Of course, it was an FN pistol in the hands of the Black Hand that ignited the Great War in the first place. In this installment of the Handguns of World War I, we look at the Fabrique Nationale pistols, including, the Model 1900 and Model 1903 pistols, used by the Belgian Army during World War I. How good were they? Here’s a hint: They were designed by John Moses Browning. If the Belgians were squared away on handguns, the same could not be said of the French. The standard French sidearm at the start of the war was the anemic 8 mm Modele 1895 double-action revolver. While the French dug the Modele 1873 (made more famous by Brendan Frazier in “The Mummy”) out of mothballs for use in the trenches, France relied on Spanish-made Ruby pistols for more firepower. And firepower is a relative term—these were .32 ACP copies of the Browning 1903. Know what a Ruby is? Better watch this.
For more American Rifleman TV segments, go to americanrifleman.org/artv.
Handguns of The Great War: Belgium and France
Latest
Red Fifty: The Soviet 12.7 mm DShK Heavy Machine Gun
While the Browning .50-cal. M2 machine gun has been unequaled for a century, John Moses Browning’s genius design has had one significant 12.7 mm competitor: the Soviet DShK.
Support The NRA Youth Education Summit (YES) On Giving Tuesday
With more than 1,200 students having graduated from the program and over $700,000 in scholarships awarded since 1996, NRA's YES is an immersive leadership program for high school students eager to learn about the foundations of our nation, the importance of civic engagement and the role of the Second Amendment.
Rifleman Review: Remington 360 Buckhammer
Remington Ammunition's 360 Buckhammer is a straight-wall hunting cartridge that's designed to give deer hunters an ideal round for their Midwestern hunt.
New For 2025: EAA Girsan Witness2311 Brat, Match and MatchX
European American Armory Corp. (EAA) introduced an affordable variation of the double-stack 1911 design with their Girsan Witness2311 in 2023, continually adding additional chamberings and slide length options. New for 2025, the company is adding three new versions of the Witness2311 with the Match, MatchX and Brat models.
Review: Citadel Trakr
At less than 4 lbs., this repeating rifle is easy on the back while also being extraordinarily easy on the budget.
Freedom Munitions To Move Ammo Component Production To Idaho
Freedom Munitions has announced it will be consolidating its projectile component production from X-Treme Bullets out of Nevada into its Lewiston, Idaho, facilities.
Interests
SECTIONS
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
EXPLORE MORE NRA PUBLICATIONS
