Mystery Pistol

[REvans3608]

Hi All,
Newbie here. Looking for info on an old pocket pistol. posted an album in community tab. is it an FN? or maybe a chinese knock off? has anyone seen a release lever for the barrel like that? any info greatly appreciated.
REvans3608

 

[CarmelHP]

Looks like an FN 1900

 

[REvans3608]

Looks like an FN 1900

close but the FN 1900 has a different slide and no barrel release lever.

 

[HalfCocked]

Are you able to determine caliber of the gun? Might help narrowing it down. When I was in Vietnam we ran across a lot of ChiCom knock offs of various weapons. Often with a star on the grip but this grip looks custom inlay or home made. I do not remember ever seeing anything like this.

 

[REvans3608]

Are you able to determine caliber of the gun? Might help narrowing it down. When I was in Vietnam we ran across a lot of ChiCom knock offs of various weapons. Often with a star on the grip but this grip looks custom inlay or home made. I do not remember ever seeing anything like this.

Not able to ascertain caliber yet. these are preview photos for an auction. i always give a second look to something I have never seen before.
Thanks

 

[Mosinguy]

Are there anymore markings? Have you taken the grips off and looked there? I agree it looks like an 1900 but it's too small.

 

[REvans3608]

Are there anymore markings? Have you taken the grips off and looked there? I agree it looks like an 1900 but it's too small.

Haven't gotten my grubby little paws on it yet. I may buy it just to solve the mystery. There is a questionable FN logo on the magazine.

 

[REvans3608]

newbie figures out the pix attachments

 

[rugertoter]

I don't think it was made by FN.

 

[Disposable Heart]

Looks like a crude copy of the Bayard 1908 pistol. The originals were chambered in .32 Auto, .380 Auto and .25 Auto. Well... At least that gets us a LITTLE closer!
Positive side is the Bayards were made in Belgium by Anciens Establissements Pieper, which was established under the name Henri Piepers in Herstal, Belgium.

Then again, I could be WAY off cam... Either way, with the weird nickle, strange stocks and other stuff, I would imagine it has little collector value and questionable firing quality.

 

[Birds Away]

I did a little research and learned that the Chinese used copies of the FN 1900 in the Second Sino-Japanese War and also the Chinese Civil War. There were no pictures but I think it is reasonable given the similarity to believe that this may be one of those.

 

[REvans3608]

Looks like a crude copy of the Bayard 1908 pistol. The originals were chambered in .32 Auto, .380 Auto and .25 Auto. Well... At least that gets us a LITTLE closer!
Positive side is the Bayards were made in Belgium by Anciens Establissements Pieper, which was established under the name Henri Piepers in Herstal, Belgium.

Then again, I could be WAY off cam... Either way, with the weird nickle, strange stocks and other stuff, I would imagine it has little collector value and questionable firing quality.

i see the simularities but still cant past the barrell release lever on the trigger gaud. i am not thinkig that i have found the holymgrai

 

[REvans3608]

Thanks to all,
I am still looking for an example of ANY automatic pistol that uses this barrel release mechanism. I realize this is probably a chinese knockoff but curiosity is about to kill this cat.

 

[CarmelHP]

Thanks to all,
I am still looking for an example of ANY automatic pistol that uses this barrel release mechanism. I realize this is probably a chinese knockoff but curiosity is about to kill this cat.

I've seen one like it before. It sat for years in the case at a gun shop I worked at in the late '80's. I can't remember ever picking it up to read any markings.