Menz Liliput 4.25mm
August Menz · Pistol · Discontinued · 1923
Also known as: Liliput 4.25mm, Lilliput 4.25mm, Menz Liliput Auto
Overview
The Menz Liliput 4.25mm is a German ultra-compact blowback-operated semi-automatic vest-pocket pistol made by the August Menz company of Suhl in the 1920s. Chambered for the diminutive 4.25mm Liliput cartridge, it is among the smallest mass-produced semi-automatic handguns ever built, intended purely as a discreet concealed defensive arm. Its tiny striker-fired action competed with pocket designs like the Walther Model 9 and the FN Baby Browning, though the larger 6.35mm version of the Liliput far outsold it.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 175 g (6.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 94 mm (3.70") |
| Barrel Length | 44 mm (1.73") |
| Height | 65 mm (2.56") |
| Width | 18 mm (0.71") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 244 m/s (801 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 25 J (18 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 7 m (8 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Hard Rubber |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 4.25mm Liliput · primary — also known as 4.25mm Erika, 4.25mm Liliput Auto, 4.25 Browning
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Ultra Compact, Concealed Striker
Base model
Production
Production years: 1923-1928
Produced in far smaller numbers than the 6.35mm version
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: August Menz
Discontinued: 1928
Notes
The 4.25mm cartridge produces only about 25 joules (roughly 17 ft-lbf) of muzzle energy. The 4.25mm Liliput was far less popular than the 6.35mm chambering and was produced in much smaller numbers.
Background
The 4.25mm Liliput chambering helped popularize one of the smallest commercial centerfire cartridges ever made, with the pistol designed to vanish inside a vest pocket or palm.