This listing is for a 1962 vintage, Browning, model Baby, .25 ACP, Semi-automatic Pistol with a Blue finish. Serial number - 2698XX dates it to 1962.

The "Baby" Browning was produced at F.N. in 1905 and was officially imported by Browning in 1954. This .25 caliber auto-loading pistol was discontinued in 1969.

In 1905, gun designer John Browning designed the 1905 vest pocket pistol for Fabrique Nationale of France. After a few modifications over the years, the vest pocket pistol was still experiencing some problems. In 1927, FN again asked Browning to redesign the pistol. A year later, Browning delivered what is now known as the Baby Browning .25 ACP semi-automatic pistol, which corrected the problems of the original 1905 vest pocket pistol.

The .25 ACP (aka: 6,35 mm) cartridge became widely available during this time. The term "ACP" stands for "Automatic Colt Pistol". This cartridge was among the first automatic pistol cartridges to be utilized worldwide. It was designed with a "semi-rimmed" shell casing made of brass. The rim of the shell casing had a slightly larger circumference than the base of the cartridge and an extractor groove was cut directly above it. The shell casing head was spaced on this small rim; however, the utilization of the rim in this design complicated the mechanics of the cartridge because, while still in the magazine, the rim of one cartridge would sometimes get hung up on the extractor groove of the following cartridge (also known as "rim lock").

The 1905 FN Vest Pocket pistol incorporated a frame safety mechanism that constituted the entire rear section of the frame. It also incorporated a small safety lever on the left side of the frame which locked the trigger. In addition, this frame safety lever mechanism locked the slide about a half inch back from the front of the pistol to enable easy disassembly.

Pressured by dozens of imitations and the proliferation of blatant unlicensed copies, FN began work in earnest on a successor product to the 1905 Vest Pocket pistol. The basic 1905 Vest Pocket pistol design was used as a starting point for the new design. FN's Director of Operations, Mr. Dieudonné Saive, (who would later design the Browning Hi-Power pistol and the FN FAL rifle) took it upon himself during 1926-1927 to design the new pistol.

His design was smaller, lighter, and incorporated several refinements and improvements to the 1905 Vest Pocket version. For example, the palm-of-hand activated rear-of-frame safety mechanism was eliminated and the small safety lever on the left side of the frame was extended under the grip plate toward the trigger so that the thumb of a right-handed shooter could easily engage and disengage it through flicking the safety lever knob using pressure applied to the side of the safety lever knob. This feature enabled a user to manipulate the safety lever mechanism without having to release one's grip on the pistol. The frame has a full-length dust guard extending to the end of the slide and an area behind the trigger is relieved to allow a user to maintain a more substantial grip on the pistol then was the case with the 1905 version. The Dieudonne Saive design also introduced an auto-safety mechanism similar to the one utilized on the Colt Vest Pocket pistol of similar vintage which prevented the pistol from being firing (even if a bullet was chambered) if the magazine was removed from the frame of the pistol. A cocking indicator mechanism was also incorporated and is attached to the firing pin spring opposite the firing pin. It protrudes through a pin hole in the rear of the frame when the pistol is loaded.

After a few modifications over the years, the vest pocket pistol was still experiencing some problems. In 1927, FN again asked Browning to redesign the pistol. A year later, Browning delivered what is now known as the Baby Browning .25 ACP semi-automatic pistol, which corrected the problems of the original 1905 vest pocket pistol.

The 1931 version was marketed under the name "BABY" - and some of the original thermal hardened plastic grip plates were molded with both the initials "FN" at the top of the grip plate in a circle and the word "BABY" at the bottom of the grip plate under a raised crescent. This particular pistol was and continues to be known worldwide as the "Baby Browning" pistol. The BROWNING marked grip plates which indicates a more recent (circa 1960 and beyond) production run utilizing nylon impregnated black polymer grip plates.

Used, fair - good condition.