FN (Browning) Grand Rendement 1927 info needed

[Mizar]

Hello,

Does anyone have pictures, or schematics, or even descriptions of a disassembled FN/Browning/Saive Grand Rendement pistol, model of 1927 (the 16 round version from 1926 will also be OK)? I'm particularly interested in the hammer mechanism - is it an "en block" design, like Mr. Stevens suggests in his book "The Browning High Power Automatic Pistol"? As I understand it, FN did advertised commercially those pistols, so there must be some information on the subject. At least, I hope so...



Picture taken from "The Browning High Power Automatic Pistol" by R. Blake Stevens

 

[Monac]

I don't know, but I have some suggestions. The first source that comes to mind that might have what you want is Anthony Vanderlinden's "FN Browning Pistols". But it's out of print, and the prices on Amazon start at $450 : https://www.amazon.com/Browning-Pistols-Shaped-World-History/dp/0970799799/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1L8ATFL9YE5PQ&keywords=fn+browning+pistol&qid=1653863026&s=books&sprefix=pistols+fn+browning,stripbooks,83&sr=1-1

The you might try asking at Jan Still's Luger Forums site, which has a bunch of sub-forums for non-Luger pistols. I searched for rendement, and found several threads, of which this was the most recent: https://www.lugerforums.com/threads...ort-forerunner-of-hp.37439/page-3#post-964226

Finally, there used to be a highly detailed monthly newsletter called "Auto Mag" for automatic pistol collectors. They had a website too, the last I heard, but that was 10+ years ago. It's hard to search for because of all the stuff about the Auto Mag pistols on the Internet.

SInce these guns were never much more than prototypes, I think you will be lucky if the information you want exists. My understanding is that Browning generally worked by making the guns, and drawings were only made when it was decided to put them into production. But maybe FN did things differently.

 

[Mizar]

Thank you for the information, Monac! I do want the Vanderlinden book, but the price is a little bit off limits for me, unfortunately...
As for the Luger Forum - this is a discussion for a much later model of the Grand Rendement. It's basically a late Hi Power prototype. The model from 1926/27 differs in quite a few ways and I'm interested only in it, not the later alterations. Anyway - I know of this forum and I will search/ask for some info.

 

[Jim Watson]

Sorry, I have that picture and others from the family tree in Ezell, but no internal schematics.

 

[Kp321]

You might try Gunboards Forums, Military Handgun Forum. They have some very informed collectors hanging around.

 

[WVsig]

Thank you for the information, Monac! I do want the Vanderlinden book, but the price is a little bit off limits for me, unfortunately...
As for the Luger Forum - this is a discussion for a much later model of the Grand Rendement. It's basically a late Hi Power prototype. The model from 1926/27 differs in quite a few ways and I'm interested only in it, not the later alterations. Anyway - I know of this forum and I will search/ask for some info.

A new version of the Vanderlinden book is coming out. Do not buy the old version at inflated prices. Within 6 months the info will be outdated. As far as I know no one has published technical data one the Grand Rendement. Mr Vanderlinden is one of the few people who have ever been allowed to view primary source material at Liege. I am not sure you will be able to find what you are looking for. You might look at the patent documents.

 

[Monac]

A new version of he Vanderlinden books is coming out. Do not buy the old version at inflated prices. Within 6 months the info will be outdated. As far as I know no one has published technical data one the Grand Rendement. Mr Vanderlinden is one of the few people who have ever been allowed to view primary source material at Liege. I am not sure you will be able to find what you are looking for. You might look at the patent documents.

Thanks for the heads up, WVsig. I already have the Vanderlinden FN book that is on Amazon now (the one that starts at $450), and the one he did before that. I'll get the new one too, unless it also starts at $450.

 

[WVsig]

Thanks for the heads up, WVsig. I already have the Vanderlinden FN book that is on Amazon now (the one that starts at $450), and the one he did before that. I'll get the new one too, unless it also starts at $450.

https://www.fnbrowning.com/books

 

[Golfanaticshooter]

I found this, I hope it helps.

 

[Mizar]

Thank you, guys, but the patent documents are for the striker fired model - a rather different animal.