The Reform Pistole, better known today as the Schüler Reform, is a .25 ACP

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 ...

Suhl Suhl () is a city in Thuringia, Germany, located SW of Erfurt, NE of Würzburg and N of Nuremberg. With its 37,000 inhabitants, it is the smallest of the six urban districts within Thuringia. Together with its northern neighbour-town Zella ...

, August Schüler Waffenfabrik, as well as some licensed production at other factories. It is sometimes known as the Breveté, due to stamping on the magazine referring to "patented", or D.R.P 177023, its patent number. The Reform is a unique attempt to reduce the bulk of a traditional

double-action Double action (or double-action) refers to one of two systems in firearms where the trigger both cocks and releases the hammer. * Double-action only (DAO) firearms trigger: The trigger both cocks and releases the hammer. There is no single-action ...

revolver A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...

. It replaces the

cylinder A cylinder () has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may also be defined as an infinite ...

with a

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

-like block of four chambers and barrels arranged vertically. Each barrel holds one cartridge, and the entire assembly is slid down into the frame of the pistol, not unlike the clip seen on a top-load

bolt action Bolt action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by ''directly'' manipulating the turn-bolt via a bolt handle, most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the firearm (as most users are right-handed). The majority of b ...

rifle. When loading the magazine, the uppermost barrel stops slightly below the hammer. The friction provided by a small spring-loaded stud at the bottom rear of the magazine prevents it from falling out of the gun. Connected to the trigger is a lever that moves upward when the trigger is pulled. The lever engages a rack-like series of indentations on the back of the magazine that raises the magazine so that the next barrel to fire is moved in line with the

hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nail (fastener), nails into wood, to sh ...

. The mechanism is similar to the action used by most revolvers to spin the cylinder one position. At the end of the trigger pull the hammer is released and fires that round. The lower three barrels have a small hole drilled into the barrel above them. When any of these were fired, gas from the round is ported into the barrel above, ejecting the cartridge case rearward. The hammer has a large extension on the top that deflects the shell away from the user's face. Because the bottom-most barrel has no next round to eject it, that shell must be removed manually. A notch on the top of the magazine aids in removing it upward by pinching the notches with the forefinger and thumb.

References

External links

Review: the Schüler Reform pistol - a 4-barrel German "revolver"
.25 ACP semi-automatic pistols Early semi-automatic pistols Semi-automatic pistols of Germany {{Pistol-stub