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Fritz Mann Model 1921 – A Truly Odd .25 ACP Pistol By Friedrich Seiltgen

In 1896, Fritz Mann opened for business in Suhlerneundorf, Thüringen, as the Fritz Mann Feinmaschinen — Waffen — und Werkzeugfabrik. This translates to Machinery — Weapons — and Tools factory. Fritz also produced small engines, ski accessories, helmets, and auto parts.

Fritz Mann Model 1921 pistol
The Fritz Mann 1921 vest pocket pistol shown with a 3 mark silver coin and a small pocketknife for scale. Image: Author

In 1918, at the end of World War I and the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm, Fritz Mann ventured into the firearms trade to dominate the vest-pocket pistol market.

At the time, small concealable pistols were all the rage, and the FN Model 1906 was perhaps the most popular vest-pocket pistol of the day. It featured a spring-loaded striker inside the breech block and was widely copied, particularly by Spanish gun manufacturers.

Fritz Mann Model 1921 pistol with magazine
The Fritz Mann 1921 vest pocket pistol shown with its 5-round magazine. Note that the pistol does not have a reciprocating slide assembly. Image: Author

Fritz began work on the smallest, thinnest, most concealable .25 ACP pistol ever made, using his concentric-ring blowback principle, and in 1920, he introduced it to the world. The next year brought a few more changes and refinements, and it was redesignated the Fritz Mann Model 1921.

In 1925, with Mann’s brother, Otto, and son Willi on board, the company reorganized and became the Fritz Mann Maschinenfabrik Suhl-Neundorf.

Blowback Operating System Types

A blowback operating system uses energy from expanding gases to push the slide or bolt rearward and eject the spent cartridge case.

Fritz Mann pistol field stripped
The Fritz Mann 1921 pistol shown about 90% disassembled with the barrel, striker, striker spring, cocking knob, grips, trigger lever cover, recoil spring, and guide rod removed. Image: Author

The straight-blowback system uses the mass of the bolt and tension of the recoil spring to hold the bolt or slide closed. A great example is the Springfield Armory SAINT Victor 9mm pistol.

There are also delayed-blowback operating systems. The Springfield Armory Kuna 9mm uses a roller-delayed blowback operation. The rollers in the bolt will lock, delaying rearward travel until chamber pressure drops to a safe level. For more information on these operating systems, check out this excellent piece by Robert A. Sadowski: “Know Your Blowback? Roller Delayed Vs. Blowback.”

Chamber Ring Delayed Blowback

Since Mann wanted the lightest pistol possible, these types of blowback systems were out of the question. Fritz came up with the idea of Chamber Ring Blowback, which is the heart of the pistol. This system allowed the elimination of a slide from the design, which contains the breech block.

right side of Fritz Man pistol Model 1921
The right side of the pistol has “Made in Germany” and a proof mark featuring a Crown and N near the trigger, and on the barrel, visible through the ejection port. Image: Author

The Mann design uses a concentric ring machined in the chamber. When a round is fired, the pressure forces the case to flood into this ring, bulging it and delaying the chamber’s opening. In this manner, the pistol does not require a slide to operate.

Fritz Mann Pistol Design

The design of this pistol is obviously quite unique. The frame is a single piece of steel, with no slide. The design uses a moving breech block. On top of the frame is a channel used as a sight with a small front sight. As this pistol was designed for close-in personal protection, the sight seemed to be more of an afterthought.

Fritz Mann frame with ejector
On the inside left of the pistol is a metal bar. The forward section is a loaded-chamber indicator, while the aft section has a ledge that serves as an ejector. Image: Author

Above the barrel, the recoil spring and guide rod are attached to a cocking knob at the rear of the pistol. The external cocking piece is also attached to the bolt and striker tube.

The safety is located on the left side of the pistol, marked by a capital “S & F”. This only disengages the trigger bar, as there is no firing-pin safety. The Mann pistol has a loaded chamber indicator on the left side.

barrel chamber for Fritz Mann Model 25 ACP handgun
Inside the chamber, you can see the machined groove, which is the heart of the concentric ring blowback system. Image: Author

If a round is chambered, a pin on the exterior of the ejector protrudes through the frame. If the safety is in the “safe” position, the pin protrudes behind it, making it more difficult to move into the “fire” position. If the safety is in the fire position, the shooter can feel the pin and verify that a round is chambered.

