I recently purchased one of the above pistols. It is in pretty nice shape with one original mag that looks to have the FN insignia stamped on one side in an oval , with 7.65 M/M under that, original black holster, and what look like original wooden grips. Serial # is 1890C that is stamped on the short, removable end of the slide on the right side, on the frame right above the trigger guard, right side, and on the slide on the right side, to the rear of the small, removable front of the slide is stamped 41890C. The are 5 small eagles stamped on the left side of the pistol. Three of these are on the left side of the slide and two on the frame right above where the grips are mounted and right behind and a little up from the trigger. Two of the eagles on the barrel and one behind the trigger have what looks like WBA140 underneath the eagle, and the other two eagles appear to have nothing underneath them. There is also an eagle stamped on the barrel at the ejection port and I think it has a very small swastika stamped right below it. Also on the left side of the trigger guard, up at the top in stamped a very small MR. The left side of the slide is also stamped (H) FABRIQUE NATIONALE D'ARMES DEGUERRE HERSTAL BELGIOUE and BROWNING'S PATENT DEPOSE below that. The black holster certainly looks original and fits the pistol perfectly. It has Bahnschutzstelle, below that R.B.D Essen, and below that 1935 stamped in ink inside an inked box on the inside of the holster flap. Can someone here help with this or do I need to post this somewhere else? Thanks, Diamond
Welcome to the Browning Owners Forum Diamond !! Please introduce yourself to our community via the New Member Welcome Area... Enjoy the forum.
Your post is OK right here...but beyond the excellent description... I don't see a question that requires help...what do you need to know...?!
Waffenamt codes were the inspection marks used on military equipment by the German Third Reich during WWII... ( The WBA140 doesn't match any list I found...but there is a : WaA140...FABRIQUE NATIONALE...manufactured in the city of Lüttich, Belgium ( occupied 1940 to 1944 . ) And the 7.65 probably refers to a .32 ACP cartridge chambering... 7.65mm may refer to the any of the following firearms cartridges: .32 ACP (7.65×17mm Browning) 7.65mm Roth–Sauer 7.65×20mm Longue 7.65×21mm Parabellum 7.65×21mm Mannlicher 7.65×25mm Borchardt 7.65×53mm Argentine The R.B.D Essen is probably the German Officer's name...many WWII captured bring backs usually have a flap holster with a name and unit designation in them. The stamped date of 1935 may be the date of manufacture of the holster . As far as the "Bahnschutzstelle"..during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising the Polish railways were guarded by the Bahnschutz... German transportation police units (Reichsbahn) assigned to railway hubs destined to become the pathway for the Final Solution of the Jewish population.
From a knowledgeable person...what all of the markings mean, when made, what the ink stamped markings in German on the holster mean, and maybe where it was used and for what. Also, without pictures, does it sound original and how reliable are they if in good/excellent condition and function well. Thanks, Diamond
So, with all the info I posted above it sounds like you own a WWII captured German Transportation Police officer's pistol with his name and unit inside the flap holster. Without pictures...the best I can do on functionality is say to take it to a gunsmith to check it for you. Hope that helps...
