Sauer WTM 24

J.P. Sauer & Sohn · Pistol · Discontinued · 1924

Also known as: Sauer WTM 1924, Westentaschen-Modell 1924

Overview

The Sauer WTM 24 is a compact .25 ACP (6.35mm Browning) blowback semi-automatic vest pocket pistol made by J.P. Sauer & Sohn. Introduced in 1924, the WTM (Westentaschen-Modell, 'vest pocket model') was Sauer's answer to the small Walther pocket pistols and departs from the firm's usual tubular-slide layout, resembling the Walther Model 9. Its most distinctive feature is an unusually large ejection port on top of the slide. It is striker-fired with a single-action trigger, a frame-mounted thumb safety, and a six-round detachable magazine.

Specifications

Weight (empty)340 g (12.0 oz)
Overall Length104 mm (4.09")
Barrel Length57 mm (2.24")
Action TypeBlowback
Firing MechanismStriker Fired
Trigger TypeSingle Action
Magazine Capacity6 rounds
Magazine TypeDetachable Box
Muzzle Velocity230 m/s (755 fps)
Muzzle Energy86 J (63 ft·lbf)
Effective Range15 m (16 yd)
Barrel RiflingRight Hand
Number of Grooves6
Frame MaterialSteel
Slide MaterialSteel
Barrel MaterialSteel
Stock MaterialHard Rubber
FinishBlued

Calibers

Features

Service history

Operators

Production

Estimated total produced: 8,300 · Production years: 1924-1927

First-pattern WTM; superseded by the 1928 revised model

Origin

Country of origin: Germany

Designer: J.P. Sauer & Sohn

Discontinued: 1928

Notes

Replaced in 1928 by a revised WTM model. Roughly 8,300 examples of the 1924 pattern were produced between 1924 and 1927.

Background

WTM stands for Westentaschen-Modell, German for 'vest pocket model' - the pistol was small enough to be carried discreetly in a waistcoat pocket, and its oversized top ejection port makes it instantly recognizable among interwar German pocket pistols.