The magazine release is located on the front of the grip near the bottom. Its placement there was another way to keep the pistol slim without having a magazine release protruding from the side.

The first variant of the Mann pistol was manufactured in 1920. These early guns came with aluminum grips, while 1921 models used hard plastic grips with the Mann logo embossed in an oval.

The frame uses a T-shape to keep the pistol compact, and the barrel placement features a low bore axis.

Patents Galore

Fritz Mann received four patents for the design of this pistol. The locking breech that uses a rotary bearing on the barrel for quick removal, the indirect safety for the trigger bar, the combined ejector and loaded chamber indicator, and the chamber groove.

Barrel

Fritz Mann Model 1921 pistol barrel
The Fritz Mann barrel is only 1.65″ long. It is relatively easy to remove from the handgun when being field-stripped. Image: Author

The barrel is manufactured with a 3mm-wide x 0.1mm-deep circular groove in the chamber. It’s beveled, with no sharp edges to prevent a case rupture. The barrel is easily removed. After pulling the cocking piece rearward, the barrel is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise and pulled out.

Magazine

The five-round magazine for the Mann pistol is made of a very thin metal. Once again, this was done to maintain the pistol’s slim design. They are nickel-plated, with four holes on the side for a visual round count. The baseplate is held in place by flanges that are bent over from the sides of the magazine tube.

Field Stripping the Fritz Mann Pistol

  1. Ensure the pistol and magazine are unloaded.
  2. Pull the trigger to unlock the striker.
  3. Pull the breech to the rear, turn the barrel 90 degrees counterclockwise, and pull out the barrel.
  4. Unscrew the bolt spring and remove the guide rod.
  5. Unscrew the cocking knob and remove the striker and spring.
  6. Remove the grips and trigger bar, with the safety lever in the middle position.
  7. Remove the trigger assembly and magazine catch.
  8. Remove the indicator pin and ejector.
  9. Pull out the breech assembly through the front part of the frame.

Operation

After the loaded magazine is inserted, a round is chambered by pulling the cocking piece to the rear, allowing the spring to drive it forward. As the bolt goes into battery, the trigger lever engages the out-of-battery scallop cut on the bottom of the bolt. The end of the case pushes against the loaded chamber indicator.

Fritz Mann striker with conical tip
The striker is machined with a conical shape, making it less likely to break. Image: Author

After the round is fired, the cartridge casing expands to fill the concentric ring cut into the chamber. Now that the case has expanded, the extractor cannot remove the casing from the breech until the pressure drops and the casing returns to near its original shape. The ejector ledge then kicks the casing out, and another round is fed in.

Fritz Mann Model 1921 Specifications

  • Type: Pistol
  • Caliber: .25 ACP
  • Action: Chamber ring blowback
  • Overall Length: 4.1”
  • Barrel Length: 1.65”
  • Height: 2.7”
  • Width: 0.56” at the top, and 0.74” at the grips.
  • Weight: 0.5 lbs.

Legacy

While the Fritz Mann Pistol was an ingenious design, it unfortunately was not popular enough and production of the Model 1921 was discontinued after only four years.

size of Fritz Mann pistol Model 1921
The Fritz Mann 1921 is fairly small at 4.1″ long and 2.7″ tall. Considering the machining and material available more than 100 years ago, the miniaturization is fairly impressive. Image: Author

In Autumn 1923, Mann designed a conventional-style pistol in .32 ACP and 9mm that looked strikingly similar to the FN 1906. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to keep the company afloat. With a combination of Weimar inflation and World War II on the horizon, the company folded in 1938 after producing approximately 20,000 of the 1921 pistols and approximately 4,000 of the .32 and 9mm pistols.

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Trump DOJ Moves To Voluntarily Dismiss Appeal In Post Office Firearms Ban Ruling by Mark Chesnut

As many TTAG readers likely remember, when a federal court ruled last September that the blanket ban on firearms in post offices was unconstitutional, the federal government tried to severely limit the scope of the ruling to those who were Second Amendment Foundation members when the suit was originally filed.

Plaintiffs pushed back — and the court sided with SAF

Plaintiffs responded by filing a brief critical of the Department of Justice effort to limit the ruling. SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut said at the time: “The critical thing to remember here is that the government is fighting tooth and nail to continue enforcing an unconstitutional law against as many people as possible.”

