11/1/18 - This gun is a super rare Japanese procurement FN 1910 rig with original capture papers. Japanese officers had to purchase their own sidearms and many opted for European made handguns in .32 and .25 caliber. FN 1910 models proved to be very popular and were purchased with locally made holsters. A vast majority of the FN1910 Japanese procurement guns had a kanji marking preceding the serial number on the right side as the only proof that tied these guns to Japan. However, there were a few that were purchased in the early 30s that had no identifiable Japanese features. The only way to conclusively prove the Japanese connection for these guns is the presence of the capture papers and of the correct Japanese made holster. This is one of those guns. It remains in 98% original condition with just a hint of wear on the edges of the slide, and a couple of small areas of surface freckling at the front and back of the slide. It comes with a rare, one of a kind holster that actually has a maker mark in English, but was made in Tokyo! It has all the attributes of the Japanese made holsters, including the loops for the shoulder strap carry. There are also two original magazines. The capture papers specify the gun by the serial number. There is also a tag with Japanese writing, identifying a specific officer that the gun belonged to. We will attempt to get the translation soon. Excellent bore and grips. This is a rare opportunity to add such a set to your collection! NOTE: We were able to get the translation of the Japanese tag that came with this rare set. It identifies the gun as a personal sidearm of a high ranking Japanese officer and reads:
“Pistol(Browning) # 59
Lt Col Takakura
Army Ministry, Military Affairs Department”
We thank a well known collector of Japanese weapons for providing us with this valuable information! Further research may shed more light on the history of Lt Col Takakura.
