Watch: Bergmann Model 2 / 1896 Semi-Automatic Pistol

We recently looked at the Bergmann 1894 No. 1; this is the next step in design evolution for the design, which was the brainchild of Schmeisser but was bankrolled by (and thus branded under the name of) Bergmann.

He examines six individual guns, looking at the differences between them: Which ones have extractors, which ones have fixed or folding triggers, etc.

It’s a so-called pocket pistol, chambered for a wimpy round that in no way justifies the large size of the gun. The 5mm Bergmann — roughly .20 caliber and, amazingly, centerfire — fired 35-grain bullets at about 580 fps… falling far short of even the tiny 22 Short rimfire cartridge.

Some have folding triggers; others have fixed triggers.

The folding trigger looks like it would be a long reach, but Ian says it fits pretty well.

Ian says this in the video description:

The No. 2 was Bergmann’s first offering of a civilian pocket pistol, introduced in 1896 alongside the larger-framed No. 3 and No. 4 pistols. It was chambered for a truly anemic 5mm cartridge, using a simple blowback system simplified from the first Bergmann-Schmeisser design. It used a 5-round Mannlicher-style en bloc clip, and early examples did not actually have extractors. This was changed fairly quickly, however. The most notable factory option was a folding trigger, which was only available on the No. 2.

And here’s the video.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.