The Kolibri pistol, officially known as the Kolibri Model 2 and also known as the Kolibri car pistol or Pfannl's Automat-Pistol, was an Austro-Hungarian pocket pistol designed by François Pfannl in 1914 and manufactured by Franz Pfannl Waffen- und Patronenfabrik from 1914 to 1938. It is the world's smallest production centerfire pistol.[1]
History[]
The Kolibri pistol was manufactured by Kolibri from 1914 to 1938, with less than 1,000 produced before production was interrupted due to World War I. The pistol and ammunition were designed by François "Franz" Pfannl, an Austrian watchmaker, with financial support from Georg Grabner.
Production was discontinued in 1938 due to stiff competition in the civilian firearms market and a whole host of disadvantages, the most apparent of which was its absurd lack of stopping power due to weak ammunition as a whole.[2]
Design Details[]
The weapon uses a simple blowback action, similar to most .22 pistols. Due to the small size of the weapon, it lacks any form of rifling, and as such, is very inaccurate. It was also rather difficult to load and shoot the weapon due to its small size. When fired, the cartridge has a normal muzzle velocity of about 200 meters per second (656.2 feet per second), and a pathetic muzzle energy of just 4 joules (3 foot-pounds). Due to its small cartridge, recoil is practically non-existent.
Export versions of the Kolibri appear vastly different from the ones commonly seen. Exported Kolibris have gilded finishes on their metal parts and were engraved, but other than that were completely identical. Some export versions had pearl handgrips, while some other variants had standard handgrips, but had "KREMSa/D" engravings as opposed to the standard Kolibri engraving; "KREMSa/D" is an abbreviation for Krems an der Donau where Pfannl's factories were based.[3]