C93 Borchardt: the First Successful Self-Loading Pistol
This video explores the C93 Borchardt, widely recognized as the first successful self-loading pistol. The description highlights Hugo Borchardt's design journey, his work with prominent American firearms manufacturers like Winchester and Remington, and his eventual return to Germany. The C93 is detailed as the first pistol to utilize a reasonably powerful cartridge and a locked-breech action, entering commercial production with 3000 units made. It established the now-standard placement of a detachable box magazine in the grip. The video also touches upon the pistol's bulky design leading to its awkwardness as a handgun, though it performed well as a carbine with a shoulder stock. Finally, it explains how Georg Luger improved upon the C93's action to create the iconic Luger pistol, a development Borchardt reportedly resisted.













