Of course, it was an FN pistol in the hands of the Black Hand that ignited the Great War in the first place. In this installment of the Handguns of World War I, we look at the Fabrique Nationale pistols, including, the Model 1900 and Model 1903 pistols, used by the Belgian Army during World War I. How good were they? Here’s a hint: They were designed by John Moses Browning. If the Belgians were squared away on handguns, the same could not be said of the French. The standard French sidearm at the start of the war was the anemic 8 mm Modele 1895 double-action revolver. While the French dug the Modele 1873 (made more famous by Brendan Frazier in “The Mummy”) out of mothballs for use in the trenches, France relied on Spanish-made Ruby pistols for more firepower. And firepower is a relative term—these were .32 ACP copies of the Browning 1903. Know what a Ruby is? Better watch this.
For more American Rifleman TV segments, go to americanrifleman.org/artv.
Handguns of The Great War: Belgium and France
More like this from around the NRA
Latest
Why the Murder Rate Quickly Fell to a Likely Historic Low
If the gun-control Left is to be believed, then the murder rate in the U.S. should be going up. After all, gun sales and ownership rates have been rising for the last few decades and anti-gun groups claim that gun ownership is the cause of violent crime. This, of course, is nonsense.
16 New Bolt-Action Rifles for 2026
From cutting-edge precision rifles designed for competition or hunting to traditionally styled guns that emulate designs from yesteryear, 2026 saw the introduction of an incredible array of bolt-action rifles.
Review: Chiappa Rhino 60DS 10 mm Auto
The Italian-designed-and-manufactured Chiappa Rhino remains unique today as the only current revolver with the barrel mounted at the bottom of the frame, firing from the chamber at the 6-o’clock position.
5 New Large-Format Pistols for 2026
There's been a huge surge in the large-format pistol category, and 2026 continues to showcase new models answering the wants and needs of today's firearm owners.
Short & Powerful: The EOTech Vudu 4-12x36 mm Super Short Riflescope
EOTech's ultra-compact 3-9x32 mm Vudu was a popular addition to the company's variable-powered riflescope line, and the new 4-12x36 mm Vudu ups the ante with new features in a still-compact package.
The Armed Citizen® May 11, 2026
Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.
Interests
SECTIONS
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
EXPLORE MORE NRA PUBLICATIONS
