Frommer Baby
Fémáru-, Fegyver és Gépgyár (FÉG) · Pistol · Discontinued · 1912
Also known as: Frommer Baby Stop
Overview
The Frommer Baby is a Hungarian compact vest-pocket pistol designed by Rudolf Frommer and built by Fémáru-, Fegyver és Gépgyár (FÉG), a shortened development of the Frommer Stop. It is unusual for cramming Frommer's signature long-recoil, rotating-bolt locked-breech action, normally suited to far more powerful weapons, into a tiny .32 ACP (and .380 ACP) pocket pistol. A grip safety, machined-steel construction and a five-round detachable magazine round out an intricate and expensive design sold mainly on the commercial market.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 440 g (15.5 oz) |
| Overall Length | 124 mm (4.88") |
| Barrel Length | 57 mm (2.24") |
| Height | 89 mm (3.50") |
| Width | 22 mm (0.87") |
| Action Type | Long Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 ACP · primary — also known as .32 Auto, 7.65x17mm Browning, 7.65mm Browning
- .380 ACP — also known as .380 Auto, 9x17mm, 9mm Kurz, 9mm Short
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Grip Safety, Manual Safety
- Features: Long Recoil Action, Rotating Bolt Lock, Machined Steel Construction
Production
Production years: 1912-1929
Lower-volume commercial variant; no separate Baby production total found. Frommer Stop family exceeded 250,000 units.
Origin
Country of origin: Hungary
Designer: Rudolf Frommer
Discontinued: 1929
Notes
Shares the Frommer Stop's 1912 patents and many parts, but components such as the magazine, grips and trigger guard are largely not interchangeable. Baby-specific muzzle velocity and standalone production figures were not found; the wider Frommer Stop family exceeded 250,000 units.
Background
The Frommer Baby is a study in over-engineering: it packs Rudolf Frommer's baroque long-recoil, rotating-bolt action, a system better suited to rifles and shotguns, into a pocket pistol where a simple blowback would have done the job at a fraction of the cost. The result is one of the most eccentric and intricately machined vest-pocket pistols of the early 20th century.