Bauer Early Low Serial # Different Design
Hi I just bought a Bauer .25 Stainless Steel pistol. The serial number is 65XX. This copy seems to be unique! Good for me. Almost all Bauers use a clockwise turn of the barrel for dissassembly. My pistol's barrel turns counter-clockwise for dissassembly just like a real Baby Browning! I found a Bauer manual that describes the takedown with the counter-clockwise barrel description as well. I am wondering if anyone knows more about the change in the design to avoid FN suits to the clockwise turned barrel and dissassembly. What serial number started that design change and when? How much more would this gun be worth to a collector?
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It has nothing to do with law suits. The Baby Browning was invented in the 1940s. Any copyrights or patents would have been long expired.
The reason for the design change is simple- money. There is only a small cut required to allow the barrel to turn clockwise. Time=money.0 -
Bauer made only a few thousand guns before they gave up. These crappy little guns were made in small batches in a machine shop, & there are other variations, mistakes, & shortcuts. They never did correct the problem with improper drilling of the sear pin holes in the frame, so even a small amount of wear will cause the sear pin to drop out of its hole, jamming the gun.
I am not aware of any collector interest in the Bauer. "Unique" doesn't always mean "valuable".
Neal
EDIT: No Bill, no mistake. Once you see the sear pin removed, it's clear that the small end fits in the receiver hole by only a few thousandths of an inch. I don't want to remember how much it cost me to fix. [:I]0 -
Neal- Bauer made guns for over 10 years. I know of no problems with the sear pin. It appears that it is impossible for that pin to drop out of it's hole. Perhaps you are thinking about another gun? Bauers were actually pretty nice little guns. 0 -
Neal the serial numbers go into the hundreds of thousands. My guess is about 150,000 based on the guns I have seen and the number of years they operated as Bauer and then Fraser.
That is another question, do Fraser serial numbers start at zero or continue from Bauer's.
Also I have studied the Bauer, if you are calling it junk are you also calling all the baby Brownings junk to? Their history goes back a century. It's the same design in stainless!
In any case, thanks for the answer Bill. does anyone know when that cost cutting change was made?
Perhaps drilling that sear pin hole and putting in a new pin as a preemptive measure for a nice gun is something I will consider. Thanks to you Neal, as well.0 -
Agree that the Bauer was a well made gun, in addition to the Frazier that was also the Vega. All three were copies of the FN Baby. Remember that not all Baby Browning were made at FN, some were also made in France (only way to tell is French proofs on front of barrel and side) and same for the Portugal production. Over the years have interchanged parts between the FN and Bauer with no problems. Remember that if you change barrels in a Browning designed blow back like this ( also true for M1910, 1922, MAB Model C and D and Colt 1903 1908) the rear of the slide and frame may NO LONGER match up because when made the three parts (frame, slide and barrel) and matched in the white. 0 -
quote:
Perhaps drilling that sear pin hole and putting in a new pin as a preemptive measure for a nice gun is something I will consider. Thanks to you Neal, as well.
Just an observation: If it is the frame hole that wears, a larger pin with the same steel won't last. I thought of buying a Bauer since they were produced nearby but I learned of the issue and am not metallurgist.0 -
The change was made in the early 1970s. I have never heard of the sear pin problem and I have collected pocket guns since the 1970s. I'll check it out on my Bauer. 0 -
Another thought: Most wear is caused by friction. Use a high end lube and reduce/prevent wear. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by amparts
Agree that the Bauer was a well made gun, in addition to the Frazier that was also the Vega. All three were copies of the FN Baby. Remember that not all Baby Browning were made at FN, some were also made in France (only way to tell is French proofs on front of barrel and side) and same for the Portugal production. Over the years have interchanged parts between the FN and Bauer with no problems. Remember that if you change barrels in a Browning designed blow back like this ( also true for M1910, 1922, MAB Model C and D and Colt 1903 1908) the rear of the slide and frame may NO LONGER match up because when made the three parts (frame, slide and barrel) and matched in the white.
What does that last sentence mean ? Matched in the white? Is that spell check interfering, was that the right word?0 -
Oh I get it.in the white are unfinished or uncoated parts. These are stainless they never get finished but that does not mean they will have the same look, color, wear pattern etc. is that what you meant?
http://forums.GunBroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3063390
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