Stock Pistol
Franz Stock Maschinen- und Werkzeugfabrik · Pistol · Discontinued · 1920
Also known as: Franz Stock, Stock Berlin
Overview
The Stock pistol was a well-made German blowback pocket and service automatic produced by the Franz Stock machine and tool works of Berlin from the early 1920s. Designed around patents granted to Walter Decker, it used a fixed barrel rigidly fastened to the frame with the recoil spring concentric around the barrel, an arrangement that aided accuracy and gave the pistol a reputation for fine fit and machining. The principal 7.65mm (.32 ACP) version held eight rounds; a smaller 6.35mm (.25 ACP) pocket model and a long-barrelled .22 target version were also made.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 655 g (23.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 173 mm (6.81") |
| Barrel Length | 101 mm (3.98") |
| Height | 115 mm (4.53") |
| Width | 28 mm (1.10") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 8 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 285 m/s (935 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 187 J (138 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Hard Rubber |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 ACP · primary — also known as .32 Auto, 7.65mm Browning, 7.65x17mmSR
- .25 ACP — 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 Barrel, Concentric Recoil Spring, Fine Machining
Service history
Operators
- Berlin Police
- Austrian Customs Service
Production
Estimated total produced: 45,000 · Production years: 1920-1940
Fewer than 50,000 of all types (7.65mm, 6.35mm, .22 LR) over about twenty years
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Walter Decker
Discontinued: 1940
Notes
About 45,000 to fewer than 50,000 pistols of all types were made over roughly two decades. Known users were limited to the Berlin police and the Austrian customs service; the gun was primarily a high-quality commercial product.
Background
Although the pistols carry the Franz Stock name, the design originated with engineer Walter Decker, whose patents from 1915-1920 underpinned the fixed-barrel, concentric-spring layout.