Baby Browning - Manufacturing History

Manufacturing History

European Based Production:

FN manufactured and marketed the Baby Browning pistol from 1931 until 1979, though exports to the USA only took place between 1953-1968. About 500,000 units were produced, including the hand chiseled engraved "Renaissance" and the "Lightweight" version. The Lightweight utilized a 6061 T6 aluminum receiver and chrome plated (over electro-less nickel) slide and external detail parts. This particular version of the Baby Browning pistol was developed and marketed in commemoration of the Concorde supersonic jet which was introduced to the public circa 1965. With the exception of special order nickel plated units and the above mentioned custom built pistols, all of the Baby Browning pistols were finished in hot blue. The halt to exports to the USA in 1968 was dictated by the Gun Control Act of 1968 which was precipitated by Robert Kennedy's assassination involving an Iver Johnson made revolver and signed into law by then President Lyndon Johnson. This federal legislation forbade the importation of certain firearms, among them the Baby Browning pistol, though it did not specifically prohibit the domestic manufacture of this specific semi-automatic pistol. Many observers interpreted this piece of legislation as protectionism on the part of the USA rather than as a genuine effort on the part of the Congress to curtail the importation of specific firearms, particularly given that the Iver Johnson revolver used to assassinate Robert Kennedy was not an imported weapon at all, but a domestically-manufactured firearm. Motivated by yet another corporate reorganization, FN transferred production of the Baby Browning pistol to Manufacture d'armes de Bayonne ("MAB") during 1979. Based in France, MAB produced the pistol from 1979 until 1983 when bankruptcy forced it to shut down. Baby Browning pistol production ceased in Europe at that time and has not been revived.

North American Based Production - FN sponsored:

During 1982, discussions began between FN and its North American-based representative Jim Stone. These discussions were focused on securing a North American-based manufacturer for the Baby Browning pistol. In 1984, a Canadian Swiss screw machine shop with a world class reputation for producing aerospace and defense related components entered into a technology transfer and production agreement with FN. This company's name was Precision Small Parts, Ltd. It was based in Aurora, Ontario, Canada, and maintained a subsidiary in Charlottesville, Virginia. FN issued an order to PSP for 40,000 of the Baby Browning pistols. All of these pistols were to be exported to Austria under the Browning logo for re-distribution by FN to its non-USA customers. PSP's owner (Joseph Maygar Sr.) had a long working history with FN dating back to the days of the Hungarian Resistance Movement of WWII. PSP produced other firearms for FN, including sub-machine gun parts. In 1985, the Canadian authorities forced PSP to transfer production of the Baby Browning receiver to its Virginia facility, though PSP Ltd. continued to manufacture the slide and detail parts for the pistol, excepting the magazine which was contracted out to Mec-Gar of Italy. When the USA subsidiary of PSP applied for an export permit with the Department of State to transfer the pistols to FN via its Austrian contact, the export permit was denied. At that time, Austria was known to be a trans-shipment point for armaments for the Middle East and the presumption was and remains that State did not want a large number of Baby Browning pistols ending up in the Middle East at that time. The effect of this action on the part of State caused PSP to become insolvent (as it had amassed work in process of in excess of 40,000 Baby Browning part sets). The insolvency of the company precipitated a sale to a USA/Canadian-based investor group in 1991. During 1995 the production of the pistol was spun out by the investor group into a new entity which became known as Precision Small Arms (PSA). PSA introduced a 303 stainless steel version of the pistol in 2008; in 2009 it re-introduced an all billet version of the Lightweight renamed the Featherweight which utilizes a 7075 drop forged aluminum alloy receiver. As of the beginning of 2010 all of PSA's 19 versions of the Baby Browning were being manufactured from billet.

North American Based Production - Non-FN sponsored:

From 1972 until 1984, a company named Bauer Firearms of Fraser, Michigan, USA, manufactured and marketed an unlicensed copy of the Baby Browning pistol which was machined from 416 stainless steel. This pistol was an approximate copy of the Baby Browning and was designed as such in order to avoid copyright infringement claims from FN, which at that time still had USA patent protection on various components of the Baby Browning pistol. For example, the Bauer copy was produced using 416 stainless steel investment castings while the FN Baby Browning slide and receiver were originally produced from 8620 steel billet, though in the 1950s were produced from 8620 steel investment castings. The Bauer also utilized a different auto safety spring and the barrel was removed (and the slide released from the receiver) by twisting it clockwise 45 degrees from top dead center, rather than counterclockwise-as is the case with the Baby Browning pistol. The Bauer has engraving on both sides of the slide, whereas the FN Baby Browning has engraving only on the side of the slide opposite the ejection port side. The machining and finish of the Bauer was crude by comparison with the Baby Browning. A divorce among Bauer family members precipitated the creation of Fraser Firearms Corporation of Michigan. Both pistols were produced by R.B. Industries, Ltd. Production of the "Fraser" pistol continued until the late 1980s.