Fémáru 37M
Fémáru-, Fegyver és Gépgyár (FÉG) · Pistol · Discontinued · 1937
Also known as: Pisztoly 37M, 37.M, Modell 37, Pistole 37(u), P Mod 37, FÉG 37M
Overview
The Fémáru 37M was Hungary's standard service pistol of World War II, a simplified and cost-reduced evolution of the earlier 29M designed by Rudolf Frommer for the Fémáru-, Fegyver és Gépgyár (FÉG) works, reportedly his last design. A simple blowback, single-action, hammer-fired pistol with a quick-release stationary barrel and an automatic grip safety, it was originally chambered in .380 ACP (9x17mm Browning Short) for the Royal Hungarian Army. It was adopted in 1937 and produced into the mid-1940s.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 770 g (27.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 182 mm (7.17") |
| Barrel Length | 110 mm (4.33") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 7 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 290 m/s (951 fps) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 380 ACP · primary — also known as 9x17mm, 9mm Kurz, 9mm Browning Short
- 32 ACP — also known as 7.65x17mm Browning, 7.65mm Browning, .32 Auto
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Grip Safety, Manual Safety Lever
- Features: Automatic Grip Safety, Exposed Hammer, Quick Release Barrel, Four Lug Barrel Attachment, Magazine Finger Rest Spur
Variants
- Pistole 37(u) — Export Chambering
Service history
Operators
- Royal Hungarian Army (Honvédség) · adopted 1937 · as 37M
- Nazi Germany (Luftwaffe) · adopted 1941 · as Pistole 37(u)
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 175,000 · Production years: 1937-1944
Total estimates range ~85,000-175,000; the German Luftwaffe contract (Pistole 37(u)) accounted for roughly 85,000 units marked 'jvh' in 7.65mm Browning
Origin
Country of origin: Hungary
Designer: Rudolf Frommer
Discontinued: 1944
Notes
Source production figures conflict (militaryfactory ~85,000 total, modernfirearms ~175,000); the ~85,000 figure most consistently describes the German contract output. The original Hungarian 37M had no manual safety (grip safety only); the German Luftwaffe contract version, rechambered to 7.65mm and designated Pistole 37(u), added a manual frame-mounted safety lever. The barrel attaches via four lugs and removes by rotating counterclockwise.
Background
When the German Luftwaffe came shopping for sidearms in 1941, they ordered some 50,000 of these tidy Hungarian pistols rechambered to 7.65mm, stamping them 'Pistole 37(u)' where the lowercase 'u' quietly stood for Ungarn (Hungary). Frommer's last design ended up riding in the holsters of German airmen across Europe under a borrowed Wehrmacht name.