Bergmann M1896

     Notes: One of the first workable automatic pistol designs, the M1896 was an improvement over what may be considered a prototype – the M1894.  Though Theodor Bergmann is more commonly associated with Austria, this handgun was made before Bergmann’s factory at Suhl was built. The M1896 is a large, blockish sort of pistol that is a bit nose-heavy.  The grip is empty – the small magazine is ahead of the trigger guard, under a rounded magazine well cover that is accessed by pulling forward and down a milled grip at the bottom rear of the cover.  The cover is held in place by a large brass screw.  (The trigger, hammer, cocking button, and disassembly screw are also brass.) Originally, the M1896 used the M1894’s unreliable extraction system – where the spent cases were simply pushed out of an attachment in front of the magazine – later, a more conventional and reliable positive extractor was used. M1896 marks are delineated by the ammunition they fire; all the cartridges are proprietary.  Barrels are 3.15 inches for the No 2 and 4 inches for the Nos 3 and 4. Today, the M1896 is quite rare – there are an estimated only 2000 in firing condition in the world.

     An even more rare version is the M1897 model.  It was an improved version of the M1896 that Bergmann hoped to sell to the military and police, but at the time the market was glutted with new and varied semiautomatic pistol designs, and altogether only about 1000 were sold, and very few remain in working condition today.  The M1897 was altogether stronger and studier than the M1896, and was fed by a 10-round magazine than the smaller clip of the M1896.  The magazine could also be reloaded with a stripper clip, leaving the magazine, situated in front of the trigger, in place. The rear sights were changed to an adjustable sight with a perhaps overly-optimistic graduation to 1000 meters. Most had the M1896’s 4-inch barrel, but a few were made as cavalry carbines with a 12-inch barrel and a shoulder stock which doubled as a holster.  (The rear of the grip was slotted for attaching the stock.) A very few were also made with 3.5-inch and 5.25-inch barrels. Then Bergmann made a mistake from a military standpoint; he changed the cartridge fired, and countries’ military are notoriously unwilling to change their service cartridge due to the expense. Inside, the M1897 was also very different; Bergmann realized that his straight blowback design prevented the use of a very powerful cartridge, and he changed the operation to a locked breech system

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

No 2

5mm Bergmann

0.47 kg

5 Clip

$101

No 3

6.5mm Bergmann

1.13 kg

5 Clip

$176

No 4

8mm Bergmann

1.31 kg

5 Clip

$231

No 5 (3.5” Barrel)

7.8mm Bergmann

0.73 kg

10

$227

No 5 (4” Barrel)

7.8mm Bergmann

0.75 kg

10

$232

No 5 (5.25” Barrel)

7.8mm Bergmann

0.79 kg

10

$244

No 5 (12” Barrel)

7.8mm Bergmann

0.9 kg

10

$313

Shoulder Stock

N/A

0.7 kg

N/A

$20

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

No 2

SA

-2

Nil

1

3

Nil

5

No 3

SA

1

Nil

1

2

Nil

6

No 4

SA

1

Nil

1

2

Nil

8

No 5 (3.5” Barrel)

SA

1

Nil

1

3

Nil

5

No 5 (4” Barrel)

SA

1

Nil

1

2

Nil

7

No 5 (5.25” Barrel)

SA

1

Nil

1

3

Nil

10

No 5 (12” Barrel)

SA

2

1-Nil

2

3

Nil

24

With Stock

SA

2

1-Nil

4

2

Nil

29

 

Borchardt C93

     Notes: Despite it’s ungainly appearance, the C93 is an ancestor of the Luger; it pioneered the toggle lock and return spring action which later worked so well on the Luger.  It was bought by some officers (at that time, officers of many countries were required to purchase their own sidearms), and even tested by the US Navy and Army. When fired, the toggle rose and then fell with the action of the return spring.  It is a unique action found only on the C93 and Luger.  The toggle action unfortunately requires rather precise machine work to produce and is prone to malfunctions due to dirt in the action; on the C93, with its not-yet perfected action, it could also be prone to malfunctions due to the complexities of the action. It used proprietary ammunition. It was an accurate pistol (the 6.5-inch barrel undoubtedly helped in this regard), and had good range; it was also a clumsy and large weapon (for example, roughly the size of a Mini-Uzi), for which a special holster had to be manufactured.  The magazine, like most pistols, was inserted into the grip; the grip, however, was near the center of the C93. The C93 came with a shoulder stock, to which the holster was attached. Today, the C93 is a much sought-after collector’s weapon.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

C93

.30 Borchardt

1.16 kg

8

$260

With Stock

.30 Borchardt

1.86 kg

8

$280

Stock Alone

N/A

0.7 kg

N/A

$20

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

C93

SA

1

Nil

2

2

Nil

12

EP882S

SA

1

Nil

3

2

Nil

15

 

Erma EP22/KGP69/KGP68

     Notes: The EP22, also known as the LA-22, is modeled on the P08 Luger, but chambered for .22 Long Rifle ammunition.  It was produced from 1964-1971, and is basically of a similar size and of comparable weight to the Luger.  Some rare variants of the EP22 include the Navy model, with a 5.9-inch barrel (as opposed to the 4.5-inch barrel of the standard EP22), and a Carbine model with an 11.8-inch barrel, wooden fore-end, tangent-leaf rear sight, and a detachable stock. 

