Phoenix Model 1920
Phoenix Arms Company · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1920
Also known as: Phoenix Pocket Automatic, Phoenix .25 Automatic, Phoenix Lowell Mass.
Overview
The Phoenix Model 1920 is a .25 ACP (6.35mm Browning) semi-automatic vest-pocket pistol marketed in the early 1920s by the Phoenix Arms Company of Lowell, Massachusetts. The gun is a rebranded Belgian Melior/Jieffeco-pattern pocket automatic produced by Robar et de Kerkhove of Liege; Phoenix imported the finished pistols and leftover Belgian parts and stamped them with its own name. Documented specimens are marked 'PHOENIX LOWELL, MASS. U.S.A. PATENT' with PHOENIX on the grip plates. Like its Melior Old Model parent it is a striker-fired simple blowback derived from John Browning's FN Model 1900/1906 layout, with a separate breechblock and a recoil-spring arrangement above the barrel. With a 55mm barrel, 116mm overall length and a 6-round magazine, it was sold as a compact, easily concealed self-defense arm. A small number were also chambered in .32 ACP.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 350 g (12.3 oz) |
| Overall Length | 116 mm (4.57") |
| Barrel Length | 55 mm (2.17") |
| Height | 90 mm (3.54") |
| Width | 22 mm (0.87") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 230 m/s (755 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 86 J (63 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 15 m (16 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .25 ACP · primary — also known as 6.35x16mm Browning, 6.35mm Browning, .25 Auto
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Fixed Sights, Pocket Pistol
Production
Production years: 1920-1922
Limited commercial run; assembled from imported Belgian Melior/Jieffeco pistols and leftover Robar parts. Documented serials are low (e.g. No. 108), indicating a very small distribution. Rare as a collector's piece.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Robar et de Kerkhove (after John M. Browning FN 1900 pattern)
Discontinued: 1922
Notes
Not related to the modern Phoenix Arms Company of Ontario, California (maker of the HP25A). The Lowell, Massachusetts firm of the early 1920s was an importer/marketer of Belgian-made Melior/Jieffeco pistols rather than a true domestic manufacturer. A 6.35mm specimen bearing serial No. 108 and marked only 'PHOENIX LOWELL, MASS. U.S.A. PATENT' has been documented; surviving examples are scarce among collectors. Dimensions and weight here are those of the Melior/Jieffeco Old Model on which the Phoenix is based.
Background
When the Liege firm Robar et de Kerkhove shifted to an FN 1910-based design after World War One, the Phoenix Arms Company of Lowell, Massachusetts acquired the remaining Melior/Jieffeco pistols and parts, restamped them 'PHOENIX LOWELL, MASS. U.S.A. PATENT', and sold them on the American market as the Phoenix pocket automatic in both .25 and .32 ACP.