The court subsequently rejected the government’s effort to restrict that relief to only those who were members when the lawsuit was filed. Now, in a major reversal, the Trump DOJ has now asked to abandon its appeal in the case.

FPC v. Blanche started in 2024 — and now it’s over

Originally filed in June 2024, FPC v. Blanche, formerly FPC v. Bondi, challenged the ban on firearms carry in U.S. Post Offices and on postal property. SAF was joined in the case by the Firearms Policy Coalition and two private citizens.

SAF: The injunction is now permanent — the win stands

“This is huge news for SAF members,” Bill Sack, SAF senior director of legal operations, said in a news release announcing the DOJ move. “We now have finality and clarity that the hard-fought injunction we secured on behalf of our members, striking down the post office carry ban is the permanent outcome of the case.

The government appears to now agree, especially in light of the recent Wolford decision, that the ban on the lawful carry of firearms in post offices fails constitutional muster.”

Gottlieb: The DOJ saw the writing on the wall

Alan M. Gottlieb, SAF founder and executive vice president, said the government rightly “saw the writing on the wall” that it was not going to win the case.

“We certainly appreciate the DOJ recognizing the facts and voluntarily dismissing their appeal,” Gottlieb said. “With this injunction in hand, SAF has once again fulfilled its mission of defending, securing and restoring the Second Amendment rights for its members as well as the public at large.”

Combs: The DOJ deserves no credit for finally abandoning an unconstitutional law

Speaking for his organization, FPC President Brandon Combs said the Trump DOJ “spent far too long defending an immoral and unconstitutional ban that treated peaceable Americans like criminals.”

“Now, after losing on the merits and failing to gut the relief protecting our members, the government is finally waving the white flag. Good,” Combs said. “This victory protects every present and future member of the FPC Grassroots Army, and it proves once again that membership can have real, direct consequences for the exercise of constitutional rights.”

 

“But the government deserves no credit for finally abandoning its authoritarian effort to preserve an unconstitutional and immoral law. FPC will continue to Fight Forward until every unconstitutional gun ban is eliminated, full stop.”

The court called out the DOJ’s associational standing arguments

While gun-rights groups had battled hard against the federal government to get the ban overturned, until the recent reversal the DOJ argument that the scope should be limited was a lame one. And the court found the DOJ’s argument unconvincing.

“Despite its arguments, the Government has not provided, and the Court has not found, a case limiting injunctive relief to only those members of an association at the time a lawsuit is filed,” the court wrote in its ruling. “And while Plaintiffs could have sought class certification, they apparently also relied instead on associational standing — which the Government seemingly agrees they have in some form.”

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This great Nation & Its People

Unsung Heroes By Jeff “Tank” Hoover

A young Tank, and his cousin Jay.

The older I get, the more I dislike funerals. This story honors the unsung heroes whose uniforms consist of coveralls and work boots. Their superpowers include the ability to work 16–18-hour days, seven days a week, without complaint. This is their code of honor. The people I’m talking about are our nation’s dairy farmers. I’m proud to say both my grandfathers wore overalls to work, and five of seven uncles were also dairy farmers.

The homemade wood stove in the “butcher shop” built by Brian.

Farmers are the anchor of the community because of the strong work ethic, reliability and sense of right-doing they possess. They’re stewards of land entrusted to them, as well as the cows they raise, milking them twice a day — every day! When there’s a death in the family, the cows still need milking. Their needs never stop. I’ve witnessed this with my uncles when my grandfather died.

Immediately responding to my grandmother’s call, they notified the proper people and were milking cows 20 minutes later. It’s a labor of love for sure — for the land, cows, and dedicated lifestyle they live. Farming is surely not for the timid or weak of heart.

First Friends

They say your cousins are the first friends you make. This was true in my family. While my mom and dad grew up on dairy farms, they chose to move south, near Washington, D.C., to pursue other gainful employment. However, the first week of summer vacation, starting with kindergarten, Mom got me a buzz haircut, 3 pairs of Wrangler jeans, and packs of new underwear and T-shirts, the dairy farmer uniform.

While I was there, my cousins would visit my grandmother, establishing friendships that have carried on to this day. Besides summer vacation, the family would gather at Grandma and Pap’s for the big holidays, where I’d rekindle my relationships with my cousins.

My cousin Jay was two years younger than me, so it was only natural we’d pal around during visits to Grandma and Pap’s, the given Pennsylvania names for practically all grandparents. Since June was always the start of summer vacation, we’d help my uncles bale hay. Being young, we did the best we could, but we pitched in, if only to fetch a jug of lemonade for my uncles.

