Schüler Reform
August Schüler Waffenfabrik · Pistol · Discontinued · 1907
Also known as: Reform Pistole, Reform, Breveté, Schuler Reform
Overview
The Schüler Reform, also known as the Reform Pistole, is a German repeating pocket pistol chambered in .25 ACP (6.35mm Browning). Designed by August Schüler and patented in 1906, it uses four vertically stacked barrels in a single block that slides upward through the top of the frame as the trigger is pulled, indexing each successive barrel in line with the hammer. Produced in Suhl from 1907 until around 1914, it was a self-defense oddity that bridged the gap between the pepperbox and the modern semi-automatic pocket pistol.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 350 g (12.3 oz) |
| Overall Length | 133 mm (5.24") |
| Barrel Length | 75 mm (2.95") |
| Height | 108 mm (4.25") |
| Width | 20 mm (0.79") |
| Action Type | Breech Loading |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 4 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 230 m/s (755 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 86 J (63 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 10 m (11 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame 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: Manual
- Feed systems: Fixed Barrel Block
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Four Stacked Barrels, Sliding Barrel Block, Fixed Sights, Hard Rubber Grips, Double Action Trigger
Production
Production years: 1907-1914
Manufactured at August Schüler's factory in Suhl, Germany, with some licensed production elsewhere; total output unknown but considered scarce today.
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: August Schüler
Discontinued: 1914
Notes
The barrel block is raised by a rack-and-lever mechanism linked to the trigger, advancing each of the four chambers in turn. The pistol is sometimes marked 'Breveté' or with its patent number D.R.P. 177023.
Background
A curiosity of the early 20th-century pocket-pistol era, the Reform replaced the rotating cylinder of a revolver with a sliding stack of four barrels, an ingenious but short-lived answer to making a small, flat, concealable repeater before the semi-automatic pocket pistol made such designs obsolete.