A Classic Vest Pocket Carry Gun: The Baby Browning

The Baby Browning, along with its brothers the Colt 1908 Vest Pocket and FN M1905, is among the most collectible and appreciated pocket guns of all time. In 1927, FN revamped the M1905 lineup with famed Belgian firearms designer Dieudonne Saive going to work on the pistol. Using the M1905 as his blueprint, he made a number of modifications to lighten the gun and improve the design.

He dropped the grip safety and, in its place, added the thumb-operated safety that also doubled as a slide lock. This tweak lightened the gun a bit with the final weight ringing in at just over 9-ounces. From 1931 on, the gun was known as the Baby Browning. It proved especially popular in the U.S. after 1954 when the pistol began selling from the Browning Arms Company.

In 1968 upwards of 42,000 Babies sold before the Gun Control Act of 1968 brought everything to a crashing halt. They’ve been a collectible ever since.