Bergmann-Bayard Model 1910
Anciens Etablissements Pieper · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1903
Also known as: Bergmann Mars, Pistola Bergmann modelo 1903, Pistol M/1910 (Danish), Bergmann-Bayard 1910/21
Overview
The Bergmann-Bayard pistol was originally designed in Germany by Theodor Bergmann (with Louis Schmeisser) as the Bergmann Mars and adopted by the Spanish Army in 1905. Unable to fulfil the Spanish order at his German factory, Bergmann licensed production to the Belgian firm Anciens Etablissements Pieper, who marketed it under the 'Bayard' trademark - hence the Bergmann-Bayard name. The pistol uses a short-recoil action with a vertically-sliding locking block, chambered for the powerful 9x23mm Largo cartridge. The Model 1910 was adopted by Denmark as the M/1910 and served as standard sidearm there until 1946.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1020 g (36.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 254 mm (10.00") |
| Barrel Length | 102 mm (4.02") |
| Height | 145 mm (5.71") |
| Width | 35 mm (1.38") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 365 m/s (1198 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 535 J (395 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 9x23mm Largo (Bergmann-Bayard) · primary — also known as 9mm Largo, 9mm Bergmann-Bayard, 9x23mm Bergmann
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine, Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Hammer Safety
- Features: Vertically Sliding Locking Block, External Hammer, Stripper Clip Loadable, Shoulder Stock Lug
Variants
- Bergmann Mars / Bergmann-Bayard 1903 — Early Production
- Bergmann-Bayard 1908 (Spanish contract) — Service Pistol
- Bergmann-Bayard 1910 (Danish contract) — Service Pistol
- Bergmann-Bayard 1910/21 (Danish modernized) — Modernized
Service history
Operators
- Spanish Army · adopted 1905 · as Pistola Bergmann de 9 mm modelo 1903
- Royal Danish Army · adopted 1911 · as M/1910
- Belgian Army
- Greek Army
Conflicts
- Rif War (1920-1927)
- Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 18,000 · Production years: 1903-1935
Roughly 3,000 Spanish-contract M1903s, several thousand M1908s, ~4,840 M1910s for Denmark from Pieper, and 2,200+ M1910/21s built in Copenhagen. Last Danish-produced examples in 1935.
Origin
Country of origin: Belgium
Designer: Theodor Bergmann
Discontinued: 1935
Notes
The Spanish 1903/1908 contract was the first service adoption. Denmark's M/1910 was license-produced in Copenhagen from 1922 onward; the modernized 1910/21 variant remained in Danish service until replaced by the FN Browning Hi-Power after WWII. The 9mm Largo cartridge persisted in Spanish service well into the 1980s in submachine guns and the Star Modelo Super.
Background
The Bergmann-Bayard is the gun that gave Spain its iconic 9mm Largo cartridge - a round that outlived the pistol by half a century, soldiering on in Star pistols and Spanish submachine guns until the 1980s.