Beholla
Becker & Hollander Waffenbau · Pistol · Discontinued · 1915
Also known as: Menta, Stenda, Leonhardt
Overview
The Beholla is a German blowback-operated semi-automatic pistol chambered in .32 ACP, developed by Becker & Hollander of Suhl and produced from 1915. Compact and simple, with a fixed barrel and a striker-fired single-action mechanism, it was adopted as a secondary sidearm by the Imperial German Army during World War I to supplement chronic shortages of the standard Luger pistol. Roughly 45,000 were built, and the same design was sold under the Menta, Stenda, and Leonhardt names by other manufacturers.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 640 g (22.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 140 mm (5.51") |
| Barrel Length | 75 mm (2.95") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 7 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 276 m/s (906 fps) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 ACP · primary — also known as .32 Automatic, 7.65x17mm Browning SR, 7.65mm Browning
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Fixed Iron Sights, Pinned Barrel, Wood Or Rubber Grips
Variants
Service history
Operators
- Imperial German Army · adopted 1915
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Estimated total produced: 45,000 · Production years: 1915-1925
Becker & Hollander built roughly 40,000-45,000 during WWI; production of the rebranded Stenda variant continued at Stendawerk of Suhl from 1918 to 1925.
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Becker & Hollander
Discontinued: 1925
Notes
The name 'Beholla' is a portmanteau of 'Becker & Hollander'. The design borrows its dovetailed, pinned barrel attachment from Alois Tomiska's 'Little Tom' pocket pistol. The pinned barrel made field-stripping difficult; the post-war Stenda variant added a takedown lever to ease disassembly.
Background
Issued as a stopgap sidearm to Imperial German officers and machine-gun crews when Luger production could not keep pace with wartime demand, the Beholla and its near-identical Menta, Stenda, and Leonhardt cousins became one of the more common pocket pistols of the Western Front.