J. P. Sauer & Sohn Roth-Sauer

The Roth-Sauer Pistol was designed and patented in 1900 by an Austrian Georg Roth and a Hungarian Karel Krnka. Georg Roth owned ammunition factories in Wienna and Bratislava. He collaborated with Karel Krnka from 1898 on the design of this pistol.The pistol was manufactured by J.P. Sauer & Sohn in Suhl because Roth factories were not sufficiently equipped for large scale pistol manufacture. The Roth-Sauer Pistol is recoil operated semi-automatic pistol chambered in 7.65x17mm Roth-Sauer or .301 caliber. It will not take the standard 7.65mm or .32 Colt automatic pistol cartridge.The velocity of its' round is about 1,070 FPS. It had a recoiling barrel and a unique cocking system which also worked as a safety catch. The pistol did not prove popular and it was not widely issued to either the Austro-Hungarian or German armies. It was however used in large numbers by the Landespolizei of South West Africa. The Roth-Sauer was fired by a partially self-cocking striker mechanism. The Roth-Sauer Pistol has integral butt magazine which required charger-loading through the open bolt-way. It was adopted by Austrian army in 1907. The upper part of the barrel housing displays following markings, "J.P. Sauer & Sohn Suhl" and "Patent Roth".