World Guns

Borchart Pistol The onset of 1893 saw the advent of the Borchardt pistol in 7.63 mm Mauser, designed by Hugo Borchardt and manufactured by the German arms concern Ludwig Loewe, Berlin. While other designers had created self-loading pistols in the past, only the Borchardt sold in appreciable numbers. The Borchardt utilized a toggle lock, but housed the locking mechanism and springs in a large, bulbous assemblage at the rear of the receiver. To make matters worse, the grip of the Borchardt quite nearly ran in a vertical direction, providing an uncomfortable grip angle. Borchardt thought his design quite adequate, but in addition to its bulky nature, the Borchardt pistol proved expensive to produce. Georg Luger, who had engaged himself in designing rifle magazines for the Loewe company (now renamed Deutsche Waffen und Munition Fabrik), studied the Borchardt design. Between 1895 and 1897, Luger modified the Borchardt, producing a small number of prototype weapons chambered in 7.65 mm Parabellum. While the Luger retained the toggle lock design, it did away with the cumbersome attachment at the rear of the receiver, moving the locking assembly over the grip. The grip itself had a new shape and a vastly improved angle, improving handling. While elegant, the Luger design required additional work.