A Model 1910 FN Browning.
The four Browning pistols used (or mostly not used) had serial numbers 19074, 19075, 19120, and 19126 and were supplied to the young revolutionaries - together with fused bombs - by Major Tankosic of the Serbian Military Intelligence with the full knowledge and approval of both the Russian ambassador to Belgrade and the Russian Military attache' there.
The stated aim of these members of a group called the Black Hand - later called 'Young Bosnia' was to wrest control of Austria-Hungary's South Slav provinces to form a state to be called Yugoslavia.
The Archduke, his wife Sophie and their three children.
The assassination which resulted in Austria-Hungary declaring war on Russia - thereby starting World War 1 - is notable for a series of mistakes and failures by the revolutionaries and by confusion and very poor responses to the assassins earlier bombing attempt on the cars that the Archdukes party were travelling in around Sarajevo. - Princip used Browning Model 1910 serial number 19074 at short-range when the open car carrying the Royal party stopped to back-up and change its route.
The key members of the clandestine group and the Serbian Military plotters were arrested and tried for the assassination - most of the facts about the affair come from court records of these trials.
Wikipedia has an excellent fact-filled page on this sad event one hundred year ago. - While there is no disputing that this Sarajevo assassination directly resulted in World War 1 - it should be said that the main Colonial Powers of that time were all itching for the fight and welcomed this excuse to join-in and extend their overseas colonies and to attempt to strengthen their grip on their chosen spheres of influence.
Even little New Zealand was determined at this time to extend their British supported Pacific island 'influence' northward - and rapidly invaded and held the German administered island of Samoa. - New Zealand was ambitious to gain direct control of other guano producing islands as that resource was highly valued as a chemical explosive feedstock and fertiliser.
Yugoslavia came into existence after the end of WW1(1918) as The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and was recognised internationally on 13 July 1923 and renamed The Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. Regrettably this part of the world continues to this day to be haunted by old grievances, religious differences and territorial conflicts.
FN made Browning 1910 Disassembled.
The FN Browning Model 1910 was distinguished by having a grip-safety, a magazine safety, and an external safety lever. It was a blow-back design with the recoil spring surrounding the barrel.
Production of variants of this successful striker fired model continued until 1983 -and the famous Walther PPK and the Makarov were influenced by its design.
PS: Rod says that the M1910 Brownings in .32 ACP were the standard pistol used in New Zealand by Armoured Freightways for cash escorts - and by Bank tellers - right up till they were disarmed about 1975. In earlier days the FN Brownings were popular pistols here in NZ with McCarthy's of Dunedin as factory agents.
Marty K
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