Post by Hardrada55 on Aug 28, 2009 15:00:20 GMT -5
Here is a photograph of the rare pre-WWI Fabrique Nationale (FN) "Grand Browning". Apparently, before WWI, FN was planning on making a European version of the John Browning pistol which was produced by Colt as the famous Model 1911. This new pistol was a 9 shot, 7/8 size, copy of the Model 1911 chambered for a cartridge called 9.65mm. In the USA, Colt was also going to make the same pistol but it was going to be chambered for a cartridge called 9.8mm. There is a lot of discussion and argument about whether the 9.8 and the 9.65 were the same cartridge. I think the guys over at International Ammunition Association (whose forum is down right now) did some measurements on the two and determined they are for all practical purposes the same cartridge. I know they've examined some of the 9.8mm cartridges and determined that they were made with two different sized bullets. The early 9.8mm bullets were approximately 150 grain and the later 9.8mm bullets were loaded with what look to be 130 grain bullets. The 9.65mm cartridges all appear to be loaded with 130 grain bullets. Both of the 130 grain loadings had muzzle velocities of about 355 m/s which works out to about 1165 fps. The 150 grain bullet loading was supposed to be capable of about 1000 fps. Anyway, WWI and the "Guns of August" got in the way of any production of the Grand Browning pistol as Belgium was an early victim of the German advance. Supposedly FN made 12 of these "Grand Browning" pistols and 100,000 rounds of 9.65mm ammo. Here also is a picture of a box of Winchester 9.8mm ammo. Today, the 9.8mm and 9.65mm cartridges are collector's items.