Frommer M1901
Fémáru-, Fegyver és Gépgyár (FÉG) · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1901
Also known as: Frommer 1901, Frommer Model 1901, Roth-Frommer 1901
Overview
The Frommer M1901 was the first pistol designed by the self-taught Hungarian engineer Rudolf Frommer and built by Fémáru-, Fegyver és Gépgyár (FÉG) in Budapest. It is a large single-action semi-automatic pistol using Frommer's signature long-recoil action with a rotating bolt, in which the barrel and bolt travel rearward together before the bolt rotates to unlock. Ammunition was held in a fixed ten-round internal magazine in the grip that was charged from the open breech using a stripper clip, and it fired an 8mm bottlenecked cartridge later standardized as the 8mm Roth-Steyr. Only around 200 were made before the design was revised, and the pistol was submitted to United States military testing in 1904.
Specifications
| Action Type | Long Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 330 m/s (1083 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 390 J (288 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 8mm Roth-Steyr · primary — also known as 8x18.5mm Roth-Steyr, 8mm Roth M7, 8mm Roth
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Internal Magazine, Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Long Recoil Action, Rotating Bolt, Fixed Internal Magazine, Stripper Clip Loading, External Spur Hammer, Lanyard Ring
Production
Estimated total produced: 200 · Production years: 1901-1903
Only about 200 made before the design was revised; extremely scarce today
Origin
Country of origin: Hungary
Designer: Rudolf Frommer
Discontinued: 1903
Notes
Very rare; roughly 200 examples were produced circa 1901-1903. Exact weight and dimensions of the M1901 are poorly documented — closely related later Frommer long-recoil pistols such as the Model 1906 weighed about 640 g with a 159 mm barrel and 275 mm overall length. The 8mm cartridge it fired would have been called the 8mm Frommer had the pistol succeeded; it is essentially the same round later used in the Roth-Steyr M1907.
Background
The M1901 was Rudolf Frommer's very first pistol design and launched a family of unusual long-recoil Hungarian handguns; it was tested by the U.S. military in 1904, where evaluators criticized its stripper-clip feed, its cartridge power, and the way the open action obscured the sights.