SEAM Silesia

Sociedad Española de Armas y Municiones (S.E.A.M.) · Pistol · Discontinued · 1925

Also known as: Silesia, SEAM 6.35mm, SEAM .25 Auto

Overview

The SEAM Silesia is a Spanish .25 ACP semi-automatic vest-pocket pistol produced in Eibar by Sociedad Española de Armas y Municiones (S.E.A.M.). A compact blowback-operated design styled closely after the German Walther Model 9, it was one of the many small, inexpensive pocket pistols turned out by the Eibar gun trade during the interwar period for concealed civilian carry and the export market. It fed from a six-round detachable box magazine and was marketed under the 'Silesia' trade name.

Specifications

Weight (empty)255 g (9.0 oz)
Overall Length100 mm (3.94")
Barrel Length51 mm (2.01")
Height75 mm (2.95")
Action TypeBlowback
Firing MechanismStriker Fired
Trigger TypeSingle Action
Magazine Capacity6 rounds
Magazine TypeDetachable Box
Muzzle Velocity230 m/s (755 fps)
Muzzle Energy87 J (64 ft·lbf)
Effective Range7 m (8 yd)
Barrel RiflingRight Hand
Number of Grooves6
Frame MaterialSteel
Slide MaterialSteel
Barrel MaterialSteel
FinishBlued

Calibers

Features

Production

Production years: 1920s-1930s

Production largely tied to the interwar Eibar gun trade; output curtailed by the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)

Origin

Country of origin: Spain

Discontinued: 1936

Notes

The 'Silesia' name was one of several trade names applied by the Eibar makers and dealers; the pistol itself is a close copy of the Walther Model 9. Like most Eibar pocket pistols of the era it was a budget-priced export item rather than a service arm.

Background

During the early 20th century the town of Eibar in Spain's Basque Country was a hive of small workshops producing thousands of low-cost pocket pistols copied from Browning and Walther patterns. The SEAM Silesia is a typical product of this trade: a pocketable .25 styled after the Walther Model 9 and sold under an export brand name.