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MELIOR - ROBAR & CO.

The Melior (Latin for "Better") was a tradename of Louis Robar. Louis Robar founded the company in 1906, the company remained in business under various corporate names for over 50 years. The Melior pistols resemble FN Browning pistols externally but are mechanically different, these do not infringe on Browning patents and are therefore not Browning copies. All pistols were designed with barrels affixed to the frame, resulting in good accuracy.
Robar manufactured the pistols under the Melior tradename but also made a variant of its models for Janssen Fils & Co. (Janssen Sons & Co.) under Janssen's "Jieffeco" tradename. Both Melior and Jieffeco pistols were sold worldwide. In the U.S. the Jieffeco pistols were successfully distributed by Davis Warner, New York and Fred Biffar & Co in Chicago. The Janssen company ran into trouble and restructured on January 1, 1935, ending the Jieffeco branded pistols. Some captured pistols were used by German forces in WWII. The postwar years saw diminished production and decline in finish.
Previous trademark manufactured in Liege, Belgium.

MELIOR - ROBAR & CO. Firearms Models

MELIOR/JIEFFECO MODEL 1907 .32 ACP Image

MELIOR/JIEFFECO MODEL 1907 .32 ACP

.32 ACP cal., 7 shot, resembles the FN Browning Model 1900 although is heavier, production variances, with or w/o front slide serrations, and two variances in magazine release. Mint examples are rare. Mfg. 1907-1914.

MELIOR/JIEFFECO MODEL 1907 .25 ACP Image

MELIOR/JIEFFECO MODEL 1907 .25 ACP

.25 ACP cal., 6 shot, resembles a scaled down version of the FN Browning Model 1900. Production variances; with or without front slide serrations, and two variances in magazine release, the .25 ACP version is far more common than the larger...

MELIOR/JIEFFECO NEW MODEL .32 or .380 Image

MELIOR/JIEFFECO NEW MODEL .32 or .380

.32 ACP or .380 ACP cal., pre-war metal finishing was considerably better than postwar production, 6 (.380 ACP) or 7 shot, either with no grip safety or short or long grip safety, the model resembles the FN Browning Model 1910. Mfg. circa 1...

MELIOR REDUCED SIZE .25 ACP MODEL Image

MELIOR REDUCED SIZE .25 ACP MODEL

.25 ACP cal., 6 shot, advertised as the “reduced size 6.35mm” and was introduced to compete with the FN Baby Browning. It was a reworked, lightened and scaled down version of the .25 ACP New Model. It is easily recognized by its small s...

MELIOR NEW MODEL .22 LR/TARGET .22 LR Image

MELIOR NEW MODEL .22 LR/TARGET .22 LR

The New Model was adapted to fire the .22 LR, it was first released with a standard 3 1/2 barrel. Two Target variants with 7 in. extended barrels followed. All .22 pistols had a "L" prefix serial number. Target models are rarely e...