Spain. Some of these guns
are showing up recently.
History:
My gun was manufactured and imported in
1968. It was purchased new for $50, by the father of one of my friends,
who was a gun dealer at the time. He put the gun in his safe, still in
the wax paper and pouch where it stayed for thirty years untouched and
still unfired. In 1998, I purchased this Baby Browning for $400 from my
friend's father.
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Let's look at the transaction from an
"investment" point of view. My friend's father doubled his money every
ten years on the gun, i.e., 1968=$50, 1978=$100, 1988=$200 and finally
1998=$400 when he sold the investment to me. Do I think it will double
in value by 2008? I think so. I have seen one like mine sell for $750 on
gunbroker.com
recently. But then again, if we drew a graph of the value over the last
thirty years, it would certainly have ups and downs and not just be a
straight line constantly moving upward. Well, it's 2008 and my
question has been answered. I was offered $800 for the Baby, and I
turned it down. |
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Enthusiast Rather Than Collector
Although I'm not into gun collecting as
an investment, I do like to collect guns that I believe will hold their
value or increase in value. I look for value in everything I purchase,
cars, musical instruments, down to my wrist watch. My friend's father
was able to put this gun in a safe and leave it alone for thirty years,
(possibly because he was a gun dealer and had plenty of other guns to
keep him busy)!
As you can see, I have the gun out on the
kitchen counter taking pictures, holstering it and even loading the
magazine and carrying it on certain occasions. I have resisted the
temptation to fire it, but only by buying a used blue gun of this same
model to practice with.
The Browning 6.35mm (or .25 caliber to us
Americans) was manufactured by Fabrique Nationale (F.N.) in Belgium.
John Browning had contracts with Colt and F.N. and this is why the Baby
Browning was not imported to the U.S. until 1954, even though it had
been in production for twenty-five years or so. Colt stopped producing
the vest pocket .25 pistols and got out of that market in 1953.
Many gun enthusiasts will laugh at the
mention of a .25 caliber gun and call them a mouse gun. This
little gun earned my respect and the respect of a lot of others through
it's service to the French Resistance during WWII. It saved many lives.
This gun went places, undetected, where a larger gun could not have
gone. I've read more than one story of this gun being concealed inside
cigarette packs.
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Baby Browning |
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Serial Number Ranges: |
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| 1959 |
181001-206439 |
| 1960 |
206350-230999 |
| 1961 |
231000-250999 |
| 1962 |
251000-278999 |
| 1963 |
279000-286099 |
| 1964 |
286100-303499 |
| 1965 |
303500-329999 |
| 1966 |
330000-367443 |
| 1967 |
367444-412999 |
| 1968 |
413000-479000 |
| 1969 |
479001- |
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Browning - manufactured 1968 |
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Comparison photos to illustrate
size |
Browning Pistol 1968, Masonic
Ring 1941 |
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Made in Belgium |
Baby Browning and Porsche car
key |
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Six Shot Magazine |
Browning 6.35 mm |
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Semi-Autos: |
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Colt Mustang:
.380 caliber, baby 1911 - DOM 1992, real mop. |
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1908 Colts: 24kt
gold plated, fully engraved with mother of pearl. |
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1911 Colt:
For nine
decades the Colt Government Model 1911 has been without challenge
the most ... |
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Colt Officer's Model:
Slightly smaller than a Government Model, with the barrel length
reduced from 5" to 3.5". |
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Browning .25 Caliber
Automatic Pistol: The 1968 Gun Control Act stopped the
importation of these guns. |
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Colt 1903 Pocket
Hammerless .32: Produced from 1903 to 1945. |
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Colt 1908
Hammerless .25 (Vest Pocket) Model N was made in 1916. |
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Revolvers: |
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Colt .32 Detective Special:
Made in 1950, this gun is chambered in the .32 New Police cartridge
(.32 S&W Long). |
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1965 Colt Python:
Pythons produced from 1955 to 1969 have no letter in
the serial number and are the most desirable to collectors. |
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Peacemaker:
The Colt
Single Action Army - this is a first generation gun. |
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1962 Colt Python:
Pythons produced from 1955 to 1969 have no letter in
the serial number and are the most desirable to collectors. |
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Detective Special: One of the most well known and most
copied guns in the world. |
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Colt Cobra: It was an
earlier version of this gun Jack Ruby used to kill Lee Harvey
Oswald. |
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Ruger .22 Single Six: Commonly referred to as a "Flat
Gate". |
| Holsters: |
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Gun Holsters and
Various Methods of Carry: The holster is a very important
part of "concealed carry". |
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Holster Gallery:
Pictures of holsters that I have found to be of good quality as well
as design, functional, easy to use and a good value. |
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Long Gun
Leather: Gun cases that are good for transporting long guns. |
| Rifles: |
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Colt Sauer Rifle:
Bolt Action, 30.06 caliber, 24" bbl., magazine capacity 3 or 4 rounds. |
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Winchester .30-30:
Lever Action, 30.30 caliber, saddle gun. |
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Savage Model 24J:
This Savage Model 24J O/U Combination Gun is a .22 Magnum Rifle and
.410 Gauge Shotgun combined. |
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Shotguns: |
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Ithaca 4E
Flues Single-Barrel Trap (1914 - 1922) |
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Ithaca 4E
NID (New Improved Design) 1922 - 1944 |
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Browning A-5:
Auto 16
gauge short bbl, stamped U.S. Property. |
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Remington Model 90-T:
A Single-Shot 12 Gauge Trap gun with a 34" bbl, Full Fixed Choke,
low vent rib and adjustable comb stock. |
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Remington Pump: Pump action 12
gauge with stamped patent dates... |
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Abercrombie & Fitch: 12 Gauge, Single Shot, 32" bbl.,
full fixed choke, made by Renato Gamba for Abercrombie & Fitch about
1978. |
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Knives: |
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OldPocketKnives.net:
A website where you can buy old pocket knives. |
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FaceBook: |
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