*Rare, German (Made in Belgium), WW2, c1940, Hi-Power Browning Semi-Automatic Pistol (Pistole 640(b)) with Tangent Sight, WaA613, with Spare Magazine and Leather Holster (dated 1944), Deactivated*
Serial number 5057, marked on the barrel and main frame. 9mm Cal, 4.5″ barrel. One Eagle proof mark and two Waffenampt marks above trigger, one legible as WaA613 which is recorded in Nazi records as “Fabrique Nationale”.
This is a rare early Nazi FN Browning High Power pistol, featuring a rear tangent sight and WaA613 acceptance proofs on the frame. Approximately 12,000 of this variant were made, compared to around 28,000 with WaA103 proofs and hundreds of thousands with WaA140. It has a blued finish and authentic early wooden grips with red painted backs.
Following the successful invasion of Belgium in 1940, the Nazis took control of the Fabrique Nationale factory, seizing completed guns, parts, and materials. The initial batches of Browning High Power pistols produced under Nazi occupation were designated as Model 640(b) (“b” for belgisch, “Belgian”). These pistols were assembled from a mix of newly manufactured and seized parts, marked with Waffen acceptance WaA613. Early models featured a tangent rear sight and a shoulder slot in the frame, which were later phased out by the Germans as they deemed them unnecessary. The pistols marked WaA613 were the first model, indicating inspection by Tennert. The second model, produced from January 1941 to May 1942, retained the adjustable rear sight and were marked WaA103, inspected by Lüttich. The last model bore the WaA140 mark, also inspected by Lüttich.
On May 10, 1940, the German Wehrmacht invaded Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium as part of their campaign in France. After fierce battles, King Leopold III sought an armistice with the German Army, ending a conflict that claimed over 150,000 lives. On May 20, 1940, Mayor (Major) Wider, seized the Fabrique Nationale Plant in Liege. German technicians and labor took over operations as most original technicians had fled. Some employees escaped to Britain with Browning High Power drawings and notes, later sent to Canada for production. The factory, which employed 900 staff pre-occupation, saw its workforce rise to 12,000 under German control. Production initially slow, ramped up in subsequent years (1940 – 8,500; 1941 – 65,700; 1942 – 80,600; 1943 – 101,200), halting at 63,000 in 1944 due to Allied liberation.
The Browning High Power, designed by John Browning and completed by Dieudonné Saive at FN Herstal, earned its name from its 13-round magazine capacity, nearly double that of contemporary designs like the Walther P38 or Colt M1911. Browning passed away before its finalization in 1926.
Magazine waffenampt stamped.
Spare Magazine marked “LGK sb, O440” – These are the markings from the region that it was issued to. LGK Sb over a property or rack number. The markings stand for Landes Gendarmerie Kommando, Salzburg District, an Austrian district under Nazi command. The LGK are similar to county sheriffs, assigned to rural areas but under federal command.
Leather Holster dated 1944
*Condition*
This Browning is in excellent condition. Cocks and Dry Fires. The leather holster with its Nazi Eagle, dated 1944 is in excellent condition. Fully deactivated. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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