     The KGP69 succeeded the EP22 in production, and was manufactured until 1997.  It adds a magazine safety and replaces the wooden grip plates with a molded plastic grip.  However, the barrel is shorter at 3.9 inches.  The KGP68 is a version of the EP22 firing either .32 ACP or .380 ACP ammunition, and having a shorter action and the same short barrel length as the KGP69.  The KGP68A is a KGP68 with a magazine safety, required by US laws at the time; Beeman also sold this pistol, calling it the MP08.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

EP22

.22 Long Rifle

0.99 kg

8

$124

EP22 Navy

.22 Long Rifle

1.05 kg

8

$139

EP22 Carbine

.22 Long Rifle

1.29 kg

8

$199

EP22 Carbine (With Stock)

.22 Long Rifle

1.99 kg

8

$219

KGP69

.22 Long Rifle

0.84 kg

8

$118

KGP68

.32 ACP

0.64 kg

6

$182

KGP68

.380 ACP

0.64 kg

5

$220

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

EP22

SA

-1

Nil

1

2

Nil

8

EP22 Navy

SA

-1

Nil

1

2

Nil

11

EP22 Carbine (No Stock)

SA

1

Nil

2

2

Nil

21

EP22 Carbine (With Stock)

SA

1

Nil

4

1

Nil

23

KGP69

SA

-1

Nil

1

2

Nil

7

KGP68 (.32)

SA

1

Nil

1

4

Nil

9

KGP68 (.380)

SA

1

Nil

1

4

Nil

10

 

Erma EP452/457/459

     Notes: Introduced in 1984, the EP452 is externally modeled on the M1911A1, though it is much smaller in size.  Internally, the mechanism is quite different, as was necessary to use the .22 Long Rifle cartridge.  The frame and slide are made of light alloy with a blackened finish, and the grips plates are of wood.  The EP457 is similar, but fires the .32 ACP round, has a faux stainless finish, and a slightly longer barrel.  The EP459 is similar to the EP457, but fires .380 ACP.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

EP452

.22 Long Rifle

0.61 kg

8

$113

EP457

.32 ACP

0.69 kg

8

$179

EP459

.380 ACP

0.77 kg

8

$218

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

EP452

SA

-1

Nil

1

3

Nil

6

EP457

SA

1

Nil

1

3

Nil

8

EP459

SA

1

Nil

1

3

Nil

9

 

Erma EP552/555/652/655

     Notes: Like many such Erma pistols, the EP552 series was designed to resemble another pistol – in this case, the Walther PPK.  It does resemble that weapon externally, though internally, it is quite different, and the slide and frame are made from light alloy.  The EP552 is the base weapon; it is quite small and light, and has a short barrel to match.  The EP555 is the same weapon, but fires .25 ACP ammunition.  The EP652 is a modernized EP552; it has squared contours and does not resemble the PPK much any more.  It is also lighter than the EP552, due to a simplification of the pistol’s mechanism.  The EP655 is a .25 ACP version of the EP652. 

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

EP552

.22 Long Rifle

0.41 kg

7

$109

EP555

.25 ACP

0.44 kg

7

$126

EP652

.22 Long Rifle

0.39 kg

7

$109

EP655

.25 ACP

0.42 kg

7

$126

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

EP552

SA

-1

Nil

0

4

Nil

5

EP555

SA

-1

Nil

0

4

Nil

5

EP652

SA

-1

Nil

0

4

Nil

5

EP655

SA

-1

Nil

0

4

Nil

5

 

Erma EP882

     Notes: This is basically Erma’s version of the Walther P38.  This version is a compact pistol in .22 Long Rifle, with a safety catch that blocks both the bolt and the hammer, and a magazine catch on the heel of the butt.  It is a simple, basic, small-caliber pistol.  A variant, the EP882S, has a 6-inch barrel, but is otherwise the same.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

EP882

.22 Long Rifle

0.76 kg

8

$129

EP882S

.22 Long Rifle

0.79 kg

8

$139

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

EP882

SA

-1

Nil

1

2

Nil

9

EP882S

SA

-1

Nil

1

2

Nil

11

 

Rheinmetall Dreyse

     Notes:  Though the Dreyse was never formally adopted by the military of any country, the Dreyse was carried by many German officers during World War 1, and it was sold in large numbers to civilians between 1912 and 1915.  An original Louis Schmiesser design, the Dreyse was originally chambered for .32 ACP and had a 3.6-inch barrel, and was targeted at the civilian self-defense market.  Unofficially, it was carried by many German staff officers and rear-area troops in World War 1.  In .32 ACP, the Dreyse was an easy to use and shoot pistol, with simple operation and take-down.

     Unfortunately, someone has the bright idea to up-caliber the Dreyse to 9mm Parabellum.  This required not only strengthening of the components, but a much heavier recoil spring.  This meant that the Dreyse was virtually impossible to cock in the normal way (by pulling the slide back); instead, the slide could be unhooked from the frame, allowing it to be pulled back much easier, then locked back into place.  (If you had the strength and time, you could still cock the 9mm Dreyse in the normal manner.) The barrel was also lengthened to 5 inches.  Examples of the 9mm Dreyse are rare today, and they are usually dangerous to fire, since wear means the strange cocking mechanism can make the slide sit loosely on the frame.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

Dreyse

.32 ACP

0.71 kg

7

$179

Dreyse

9mm Parabellum

1.05 kg

8

$247

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

Dreyse

SA

1

Nil

1

3

Nil

8

Dreyse

SA

1

Nil

1

3

Nil

12