Jieffeco Pistol
Janssen Fils & Cie · Pistol · Discontinued · 1908
Also known as: Janssen Fils Jieffeco, Jieffeco Old Model, Jieffeco Model 1911, Old Model Melior
Overview
The Jieffeco is a Belgian blowback-operated, striker-fired semi-automatic pocket pistol with a fixed barrel, chambered in .32 ACP (7.65mm Browning). It stems from Henri Rosier's 1908 patent (Belgian patent 24875/08) and was sold in Liege under the protected trade name "Jieffeco", derived from the initials of distributor Janssen Fils et Cie. A compact self-loader that could be field-stripped without tools, it fed from an eight-round detachable box magazine through a heel/bottom magazine release and was sold widely on the civilian and commercial markets of the early twentieth century. A smaller 6.35mm (.25 ACP) version weighing about 400 g with a six-round magazine was also offered.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 650 g (22.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 160 mm (6.30") |
| Barrel Length | 87 mm (3.43") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 8 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 290 m/s (951 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 183 J (135 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Horn |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 ACP · primary — also known as .32 Automatic, 7.65x17mm Browning SR, 7.65mm Browning
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Fixed Sights, Tool-Less Disassembly
Production
Production years: 1908-1935
Production wound down when Janssen Fils & Cie restructured on 1 January 1935.
Origin
Country of origin: Belgium
Designer: Henri Rosier
Discontinued: 1935
Notes
Sources disagree on who built the gun: the Belgian littlegun.be reference states Henri Rosier transferred his patent rights to both Janssen Fils & Cie (which marketed/manufactured the Jieffeco) and to Robar (which produced the near-identical Melior from about 1910), while several collector references credit the actual manufacture to Robar & de Kerckhove of Liege with Janssen Fils as exclusive distributor. The Jieffeco and the Old Model Melior are essentially the same design; on the Melior the magazine catch was moved to a button on the lower left grip. The "Jieffeco Model 1911" name is a later collector/encyclopedia label; period sources describe it simply as the Old Model, in production from roughly 1910 to the 1930s. Collector listings quote about 21 oz (~595 g) for the 7.65mm, consistent with the 650 g figure given by the Belgian factory references.
Background
The Jieffeco name is a phonetic spelling of the trading company's initials: "JI" for Janssen, "EFF" for Fils, "E" for et and "CO" for Co; the trademark was deposited at the Liege proof house on 8 July 1909. It was one of countless small Liege-made pocket automatics that flooded the European commercial market before the World Wars, sold under a tangle of overlapping trade names (Jieffeco, Melior, Record, Gladiator and others) all tracing back to the same Rosier blowback design.