The Semmerling Pistol

by
posted on August 11, 2009
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
2009811155535-semmerlingf.jpg

Built in the early 1980s and originally offered only to U.S. Army and government agencies, the Semmerling line of manual repeaters included the world's smallest and most powerful multi-shot pistols ever offered. Chambered for the military standard .45acp "ball" cartridge, the 1-inch wide Semmerling lm4 was a design variant boasting only 33 parts that was offered as an amazing combination of practical stopping power, reliability and ease of concealment. Fully loaded with five rounds, the compact Semmerling lm4 pistol weighed less than 20 ounces.

Constructed primarily of S-7 tool steel, the Semmerling line of pistols included the xlm, the only semi-automatic version, made for a military contract. But the standard Semmerling locked-breech handguns provided memorable recoil and required manually cycling the barrel forward to eject the fired case, then backward to feed another cartridge into the chamber. Quality control was high on the assembly line, with each Semmerling pistol being Magnafluxed twice to detect any hidden metallurgical flaws. About 600 Semmerling lm4 pistols were manufactured.

In 2005, an extensive collection of Semmerling handguns was donated to the National Firearms Museum, and today visitors to the galleries can see each of these pieces reflected in an exhibit aptly entitled "Mother of Invention," where the Semmerling shares the spotlight with other innovative designs like the Bren Ten, Dardick, Gyrojet and others.

Latest

Hearing Healthy
Hearing Healthy

Summer Suppressor Deals On Now

Whether it is a BOGO deal from SIG or free tax stamps from Guns.com and Silencer Central, there's plenty of hearing-safe savings to be had this summer.

Rifleman Report: Defending Freedom For 250 Years

"Anyone who claims not to understand the plain and simple intent of the Second Amendment—especially if that person happens to be a constitutional law professor, Supreme Court justice, congressman, senator or president—is likely hiding nefarious intent: to strip individual liberty from American citizens for the express purpose of making them susceptible to a tyrannical government."

Book Review: 2025 Traveler’s Guide To The Firearms Laws Of The Fifty States

Newly updated for 2025, the 29th edition of the Traveler’s Guide To The Firearm Laws Of The Fifty States is packed with all the need-to-know information for cross-country trekkers seeking to bring their arms along with them and remain legal in all localities.

Springfield Kuna: A PDW For The Masses

Small, yet fierce, the namesake of Springfield Armory’s latest large-format pistol is a revered forest dweller in the land of its Croatian manufacturing partner, HS Produkt. The new Kuna is poised to be just as welcome in America.

The Armed Citizen® June 30, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Book Review: Clockwork Basilisk: The Early Revolvers Of Elisha Collier & Artemas Wheeler

The result of a decade of research, Clockwork Basilisk is a comprehensive, two-volume history of the rare revolvers that preceded the development of the well-known Colt guns of the 1830s.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.