Almost certainly manufactured during the violent "warlord" period of the Chinese Civil War. Many Chinese produced pistols of that period were based on existing European designs; with this example showing a mixture of loose influence from European designs as well as domestic ingenuity. Somewhat similar to the FN Model 1900, this pistol has the barrel oriented below a tube containing the recoil spring. Also unusual for many Chinese manufactured pistols of the time, this example has a grip safety that appears to function. The pistol is completely devoid of markings. The magazine is now absent but appears to have attached to the trigger, a design that may be somewhat inspired by the Thompson submachine gun. It is fitted with a one-piece smooth hardwood grip. This specific pistol is pictured and discussed on p. 196-197 of the book "Pistols of the Warlords: 1911-1949" by Ian McCollum.