Passler & Seidl 1887
Passler & Seidl · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1887
Also known as: Passler Model 1887, Passler-Seidl Repeating Pistol, Passler 1887 Ring Trigger Pistol
Overview
The Passler & Seidl 1887 is an exceptionally rare manually-operated repeating pistol built in Vienna in the late 1880s. Patented first by Franz Passler in Austria and then jointly with Ferdinand Seidl in Germany, it uses a rotating-barrel mechanism actuated by a ring trigger: pushing the ring forward opens the breech and pulling it back chambers a fresh round and closes the breech, fed from a Mannlicher-style clip dropped into the bottom of the frame and pushed up by a long spring-loaded arm. Functionally similar to the contemporary 1887 Schulhof design but with a simplified, more durable and more easily manufactured internal layout, it represents a transitional bridge between the hand-operated repeaters of the 1880s and the first true semi-automatic handguns of the 1890s. Surviving examples are chambered for a .32 Short Revolver-class (7.7 mm) centrefire cartridge. Only about 100 to 150 examples were assembled, virtually all differing in detail, and the design achieved no commercial success before being superseded by Gustav Bittner's 1893 repeater.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 900 g (31.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 330 mm (12.99") |
| Barrel Length | 146 mm (5.75") |
| Action Type | Rotating Barrel |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Ring Trigger |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal Clip |
| Muzzle Velocity | 207 m/s (679 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 118 J (87 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 20 m (22 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 S&W · primary — also known as .32 S&W Short, .32 Short Revolver, 7.7mm
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Mannlicher Clip
- Features: Rotating Barrel, Ring Trigger, Mannlicher Clip Feed, Fixed Sights, Checkered Walnut Grips, Lanyard Ring
Production
Estimated total produced: 150 · Production years: 1887-1890
Roughly 100 to 150 pistols assembled in total under Passler and the Passler & Seidl partnership; nearly every example shows individual variations, indicating hand manufacture.
Origin
Country of origin: Austria
Designer: Franz Passler, Ferdinand Seidl
Discontinued: 1890
Notes
Auction specimens are documented in a .32 Short Revolver / 7.7 mm centrefire chambering (one catalogued as 7.7 mm Bittner) with barrels of roughly 5.5 to 5.75 inches (about 130 to 146 mm) and an overall length near 330 mm; a 7.5 mm variant is also recorded. Magazine sources cite a 5-round Mannlicher clip, though a 6-round figure also appears. Receivers carry a four-line address marking 'WELT / PATENT / PASSLER & SEIDL / WEIN'. Each pistol was essentially hand-fitted, so dimensions and details vary between specimens. The earlier attribution to an 8 mm Bergmann cartridge is anachronistic (that round dates to 1894).
Background
Franz Passler and Ferdinand Seidl formed a short-lived Vienna partnership to build manually-operated repeating pistols, competing against the Schulhof and Bittner designs in the race to a practical repeating handgun before the semi-automatic pistol matured in the 1890s. The design is closely tied to Gustav Bittner's Vejprty workshop and is regarded as a direct forerunner of the Bittner 1893 repeater that supplanted it.