The
FÉG 37M is a Hungarian
semi-automatic pistol
A semi-automatic pistol (also called a self-loading pistol, autopistol, or autoloading pistol) is a repeating firearm, repeating handgun that automatically ejects and loads cartridge (firearms), cartridges in its chamber (firearms), chamber afte ...
based on a design by
Rudolf Frommer
Rudolf Frommer (fegyverneki Frommer Rudolf; 4 August 1868 – 1 September 1936) was a Hungarian weapon designer. He was raised to the Hungarian nobility with the pre-name 'fegyverneki' by Franz Joseph I for his achievements in weapons design. ...
.
Design
It was an improvement over the earlie
Frommer 29M It was made in 2 chamberings. The
.380 ACP (9x17mmSR) chambered version was used by the Hungarian Army, while the
.32 ACP (7.65x17mmSR) version was supplied to Hungary's German allies during World War II. The former, was known in Hungarian service as the M1937.
[Kokalis, Peter. ''Hungarian Small Arms in Germany's Service''. Shotgun News, 2005, Vol 59 Issue 36 p. 12-13.]
The latter, in German service during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, was known as Pistole 37(u), pistole M 37 Kal. 7,65 mm or P37. The main difference between this and the other variants is that the "German" version had a manual safety (which the Hungarian issue did not have) and was marked "Pistole M 37 Kal. 7.65" and the FEG code "jhv" and date, along with the
Waffenamt
(WaA) was the German Army Weapons Agency. It was the centre for research and development of the Weimar Republic and later the Third Reich for weapons, ammunition and army equipment to the German Reichswehr and then Wehrmacht. It was founded 8 ...
markings. Though it was produced under more strain due to the rate by which they wanted them produced, it was still a reliable pistol. 150 - 300,000 pistols were completed this way. Some partially finished post war models were also issued, and there was an attempt to produce the gun after the war, but without success.
See also
*
Weapons employed in the Slovak-Hungarian War
* ''Femaru M37 pistol explained'' - ebook by Gerard Henrotin (Published at HLebooks.com in February 2016)
References
External links
*
World War II infantry weapons
Semi-automatic pistols of Hungary
Hungarian inventions
World War II infantry weapons of Germany
Fegyver- és Gépgyár firearms
.32 ACP semi-automatic pistols
.380 ACP semi-automatic pistols
{{pistol-stub