Yovanovitch Model 1931

Summary

Ian McCollum examines the sole known surviving example of Lazar Yovanovitch’s Model 1931 pistol, displayed at Rock Island Auction Company ahead of its April 2016 auction.

Yovanovitch, a Serbian-born engineer and firearms enthusiast, developed several pistol designs in Yugoslavia, including .22-caliber target and military pistols and a .380-caliber military pistol. His earlier .22 target pistol was manufactured by the Belgian company FN, identified in the subtitles as “Unshoes.” Yovanovitch reportedly held patent protection only in Yugoslavia and received no royalties.

His first .380 design, the 1930 pattern, used an eight-round magazine and a simple blowback action, along with a complicated cartridge-counting mechanism. He simplified the design for the 1931 model. The Yugoslav military rejected his pistols, and the gold-plated presentation pistol intended for the king was later stolen during World War II.

Yovanovitch competed with his 1930-pattern pistol in the 25-meter rapid-fire event at the 1933 international competition and the 1936 Berlin Olympics. After serving in a Yugoslav hydroplane squadron and escaping Italian captivity during the war, he eventually emigrated to Canada. In 1958, having left his earlier firearms behind, he made a Model 1931 for his own use. This Canadian-made pistol is the only known surviving example. He later sold it during financial difficulties.

Model 1931 Features and Construction

• Caliber: .380 ACP (9×17 mm)
• Action: Simple blowback with a striker mechanism
• Slide: Tubular, with a threaded plug at the rear
• Disassembly: Remove the rear plug, then move the slide forward off the frame
• Barrel: Reused from a Browning Model 1910/22, with FN and 9 mm markings
• Controls: Manual safety with Serbian-language abbreviations and a heel-type magazine release
• Markings: “Patent L. Yovanovitch, Model of 1931”; a faint grip number reportedly corresponds to the Canadian permit number

McCollum describes the pistol as a well-made, streamlined design rather than a major technical innovation, while emphasizing the skill required to design and manufacture a handgun.

Main Speaker and Sources

• Ian McCollum, host and presenter of Forgotten Weapons
• The pistol and its history are presented in the context of the Rock Island Auction Company collection and an upcoming auction.