Jieffeco Model 1922
Janssen Fils & Cie · Pistol · Discontinued · 1922
Also known as: Pistolet Automatique Jieffeco, Melior Model 1922
Overview
The Jieffeco Model 1922 is a Belgian blowback-operated, striker-fired semi-automatic pocket pistol marketed under the Jieffeco trade name of Janssen Fils & Cie of Liege and built by Robar of Liege. Chambered primarily in .25 ACP (6.35mm Browning) and also offered in .32 ACP (7.65mm Browning), it is a compact fixed-barrel vest-pocket pistol feeding from a detachable box magazine, typical of the inexpensive self-defense automatics produced by the interwar Liege gun trade. The near-identical pistol was also sold under the Melior brand.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 400 g (14.1 oz) |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 230 m/s (755 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 86 J (63 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 20 m (22 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Horn |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .25 ACP · primary — also known as 6.35x16mm Browning, 6.35mm Browning, .25 Auto
- .32 ACP — 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 Thumb Safety
- Features: Fixed Sights, Checkered Grips
Production
Production years: 1922-1935
Commercial pocket pistol distributed in the United States by Davis-Warner Arms Corporation; production wound down when Janssen Fils & Cie restructured on 1 January 1935.
Origin
Country of origin: Belgium
Designer: Henri Rosier
Discontinued: 1935
Notes
Auction and museum records identify the "Jieffeco Model 1922" as a 6.35mm (.25 ACP) semi-automatic with blued finish and checkered grips, engraved "Pistolet Automatique Jieffeco" and "Made in Liege, Belgium." The Jieffeco and Melior lines share the same Robar/Rosier blowback design; the six-round magazine figure is for the 6.35mm version. Exact dimensions for the 1922 model are not consistently documented.
Background
The Jieffeco name is a phonetic rendering of the initials of Janssen Fils et Cie (JI-EFF-E-CO); the guns were exported to America through the Davis-Warner Arms Corporation of New York and are among the countless overlapping Liege pocket-pistol brands that all trace back to the same blowback design.