I have a FN 100 in 22 Short. The very first Browning .22 Semi auto. The loading port is on the top of the stock, not the side. (They moved the port to the side to increase capacity) The patent was sold to Remington in 1922 as the model 24 for USA sales. When the patent ran out Browning Started selling it as the Browning .22 Semi auto in 1956 for USA sales. The only info on the date made is 1914 to 1955. I believe mine was made either in the first year 1914 or second 1915 as the serial number is 110x. they stopped making them due to WWI, then resumed after. so could be later as I have no idea as to how many were made in a year, or if they started at 1001. Anybody else have one? or any more info? The below image showing top load is from a manual I found online.
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FN 100 or Pre Browning .22 Semi Auto
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I have a FN 100 in 22 Short. The very first Browning .22 Semi auto. The loading port is on the top of the stock, not the side. (They moved the port to the side to increase capacity) The patent was sold to Remington in 1922 as the model 24 for USA sales. When the patent ran out Browning Started selling it as the Browning .22 Semi auto in 1956 for USA sales. The only info on the date made is 1914 to 1955. I believe mine was made either in the first year 1914 or second 1915 as the serial number is 110x. they stopped making them due to WWI, then resumed after. so could be later as I have no idea as to how many were made in a year, or if they started at 1001. Anybody else have one? or any more info? The below image showing top load is from a manual I found online.
![Image]()
Nice. That is an early one. Some of these early ones might have made it to Browning's store in Ogden. If so, they may have been marked as such. (ages since I've owned a Homer Tyler book, so my memory is a little vague.)
I suppose it's hard to say if it came into this country way back when, or was a later import.
I suppose it's hard to say if it came into this country way back when, or was a later import.
When I talk to most Browning 22 Auto owners and mention top load as different from side load. I get strange looks. All the online info I can find is that Brownings 22 auto was not imported into the USA until 1956 and they were all side loaders. I am leaning towards the theory that my rifle was bought by a GI that was stationed in Europe and PCS back to the states. I tried to look up Homer Tylers book. Seems like it is almost as rare as the top loader. Whenever I research Brownings 22 Auto, all I get is info from 1956 to present and once in a while a side bar that a FN version was made from 1914 to 1955. Not much help.
Browning 22 Semi-Auto rifle - Wikiwand
The Browning 22 Semi-Auto rifle, also known as the semi automatic 22 or SA-22, is a takedown rifle produced by FN Herstal based on a John Browning patent. The r...
www.wikiwand.com
I am new to the group and trying to find information on the very same gun, i also believe it to be very early production very as my serial # is 154X. It is top loading and has the smaller front stock. all numbers are matching when you break down the rifle. i was able to fine an owners manual on another site but there was not date. I had also learned that FN changed to side loading very early in the production in order to increase mag capacity.
There is no way to definitively date these rifles as there are no factory records of the serial numbers and the year when made. A top loader is certainly a very early example.
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