The Pistolet automatique modèle 1935A (''Automatic Pistol Model 1935A'', also known as the Modèle 1935A, French Model 1935A, or M1935A) is a

semi-automatic pistol A semi-automatic pistol is a type of repeating single-chamber handgun ( pistol) that automatically cycles its action to insert the subsequent cartridge into the chamber (self-loading), but requires manual actuation of the trigger to actu ...

7.65mm Longue 7.65mm may refer to the following firearms cartridges: * .32 ACP (7.65×17mm Browning) * 7.65mm Roth–Sauer * 7.65×20mm Longue * 7.65×21mm Parabellum * 7.65×21mm Mannlicher * 7.65×25mm Borchardt The 7.65×25mm Borchardt cartridge was des ...

cartridge. It was developed to compete in the 1935–1937 French military trials conducted by the ''Commission d’Experiences Techniques de Versailles'' to select a new sidearm.

Description

The Pistolet automatique modèle 1935A was developed by the Swiss-born Charles Petter, a former captain in the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, cavalry, engineers, airborne troops. It was created in 1831 to allow foreign nationals into the French Army ...

and an engineer of the French company ''

Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques The Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques (the Alsatian Corporation of Mechanical Engineering), or SACM, is an engineering company with its headquarters in Mulhouse, Alsace, which produced railway locomotives, textile and printing mac ...

'' (SACM). Petter designed a pistol which had some of the same design elements as

John Browning John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926) was an American firearm designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms many of which are still in use around the world. He m ...

M1911 pistol The M1911 (Colt 1911 or Colt Government) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. The pistol's formal U.S. military designation as of 1940 was ''Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911'' for t ...

, such as the grooved slide and barrel which interlocked and recoiled together until a pivoting link lowered the barrel, thus unlocking the assembly and further rearward movement of the barrel and slide together, which after reaching the point of greatest movement would be returned to battery. Along the way, the slide would strip a cartridge from the magazine and push it into the chamber just prior to the under barrel link forcing the barrel up into engagement with the slide, locking the action. Petter eliminated the barrel bushing and used a full-length spring guide which had the effect of removing one of the elements of inaccuracy from the M1911 design and increased functional reliability. Petter's design was chambered for the 7.65mm Long cartridge. The pistol won the 1935–1937 competition to produce the new French military sidearm; a different pistol in the competition was the similarly named

Pistolet automatique modèle 1935S The Pistolet automatique modèle 1935S (''Automatic Pistol Model 1935S'') or Modèle (Mle.) 1935 S is a semi-automatic pistol chambered for the 7.65mm Longue cartridge. A competitor in the 1935–1937 French military trials to select a new sidearm ...

. Initial production of the 1935A began in 1937, and the pistol began delivery to the French Army in late 1939, with a total of about 10,700 pistols built before German forces occupied the SACM factory in the summer of 1940. The Germans continued production of the 1935A, now designated the "Pistole 625 (f)", with about 23,850 pistols made for the German forces. Following the end of the

German occupation German-occupied Europe refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly occupied and civil-occupied (including puppet governments) by the military forces and the government of Nazi Germany at various times between 1939 ...

of France in 1944, SACM resumed production of the 1935A for the French military, making a further 50,400 pistols. In total, about 84,950 1935A pistols were produced between October 1937 and February 1950. A unique feature of the system was an integrated fire control system. The trigger, hammer, mainspring, and sear assembly were contained in one unit. Petter's design impressed the Swiss company Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (now known as

SIG Sauer Several brother companies that design and manufacture firearms use the brand name SIG Sauer . The original company, ''Schweizerische Waggon-Fabrik'' (SWF), later ''Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft'' (SIG), went through several selloffs, ...

); in 1937, they purchased a license from SACM in order to produce their model 47/8 handgun, which became the

SIG Sauer P210 The SIG P210 (Swiss Army designation Pistole 49, the civilian model was known as SP47/8 prior to 1957) is a locked breech self loading, semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured in Neuhausen am Rheinfall (Canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerl ...

Users

*: Used also by French protectorates *: Mle 1935A designated the ''Pistole 625(f)'' *

Viet Cong , , war = the Vietnam War , image = FNL Flag.svg , caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green. , active ...

: Mle 1935A

References

* Medlin, Eugene and Colin Doane. ''The French 1935 Pistols: A Concise History''. Latham, NY: Excaliber Publications, 1995. * Medlin, Eugene and Jean Huon. ''French Service Handguns 1858–2004''. St. Louis, MO: Tommy Gun Publications, 2004.

External links

*
World Guns page

{{DEFAULTSORT:Modele 1935A Pistol Semi-automatic pistols of France World War II infantry weapons of France .32 Longue firearms Military equipment introduced in the 1930s