Dreyse M1907
Rheinische Metallwaaren- und Maschinenfabrik AG · Pistol · Discontinued · 1907
Also known as: Dreyse Model 1907, Dreyse Pistole 1907, Dreyse M07
Overview
The Dreyse M1907 is a German semi-automatic pocket pistol chambered in .32 ACP (7.65mm Browning), designed by Louis Schmeisser and produced by the Rheinische Metallwaaren- und Maschinenfabrik (later Rheinmetall) at Sömmerda. It uses a simple blowback, striker-fired action and an unusual hinged breech that tips up for loading and cleaning. Feeding from a 7-round single-stack magazine, it served as an auxiliary sidearm with German and Austro-Hungarian forces during the First World War and remained in German police service into the 1930s, with some examples reissued for late-war service in the Second World War.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 710 g (25.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 160 mm (6.30") |
| Barrel Length | 92 mm (3.62") |
| Height | 113 mm (4.45") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 7 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 282 m/s (925 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 188 J (139 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Hard Rubber |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 ACP · primary — also known as .32 Auto, 7.65mm Browning, 7.65x17mm Browning SR
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Hinged Barrel, Tip Up Breech, Fixed Sights
Service history
Operators
- German Empire · adopted 1914
- Austro-Hungarian Army
- German police forces
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 250,000 · Production years: 1908-1918
Approximately 250,000 produced before manufacture ceased around the end of the First World War.
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Louis Schmeisser
Discontinued: 1918
Notes
The Dreyse name was a marketing tribute to needle-gun inventor Johann Nikolaus von Dreyse, whose Sömmerda works had been absorbed by Rheinmetall; he had no role in designing this pistol. The hinged frame design eased takedown but the heavy striker spring made the slide notably stiff to retract.
Background
Czechoslovakia briefly purchased the Dreyse M1907 after the First World War before quickly replacing it with the domestic Pistole vz. 24, and Norway evaluated but rejected the design during its interwar pistol trials.