fn 1900 questions

[American1776]

I've become intrigued by the FN 1900. President T. Roosevelt carried the 1899 in his pocket. It seems to be super reliable. JMB's first autoloader design with a slide.

I'm looking to get a nice one, to keep in as a collectors item and also to carry occasionally.

Questions: 1) are these drop safe enough to carry condition 1? I've seen that the safety disengages the sear, and the recoil spring doubles as the firing pin spring. Would this set up be strong enough to prevent an inertial discharge of the striker if dropped on its muzzle? 2) During this time, heat treating wasn't prevalent. What sort of longevity do these little guns have?

Thanks, and happy new year.

[abner13]

Gonna start driving a Model T too?

Kinda big for a .32 , and don't think there's much in the way of parts. Only in production for 11yrs. If it was all that great , JMB wouldn't have designed the 1903.

[Ecclectic Collector]

Nice guns. Revolutionary for its time, but that was 120 years ago (It was first produced in 1899). By today's standards very outdated mechanically. You can get full on 9x19mm guns of the same size, more safe design in today's world for carry. No drop safety provision, so if you are locked and cocked and drop it: likely will go off. Still I'd love to own one myself as a range toy and for the historical coolness factor.

[abner13]

Don't forget the plain water-quenched, high-carbon steel , or case-hardened low-carbon steels used back then. Low-numbered 1903 Springfields being another good example. Metallurgy and heat-treatment have come a long way since 1900.

[Dave_n]

I have an FN 1910 in 7.65 x 17. Still functions reliably and of course its slightly younger brother in 9 mm kurz can be blamed for WW I. Dave_n

[Gunsnwater]

I've become intrigued by the FN 1900. President T. Roosevelt carried the 1899 in his pocket. It seems to be super reliable. JMB's first autoloader design with a slide.

I'm looking to get a nice one, to keep in as a collectors item and also to carry occasionally.

Questions: 1) are these drop safe enough to carry condition 1? I've seen that the safety disengages the sear, and the recoil spring doubles as the firing pin spring. Would this set up be strong enough to prevent an inertial discharge of the striker if dropped on its muzzle? 2) During this time, heat treating wasn't prevalent. What sort of longevity do these little guns have?

Thanks, and happy new year.

Gun is up to it. But. Are you ready to have it confiscated? Use it you lose it, you know. Evidence. They don’t take too good of care of them in evidence.

[abner13]

I have an FN 1910 in 7.65 x 17. Still functions reliably and of course its slightly younger brother in 9 mm kurz can be blamed for WW I. Dave_n

Guns don't kill Archdukes , Bosnian Serbs do.

[American1776]

thanks for all the input.

I carry some pretty nice guns sometimes for defense, understanding the probability of the pistol being lost or trashed in the after action. I accept that.

From what I've gathered, it is a very reliable little pistol. They made 700,000 of them; so they aren't exactly rare. Just thinking it would be a cool piece to have around.

[Ecclectic Collector]

Same reasons mentioned in previous post I'd like one. The model 1910 was its replacement: more compact design, triple safety feature (mag, grip and manual), snag free profile. FN people were smart (or just very economics minded) and discontinued the 1900 once the newer design got into production. But 700,000 in a mere eleven years says a lot about how avidly it was bought.

[Dave_n]

Guns don't kill Archdukes , Bosnian Serbs do.

True, but it has a nice ring to it!! Actually I do not think that he was Serbian but Bosnian. Dave_n