Menz Model IV
August Menz Waffenfabrik · Pistol · Discontinued · 1933
Also known as: Menz Modell IV, Mod. Menz Cal 7,65
Overview
The Menz Model IV is a German double-action-only blowback semi-automatic pocket pistol chambered in 7.65mm Browning (.32 ACP), produced by the August Menz firm of Suhl from about 1933. Part of Menz's early-1930s series of police and law-enforcement pistols, it is mechanically identical to the single-action Model III but fires double-action-only, using an external hammer and a free-floating trigger set in the middle of the trigger guard. It was one of the rarest and most expensive Menz designs, with very few examples known today.
Specifications
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double 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: Exposed Hammer, Loaded Chamber Indicator, Free Floating Trigger
Variants
- Menz Model IVA - Trigger
Production
Production years: 1933-1937
Extremely scarce; very low serial numbers known. Production likely limited before August Menz was absorbed by Bergmann Erben in the late 1930s.
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Discontinued: 1937
Notes
Sits within the Menz Model III/IIIA/IV/IVA police-pistol series introduced around 1933. The Model IIIA was a striker-fired version without an external hammer, while the Model IVA is reported to have combined single- and double-action fire. A surviving Model IV bearing serial number 7 and the simplified inscription 'Mod MENZ Cal 7,65' suggests the design may never have reached full-scale production.
Background
Surviving Menz Model IV pistols are so rare that collectors have questioned whether the model ever entered true series production - one known example carries the single-digit serial number 7.