Stenda
Stenda-Werke GmbH · Pistol · Discontinued · 1918
Also known as: Stenda-Werke Pistol, Beholla-Stenda
Overview
The Stenda is a German blowback-operated semi-automatic pistol chambered in .32 ACP, a commercial post-war development of the wartime Beholla pocket pistol. After Becker & Hollander sold off their remaining parts and tooling, George Stenda established the Stenda-Werke of Suhl and produced the design from 1918 using a mix of surplus and newly made components. The chief improvement over the Beholla was a redesigned barrel-fastening system that replaced the awkward pinned barrel with a spring-catch takedown, making field-stripping far easier. Compact, striker-fired and single-action, it fed from a seven-round detachable box magazine.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 628 g (22.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 140 mm (5.51") |
| Barrel Length | 75 mm (2.95") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 7 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 276 m/s (906 fps) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 ACP · primary — also known as .32 Automatic, 7.65x17mm Browning SR, 7.65mm Browning
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Fixed Iron Sights, Takedown Lever, Wood Grips
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Weimar Republic civilian market · adopted 1918
Production
Production years: 1918-1925
Built by Stenda-Werke of Suhl from leftover Becker & Hollander tooling plus newly manufactured parts; the last pistols left the works around 1926.
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: George Stenda
Discontinued: 1926
Notes
The Stenda was essentially a refined Beholla: where the Beholla used cross-holes in the slide to pin the fixed barrel, the Stenda omitted them and secured the barrel with a spring catch and takedown lever for simpler disassembly. Production is generally dated 1918-1925/26, after which the firm ceased pistol manufacture.
Background
When the Armistice ended military pistol contracts, the Beholla's tooling passed to George Stenda, who kept the little .32 alive for the civilian Weimar market under his own Stenda-Werke name, adding the takedown lever that wartime soldiers had wished for.