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
Gun of the Week: H&K VP9CC
Hot on the heels of its CC9 micro-compact, Heckler & Koch introduced a micro companion to its popular VP9 lineup that includes some noteworthy features.
A Raven at 50: Five Days at Gunsite Academy
In Gunsite Academy's 50th year, NRA Director Jerry Kraus made his inaugural visit to the famed training institute and left a Raven.
The Armed Citizen® Oct. 9, 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.
Competition Shooting vs. Combat Training
It's an undeniable fact that competition and combat solve different problems. Mistaking one for the other or rejecting either one is a mistake.
The Truth About DGUs Gun-Control Groups Don’t Want You to Know
Last August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s webpage again posted defensive-gun-use data—essentially, estimates of how many times per year armed citizens in America use guns to defend themselves or others.
Watchtower Defense Opens New Texas Headquarters
Watchtower Defense—which has acquired the assets of Watchtower Firearms—officially opened its new headquarters and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Tomball, Texas.
Interests
SECTIONS
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
EXPLORE MORE NRA PUBLICATIONS
