Developed in 1902 and also known as the "War Model", the 1903 was a John Browning design that found military and police buyers across much of Europe, seeing active use into the 1940s and even during a brief window in the 1980s as a Swedish stopgap between the emergency retirement of the Lahti pistol and the acceptance of the Glock. As was the style of the time a shoulder stock was optional, though with a novel mounting method; two rail slots are cut into the bottom of the grip frame, and the stock slides onto the bottom, acting as an extended magazine well for a long magazine. The magazine serves as a reinforcement for the stock, giving a significantly more rigid mounting that many other stocked pistols. Blade and notch sights, with the two line FN address and Browning patent marks on the left side of the slide, Belgian proofs on the slide, barrel and frame, and a pair of checkered FN-marked grips, properly shortened to accommodate the rails. The blued steel mounting iron is numbered "1209", and the stock interior is cut to accommodate the pistol, a magazine (both normal and extended will fit) and a cleaning rod (not included). Examples of both magazine sizes are included. This exact pistol can be seen on page 244 of Jan Still's "Central Powers Pistols, Volume I", which notes that the 1903 (with or without stock holster) was a private purchase sidearm option for Imperial German officers during the lead-up to World War One.

Excellent, with 95% of the slightly faded original blue finish, showing some light edge wear and handling marks overall, and the grips show a few flat spots and scuffs. The stock is very good, with a few dents and scuffs on the wood, mild spotting on the metal, and some play in the iron. Mechanically excellent. A fine addition to any collection of European military firearms or John Browning designs.