Langenhan FL Selbstlader
Friedrich Langenhan Gewehr- und Fahrradfabrik · Pistol · Discontinued · 1914
Also known as: FL Selbstlader, F.L. Selbstlader, Langenhan Selbstlader, Langenhan Model I
Overview
The Langenhan FL Selbstlader is a German blowback-operated semi-automatic pistol chambered in .32 ACP, designed by Friedrich Langenhan and produced in Zella-Mehlis from 1914 to 1917. Adopted as a substitute standard sidearm by the Imperial German Army during World War I, it was fed from an eight-round single-stack detachable box magazine. Its most distinctive and notorious feature was the breechblock retained by a stirrup-style lock that also formed the rear sight, secured by a single screw; if that screw loosened, the breechblock could fly back toward the shooter's face, earning the design a dangerous reputation. About 55,000 were built.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 650 g (22.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 170 mm (6.69") |
| Barrel Length | 100 mm (3.94") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 8 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 282 m/s (925 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 188 J (139 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
- .32 ACP · primary — also known as .32 Auto, 7.65x17mm Browning, 7.65mm Browning
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Fixed Barrel, Single Stack Magazine
Service history
Operators
- Imperial German Army · adopted 1915
- German Police
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Estimated total produced: 55,000 · Production years: 1914-1917
Produced for the Imperial German Army during World War I; later used by German police in the interwar period.
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Friedrich Langenhan
Discontinued: 1917
Notes
The breechblock is held by a stirrup lock that doubles as the rear sight and is secured by a single screw, which could work loose under firing and allow the breechblock to be propelled rearward. After roughly the first 4,000 pistols, the design was revised with an enlarged and protected ejection port and checkered hard-rubber grip panels in place of wood.
Background
The Langenhan firm of Zella-Mehlis traced its roots to a family of gunsmiths dating to the 18th century and also manufactured bicycles. The FL Selbstlader's screw-retained stirrup breechblock made it one of the more infamous service pistols of the Great War, as the single retaining screw could loosen and let the breechblock blow back into the firer.