Guns International #: 103069631
Seller's Inventory #: M25-

Category - Military Pistols - German - Military Arms

Category
Military Pistols - German
Military Arms

WW1 German Becker & Hollander Beholla .32 ACP Pistol * Nice Functional Example *

Description:
     This is a WW1-production German semi-auto pistol model called the "Beholla".  The .32 ACP semi-auto Beholla pistol was developed by the German firm of Becker & Hollander and introduced in 1915, and the model name was simply a combination of the Becker & Hollander name.   During World War I, with sidearms like the P-08 Luger and Mauser Broomhandle in very short supply to the Germans, the Belholla and many other small semi-auto pistols were accepted by the Imperial German Army and designated as an secondary military-issue pistols. These pistols were issued to lower ranked troops and meant to be primarily defensive weapons to cover retreats or as close combat weapoins when fighting in the trench systems.   In addition to the German Army, the Beholla was also supplied to the Bulgarian and Turkish militaries.  With no good records of where specific Beholla pistols wee issued, and with all of them having the same "Crown N" proofs, it is impossible to know who carried this one without some reliable type of provenance. 
     This particular example is an all-matching pistol with all of the serial-numbered parts matching, but it has been re-blued at some point along the way.  Judging by the condition of the re-blued finish, it was likely done in the last 30 to 40 years.  It is in good working order, all of the controls function as they were designed to, and the bore is in very good condition with sharp rifling throughout the barrel, showing only some very light and shallow spots of pitting.  There is nothing in the bore that should not have any effect on the pistol's function or accuracy.  All of the markings are still strong and legible on this Beholla, including the small Crown "N" proofs, despite the refinish.  The original lined Walnut grips are in very good condition, but appear to have been varnished when the gun ws reblued.  Both grip panels are free from any damage, cracks, chips, or repairs, and they are tight to the grip frame.  Both grip panels show only some light wear, which matches the wear on the rest of the gun.  The 7-round detachable magazine was reblued like the pistol, but it has clean and straight feed lips, and a strong follower spring.  This pistol cycles, extracts, and ejects dummy rounds using this magazine, smoothly and without any issues. 
     The Beholla uses a simple blow-back semi-auto action, so it was easy and cheap to manufacture.  While it was cheap, it was still well-made and durable.  These could take abuse and impacts that would render a Luger completely inoperable, and they would still function reliably.  While the .32 ACP cartridge was not considered a "man-stopper", it had enough power to do the job with decent shot placement.  The main complaints from the soldiers that carried them were that they were somewhat hard to field-strip even in good conditions, and the fixed iron sight design used on them made it difficult to shoot accurately at distances outside of what was considered close-combat.  With that said, the Beholla did a good job filling the role it was intended to fill.  The Becker & Hollander Beholla pistol was manufactured from 1915 until 1918, and when production ended, there were about 45,000 made in total.  Post WW1, the Beholla design was taken and used by other companies to produce copies sold under different names like "Menta" and "Stenda" on the commerical market.
     If you are a fan of collecting and shooting uncommon military pistols from WW1 onward, this German Beholla would be a great addition to your collection.  It is uncommon and scarce, yet this example is affordable and could be shot without feeling bad.  It is a great representative example of this unique military-issued pistol.  

Curio/Relic: Yes
Handgun Caliber: .32 ACP (7.65x17mm Browning SR)
Manufacturer: Becker & Hollander
Model: Beholla
Serial Number: 42461
Barrel Length: 3" Inches
Condition: Very Good As-Refinished
Bore Condition: Very Good
Action: Semi-Auto
Finish: Factory Blued - Has been re-blued at some point in the last 70 plus years.
Weight: 1.4 lbs
Sights: Fixed Iron Sights
Manufacture Date: 1917-1918

Price: $425.00
Shipping: $40.00