Bergmann No. 5
Theodor Bergmann Waffenfabrik · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1897
Also known as: Bergmann Model 1897, Bergmann-Mars 1897, Bergmann M1897 No. 5
Overview
The Bergmann No. 5 is an early German recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistol designed by Louis Schmeisser for Theodor Bergmann and introduced in 1897. Chambered in the bottlenecked 7.8mm Bergmann cartridge, it used a laterally pivoting locking bolt and a detachable double-stack box magazine that could also be charged in place by stripper clip. A genuine response to the Mauser C96, it was offered with a detachable shoulder stock and an optimistic tangent rear sight, but its complexity and cost saw it fail every military trial it entered.
Specifications
| Barrel Length | 102 mm (4.02") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 400 m/s (1312 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 440 J (325 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.8mm Bergmann No. 5 · primary — also known as 7.8x25mm Bergmann, 7.8mm No. 5
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine, Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Locked Breech, Laterally Pivoting Bolt, Tangent Rear Sight, Detachable Shoulder Stock
Production
Estimated total produced: 800 · Production years: 1897-1903
Serial range roughly 1-1000; approximately 800 built across pistol and carbine configurations
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Louis Schmeisser
Discontinued: 1903
Notes
Sources cite a case-length naming discrepancy; most collector references designate the cartridge 7.8x25mm Bergmann. Standardized empty weight and overall length are not consistently published because the gun was built in many pistol and carbine configurations.
Background
The No. 5 was Bergmann's most advanced pistol and a deliberate answer to the Mauser C96 that had appeared a year earlier, abandoning the firm's earlier clip-fed fixed magazines for a modern detachable box and a true locked breech. Despite this sophistication it won none of the trials it entered, and the roughly 800 examples made, especially those still wearing their matching shoulder stock, are now prized auction-house collector pieces.