German Pistols

[milsurp2.0]

I have a Lignose Bergman einhand in 6.35 caliber.
Made in the 20's for soldiers returning from wwI that were missing a limb. It can be cocked with one hand, hence the name einhand.

Be careful which one you have. They can be dangerous!

 

[dennishoddy]

Be careful which one you have. They can be dangerous!

I have the 2A. I've fired a couple hundred rounds through it.
Whats the story?

 

[milsurp2.0]

I have the 2A. I've fired a couple hundred rounds through it.
Whats the story?

Perhaps it was the earlier design .32's.

Notes: The Langenhan Automatic Pistol was built by a company that had never before designed any sort of automatic weapons – their stock in trade was single shot derringers and bolt-action sporting rifles. The Langenhan was never sold commercially, the entire production run of 50,000 pistols being taken into service by the German Army during World War 1 as emergency war issue, and later for issue to German police and special units. Production of the Langenhan pistol began in 1915, but stopped in the late 1920s.

The fact that Langnhan had never made any automatic weapons showed in the design; it is a pistol that can be dangerous to the firer. The breech block is held in place by a stirrup lock that also forms the rear sight, and is held in place by one screw. The fitting of this screw tended to be a bit loose, and the breechblock exploding out of the rear of the pistol and into the face of the shooter was not an uncommon failure. Wear just makes this problem worse.
http://www.pmulcahy.com/pistols/german_pistols_l-m.htm

Several versions of the Langenhan Automatic Pistol were built. The FL Selbstlader was chambered, as most of the Langenhan pistols, in .32 ACP, and it started the screwy and dangerous design described above. After 4000 FL pistols were made to the basic design, the right side of the frame was modified so that the ejection port (which was enlarged) was protected by a cut-away portion of the slide except during case ejection. The breechblock also ran straight along the rails of the slide instead of jumping up at each shot. (It was still held in by place by only one screw, and the screw got a bit looser with each shot. When it became undone, the entire slide, breechblock and yoke would then detach in one piece and be launched at the shooter.) The wooden grip plates were replaced by checkered hard rubber plates. The barrel length was 4.1 inches.

Other variants include the Model I, which was a compact version with a shortened grip and a barrel only 2.9 inches long. The Langenhan Model II, chambered for .25 ACP, was introduced after World War 1. It was a great deal safer than the earlier versions, with the yoke replaced by a cross-bolt passing through the slide and breechblock. “New production” Model IIs were assembled until 1936, but none had actually been manufactured since the late 1920s. The Model II used a 3.1-inch barrel. The Model III was essentially an smaller version of the Model II, with a 2.6-inch barrel, but with a shorter butt and a much lighter weight.

 

[dennishoddy]

Sounds like a different gun than I have. I have the guns history printed out at home in my files.(along with all of my collectible guns)

You can see in the first pic how the one limbed shooter could cock the gun.

I was told by a Collector of German guns, who's grandfather was a General in the German army, captured and executed in WWII on the Russian front, that These guns were sometimes carried in a special pocket sewn into their caps. Be it for suicide, or a last ditch weapon, he didn't know.

 

[milsurp2.0]

Sounds like a different gun than I have. I have the guns history printed out at home in my files.(along with all of my collectible guns)

You can see in the first pic how the one limbed shooter could cock the gun.

Yes I think the danger was in the design when Bergman was producing the pistol. After Lignose bought the design they made it safer and apparently decided on a lighter recoiling round. Neat pistol! how would a one armed man load the thing to begin with?!?

 

[dennishoddy]

Yes I think the danger was in the design when Bergman was producing the pistol. After Lignose bought the design they made it safer and apparently decided on a lighter recoiling round. Neat pistol! how would a one armed man load the thing to begin with?!?

In this lull, I went to the safe, got it out, and the mag does stand up nicely on the table to be inserted with a single hand. I supported the mag between my knees, and managed to load rounds into it.
Just did the same thing with the pistol between the knees and inserted the mag, so its doable.

All serial numbers match in it. Those Germans liked to mark everything!

 

[milsurp2.0]

In this lull, I went to the safe, got it out, and the mag does stand up nicely on the table to be inserted with a single hand. I supported the mag between my knees, and managed to load rounds into it.
Just did the same thing with the pistol between the knees and inserted the mag, so its doable.

All serial numbers match in it. Those Germans liked to mark everything!

Thats neat. You might just be surprised at the value too. I was!

 

[dennishoddy]

Last wannamaker gun show, a guy had one in the lower level for around $600. It was the only one I saw, and I'm always keeping an eye out for them.

 

[milsurp2.0]

Last wannamaker gun show, a guy had one in the lower level for around $600. It was the only one I saw, and I'm always keeping an eye out for them.

Yeah they are up there for an obscure pocket pistol. keep your eyes on the pawn shops. I used to see them at small pawn shops years ago. I especially remember one in Skiatook at the pawn shop that is now a satellite store or something.

 

[hk33]

Do you mean like this?