[sgphoto]

I recently found a reference in a scholarly work (by author Harrison Salisbury) about the Russian Revolution in 1905 to "Browning revolvers".

I've not found anything about such a handgun nor can I find any other citations of such.

Does anyone have knowledge of Browning either working on or developing any type of revolvers?

My thinking is this was a misnomer and is actually referencing the Nagant revolver of 1895.

Anyone have knowledge about "Browning revolvers"? Thanks.

Steve

[Jim Watson]

Probably a reference to the 1900 Browning .32.
Scholars seem to have trouble with the distinction between revolvers and automatics.

[Jim K]

Just another case of a writer tossing words around, trying to pretend he knows what he is writing about. IIRC, the primary handguns of the revolutionaries were Mauser C96 pistols and Nagant revolvers. Although M1900 Brownings could certainly have been used, they were not revolvers, as Jim pointed out.

Jim

[sgphoto]

Having done more research, it appears that the term "Browning revolver" was quite common and is still in use today, particularly in the UK and former UK colonies.

It does, in fact mean the Browning semi-automatics. In the connection with the Russian Revolution of 1905, it refers to the .32 acp/7.65 Browning cartridge and the Browning 1900 model.

It is in Salisbury's Black Night, White Snow that I discovered the term. Salisbury was always so correct in his research that I knew he knew something I didn't. And since the term was used throughout the Russian empire and Europe (ask the late, lamented Arch Duke Ferdinand) and still is in various civilized places in the world, I wouldn't say the author was throwing out words to be pretentious. Mr. Salisbury does in fact know what he's talking about and is correct in using that term in its historic relevance.

So case solved. Thanks for playing.

Steve

[Jim K]

True, the term "revolver" for any handgun is common in the U.K. and the British commonwealth, but Salisbury is an American. Still, he did spend a lot of time in England, and many of the New York elite adopted a sort of Timespeak which showed their superiority to the rest of us by a fake English accent and the use of British terms.

BTW, the guns used by the assassins of Archduke Franz Ferdinand were not Browning Model 1900's but Browning Model 1910's, in 9mm Browning Short (.380 ACP) caliber. Prinzip's gun was serial number 19074.

Jim