Bergmann No. 3 (1896)
Theodor Bergmann Waffenfabrik · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1896
Also known as: Bergmann M1896 No.3, Bergmann-Schmeisser 1896, Bergmann #3
Overview
The Bergmann No. 3 was the full-size and most successful member of Theodor Bergmann's Model 1896 family, one of the earliest commercially successful self-loading pistols. Designed by Louis Schmeisser and actually manufactured by V.C. Schilling of Suhl, it is a simple blowback, external-hammer, single-action pistol chambered for the bottlenecked 6.5mm Bergmann cartridge. It feeds from a fixed five-round box magazine on the right side of the frame, loaded individually or by en-bloc charger, and carries a distinctive reciprocating dust cover over the action.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 885 g (31.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 254 mm (10.00") |
| Barrel Length | 114 mm (4.49") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 225 m/s (738 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 120 J (89 ft·lbf) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 6.5mm Bergmann · primary — also known as 6.5x22mm Bergmann, 6.5mm Bergmann No.3
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Internal Magazine, En Bloc Clip
- Features: Fixed Side Loading Magazine, En Bloc Clip Loading, Reciprocating Dust Cover, Free Floating Firing Pin
Variants
- Bergmann No. 2 (1896) — Compact
- Bergmann No. 4 (1896) — Large Caliber
Service history
Operators
- Swiss Army · adopted 1897
Production
Estimated total produced: 4,000 · Production years: 1896-1900
Roughly 4,000 No.3 pistols, the most popular Model 1896 variant; the wider family included around 2,000 No.2 and only 200-300 No.4 pistols.
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Louis Schmeisser
Discontinued: 1900
Notes
The earliest 6.5mm Bergmann cartridges were rimless and grooveless with no extractor, relying on residual chamber pressure to blow the spent case clear; later cases gained an extraction groove and the gun an extractor. Barrel length varies between sources (102 mm vs 114 mm); a long-barrelled target version also existed.
Background
The Bergmann 1896 is often considered the first commercially successful self-loading pistol, outselling the contemporary Borchardt C93. Its strangest feature was its earliest ammunition: rimless and grooveless cartridges with no extractor at all, so the gun relied purely on residual gas pressure to blow each spent case out of the chamber.