The Browning Revolution

Produced from 1899 by the Fabrique Nationale in Liège, Belgium, the “Browning” pistol (model 1900) marked a true turning point in the European market for personal defence weapons. With its innovative and compact design, which made it easy to conceal under everyday clothing, the “Browning” was manufactured in hundreds of thousands of units within just a few years. In this regard, the ERC EU-GUNS project investigates how technological innovation impacted the civilian firearms market between the 19th and 20th centuries, contributing to the transformation of self-defence practices and gun culture.

[Source: “Lo Sport Italiano” (BNCF, collocaz. P.GIO G.), 15 November 1903, p. 75]