What the “butcher shop” lacked in style was more than made up in the closeness, warmth and fellowship it provided.

Jay during better times.

Butcher Shop

As time went by, school, sports and other distractions got in the way of my visits to the farm and my cousins, but we always got together for my grandmother’s Christmas party the first Saturday after Christmas. What started as a gathering of young families at one dining table blossomed into 63 people sitting at several different tables in my grandparents’ basement.

After I hired on with the county police, things settled down, and I started going up to my grandparents every week of deer season. My cousins Brad and Jay took over their family farm, which had a makeshift “butcher shop.” After opening day, everyone stopped by with or without their deer, to skin their buck, catch up, have a drink, eat food and warm up by the homemade wood stove my cousin Brian made from two 55- gallon barrels.

All was great. My Pap, uncles, and cousins all looked forward to the butcher shop shenanigans. Ever so slowly, the participants started changing. My cousin’s kids started showing up as older relatives retired to the happy hunting ground. At the blink of an eye, somehow, we became the older guys in the background as the youngsters reached their prime. It’s a natural cycle that’s hard to accept. Where’s that eternal fountain of youth when you need it?

This is what Tank saw, pulling up to the church. Who knew a tractor and hay wagon could cause so much emotion.

Jay

My cousin Jay sadly joined the clan of the Happy Hunting grounds last week as this is being written. It hit close to home, too close, with him being two years younger than me. That damn glioblastoma finally won after he battled so bravely and valiantly. His son and daughters stepped up, taking care of him at his worst. Jay was stubborn, fighting for his life as he continued his farm chores by some miracle.

He was a farmer through and through! He loved his cows, the land, and the hard work required to run a farm. You’d sweat just watching him work. He did so with his brother, Brad, for 45 years, give or take. They say a man always feels better by how much dirt he has under his fingernails. Of course, we’re metaphorically speaking, but Jay thrived on this hard work, and you could tell he loved what he was doing.

He poured his blood, sweat and tears into his life’s work. Just about every Christmas, he’d show up to Grandma’s party sporting a split lip, a gash above his eye, a stoved finger, and always a black fingernail, explaining the injury with a funny story. “That damn breaker bar got the better of me, but I had the last laugh …”

Like most farmers, he was resourceful, able to fix tractors, machinery, or anything mechanical, with baling wire, duct tape and ingenuity. He loved to hunt, yet only had one rifle, a Remington Model 700 BDL .270 he got for high school graduation.

Jay loved talking about farming. When my daughter Samantha showed interest in becoming a veterinarian, his ears perked up, and they would talk about it at length. Samantha said it was Jay’s influence that made her choose large animals.

He helped coordinate visits with his own vet, Dr. Shawn, so Samantha could shadow him for a few days on three different occasions. Whenever I was in town, Jay would want the low-down on Samantha’s progress. He was truly interested and cared about her future.

No matter how dire the circumstances, farmers never lose faith.

Newborn calves need to warm if it’s too cold outside. Jay told us the first two hours were critical.
It must have been cold that day. Who else but a farmer would do this?

Jay was always sharing his love for farming, especially with his grandkids!

The last hayride.

Even at his worst, Jay looked after his cows.

Tractor Pull

Pulling up to the church, I saw Jay’s tractor hooked to his hay wagon — for his final hayride. I was doing well holding my emotions in until seeing this, when the floodgates opened. During the service, Jay’s faith was talked about. When you think about it, farmers live on faith! Their very livelihood depends on it. “When I plant these seeds, will the Lord provide the rain and sunshine needed?” every farmer asks himself.

No matter the outcome, farmers know they’ll eventually get through the toughest of times. Whether it’s nursing a calf through the night, only to lose it, or losing power during milking from an ice storm, farmers will get through it.

They have no choice. From dealing with burst pipes during winter’s wrath or oppressive heat while baling hay, the farmer gets through it, all to provide milk for us.

Jay’s three daughters gave beautiful eulogies, and his daughter-in-law told a funny story displaying his great sense of humor.

When the service was over, Jay was loaded onto a hay wagon, and he was poetically pulled to his final resting place by a John Deere tractor. It was a beautiful service honoring a wonderful man, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and cousin. And on the 8th day, God made a farmer…

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