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Title:	PISTOL, SEMI-AUTOMATIC -  GERMAN PISTOL BEHOLLA 7.65MM SN# 14528
Maker/Manufacturer:	BECKER & HOLLANDER
Date of Manufacture:	C 1917
Eminent Figure:
Catalog Number:	SPAR 876
Measurements:	OL: 13.9CM 5 1/2" BL: 6.9CM 2 3/4" 1.6 lbs. unloaded

Object Description:

GERMAN PISTOL BEHOLLA 7.65 SN# 14528
Manufactured by Becker & Hollander, Suhl, Germany - Standard German semi-automatic blowback, striker-fired, pistol with fixed blade front and fixed V-notch rear sights. Blued finish with 6-groove rifling, right hand twist. Muzzle velocity 900 fps. Weapon weighs approximately 1.6 lbs. unloaded. Late production with wood grips. AKA: Leonhardt or Menta. Weapon is complete with 7-round single-column detachable box magazine. Cartridge: .32 ACP.

Markings:
Frame: 14528, commercial proofs, government proofs. Has what appears to be a WWI German acceptance stamp crown/L below crown over N Nitro proof on left side.
Slide: SELBSTLADE - PISTOLE "BEHOLLA" 7.65. D.R.P. Right side: BECKER & HOLLANDER. WAFFENBAU SUHL.

Notes: "The Beholla design was developed by Becker & Hollander Waffenbau at the beginning of WWI, and they must have had the war effort in mind, as virtually the entire production went to the German military. However, it appears that after the war the firm couldn't cope with peace, and in the middle of 1920 they apparently sold out. The new company, obviously using the same machinery, was named Stenda Werke GMBH Waffenbau, also of Suhl, Germany. Their early pistols were a continuation of the Beholla serial range, as some pistols even had Beholla marks on the left side of the slide. The same design during the war was also made by August Menz of Suhl, Germany, and for a short time after, it was called the Menta. Later, H.M. Gering made this, his version named the Leon Hardt." - Balderson

"This 7.65mm blowback pistol was developed by Becker & Hollander of Suhl, who had manufactured rifles and shotguns prior to the First World War. Production of the Beholla pistol began in 1915, to meet demands made by the German army, and continued until 1918. Virtually all bear official acceptance stamps. Beholla pistols were also made under the names Leonhardt, Menta and Stenda; it is believed that the German authorities ordered production of several Beholla types to begin simultaneously, but confirmation is still lacking and it is probable the some were assembled and sold after the end of the First World War.
The only unusual feature of the Beholla design concerned a dovetailed lump on the barrel beneath the chamber, which slid into a matching seat in the frame and was retained by a pin. The pin must be punched out before dismantling the gun, suitable holes being provided in the slide; the slide is then pulled back and locked by turning the safety catch upward, and the barrel can be driven back until it is free from its seat in the frame. The slide and barrel may then be removed. Slides were marked SELBSTLADE PISTOLE BEHOLLA 7.65 on the left and BECKER U HOLLANDER WAFFENBAU SUHL on the right." - Hogg & Weeks

References:
Balderson, Robert H. COLLECTOR HANDGUNS. 5th Ed. House of Collectibles. N.Y., N.Y. 1996.
Hogg, Ian & John Weeks. PISTOLS OF THE WORLD. DBI Books, Inc. Northbrook, Il. 1992.
Hogg, Ian V. John S. Weeks. MILITARY SMALL ARMS OF THE 20TH CENTURY. 7th Ed. Krause Publications. Iola, Wi. 2000.
Hogg, Ian. GERMAN HANDGUNS: THE COMPLETE BOOK OF THE PISTOLS AND REVOLVERS OF GERMANY, 1869 TO THE PRESENT. Stackpole Books. Mechanicsburg, Pa. 2001.
Schwing, Ned. 2000 STANDARD CATALOG OF FIREARMS. Krause Publications. Iola, Wi. 2000.
Zhuk, A.B. THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HANDGUNS: PISTOLS AND REVOLVERS OF THE WORLD, 1870 TO THE PRESENT. Greenhill Books. London, England. 1995.