Menz Model IIIA
August Menz Waffenfabrik · Pistol · Discontinued · 1933
Also known as: Menz Modell IIIA, Menz III A
Overview
The Menz Model IIIA is a German blowback-operated, striker-fired semi-automatic pocket pistol chambered in 7.65mm Browning (.32 ACP), produced by the August Menz firm of Suhl from about 1933. It belongs to Menz's 'Polizei- und Behordenpistole' (police and law-agencies pistol) series and is a striker-fired variant of the single-action Model III, dispensing with the Model III's external hammer in favour of an internal striker like the maker's earlier Liliput and Menta pistols while retaining a single-action trigger. It is one of the rarest and most sought-after Menz designs, with very few examples known to collectors today.
Specifications
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 300 m/s (984 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 200 J (148 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| 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: Striker Fired, Concealable, Fixed Sights
Production
Production years: 1933-1937
Extremely scarce; production likely limited before August Menz was absorbed by other Suhl gunmaking concerns in the late 1930s.
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Discontinued: 1937
Notes
The Model IIIA sits within the Menz Model III/IIIA/IV/IVA police-pistol series introduced around 1933. Where the Model III used an external hammer with a single-action trigger set in the rear of the trigger guard, the IIIA is striker-fired with no external hammer; the Model IV is a double-action-only hammer pistol. Physical dimensions are not documented in surviving references owing to the design's extreme rarity.
Background
Marketed as a 'police and authorities' pistol, the striker-fired Model IIIA is so rarely encountered that it is considered one of the ultra-rare crown jewels of any August Menz collection.