Mr. Mosin
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Your thoughts on the PSA Baby Browning ?
Smallest handgun you’ve owned
- Thread starter Hoyte
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usp9
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I wish I could say something profound but I bought the PSA because it had a fairly rare nickel finish and it lived in my safe. A Baby Browning collector coaxed me out of it. He had a higher appreciation of it than I did. That said; the quality was excellent, the action smooth, the finish perfect. It is a tiny gun... almost too tiny. Not sure I'd ever carry one for protection but as a historic addition to any collection the PSA is desirable IMHO.
jar
Contributing Member
Not on the PSA version but rather the Baby Browning vs the FN 1906 Vest Pocket 'Baby' Browning.
Owning, carrying and shooting both I far prefer the latter over the former. True, the Baby Browning is slightly smaller but I find the difference in concealability negligible while the FN 1906 easier to shoot and far more controllable. Both were made by the same company and are equal when it comes to reliability but I find the ergonomics of the FN 1906 far superior to the later Baby Browning.
The Baby Browning:
The FN 1906 Vest Pocket that was marketed as "Baby":
I also much prefer the FN 1906 over the slightly later Colt 1908 version for ease of takedown. The FN version uses two slide notches; one as safety and the other as the takedown barrel rotation notch while the manual safety on the Colt is designed to line up the ejection port but barrel rotation for takedown is the 'find it by feel' method.
jar
Contributing Member
The safety on the Baby Browning will hold the slide open just like the FN 1906 'Baby'; at the point where you turn the barrel for disassembly.
usp9
Member
I went looking too and found some other info. Just for the record or some future search... I've found a few other "brands" this was pistol was sold as. They include Hawes, Gecado, Pic, Valor, Reck, Falcon, SM, Spesco, RG and Rhoner SM110. A popular pocket pistol of it's day apparently.
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I'll chunk mine in. 'Smallest' is kinda subjective but I'd call the Hopkins &Allen XL No. 1 (22 short) the smallest. There have been several others in the thread by other names, but made on the same machinery. This one shoots either RWS BB Caps or reloaded black powder 22 shorts.
Next would have to be the H&R Self Loader in 25 ACP. Odd looking would be a generous description. It shoots factory 25 ACP just fine. And, the makers understood exactly what it was. They saw no need to waste money on sights. It has none!
Maybe not small overall, but small for a cap and ball revolver. It shoots .31 ball but needs a larger size to work well I think. Still working the throats/bore size to see how well this one can shoot.
Next would have to be the H&R Self Loader in 25 ACP. Odd looking would be a generous description. It shoots factory 25 ACP just fine. And, the makers understood exactly what it was. They saw no need to waste money on sights. It has none!
Maybe not small overall, but small for a cap and ball revolver. It shoots .31 ball but needs a larger size to work well I think. Still working the throats/bore size to see how well this one can shoot.
grampster
Member
Back in the 60's I had a Baby Browning .25 cal. I swapped that for a Beretta Minx in .22 short. I wound up with two of those. Much later I had a Beretta Tomcat in .32 cal. Now I have a Ruger LCP in .380 cal. I have always liked little mouse guns because of the ease of carry when minimal clothing is the rule of the day.
glockgod
Member
Raven .25 auto. You might be a redneck if you find a gun you forgot you had when cleaning house. Sorry Mr. Foxworthy!
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