It may have been the single most innovative semiautomatic pistol ever designed. Some of its incredible features, and one in particular, were never seen before or since. Yet, for some totally inexplicable reason, its manufacturer turned to inexpensive and unattractive copies of the Colt Single Action Army revolver after World War II (distributed by the Hawes Company of Los Angeles), and the amazing Sauer 38(H) pocket pistol disappeared forever.

The Sauer 38(H), together with the MP40 submachine gun, commonly equipped German airborne troops. It is seen here together with a Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger qualification badge, Iron Cross 2nd Class and a soldier's book found at Stalingrad.

J.P. Sauer & Sohn, Suhl, Germany, which after 1945 was relocated to Eckernforde, West Germany, was established in 1751 and by the end of the 19th century had built up a considerable name for manufacturing high-quality hunting rifles and sporting guns.

Its first thrust into the military small-arms arena was its association with Spangenberg to manufacture the Reichsrevolver for German military contracts in the early 1880s. Together also with V. Ch. Schilling and C.G. Haenel (destined in World War II to make P.08 and MP40 magazines, as well as components for the MP43/StG44 assault rifle), it made Reichsrevolvers until the early 1890s.

Sauer's first commercial handgun was the bizarre Bär repeating pistol that in configuration looked like a revolver but had over/under barrels, followed by the Roth-Sauer pistol under an association with Georg Roth and operating by means of long recoil.

During the timeframe in which the Sauer 38(H) was developed and fielded, pistols were always fired with one hand only. The Sauer 38(H) was very popular with Fallschirmjäger personnel.

Sauer introduced its own design in 1913, a caliber 7,65mm (.32 ACP) blowback handgun. In 1930 it was redesigned and is often called the Behörden Modell (Authorities or Official Model).

SPECIFICATIONS Sauer 38(H)
MANUFACTURER:	J.P. Sauer & Sohn, Suhl, Germany
CALIBERS:	7.64mm (.32 ACP)
OPERATION:	Unloacked blowback; semiautomatic double-action/single-action, concealed-hammer type with unique cocking/decocking lever; loaded-chamber indicator
BARREL:	Four-groove RH
BARREL LENGTH:	3.38 inches (85 mm)
OVERALL LENGTH:	6.37 inches
WEIGHT:	22 ounces
FEED:	Eight-round, single-column, detachable box magazine
FINISH:	Salt blued
GRIPS:	Black plastic with Sauer logo on left grip panel only. Sometimes encountered weith checkered wood grip panels
SIGHTS:	Fixed, U-Notch rear, blade front
STATUS:	No longer in production; approximately 295,000 manufacturered during World War II

The most significant feature of the Behörden Modell was a unique secondary trigger in the middle of the main trigger's front face. Unless this secondary trigger was pressed together with the primary trigger, the trigger and sear remained blocked. This concept was to be duplicated a half-century later in the Glock series of handguns.

A simplified caliber 6,35mm (.25 ACP) pocket pistol was introduced in 1924 and called the WTM (Westen Tauschen Modell--Vest Pocket Model). Its only external distinguishing characteristic was an extremely large ejection port on top of the slide.

Internally, the bolt was a separate component and retained in the slide by a spring catch that protruded from the rear of the slide so that it could be released when disassembling the pistol. The firing pin also protruded out the rear of the slide and served as a loaded-chamber indicator.

In 1928 the WTM was slightly modified and in this form remained in production until 1939. It's clear that during this time frame Sauer had built a well-deserved reputation for designing really innovative small handguns, although commercially they were of only moderate success. Its greatest triumph was to come with the Model 38(H).

Although this pistol was designated as the model 38 (for 1938), series production did not commence until the end of 1939. The serial numbers found on this pistol were a continuation of the numbers found on the Behörden Modell. They begin at approximately 260,000 and end at close to 607,000. Almost 295,000 were produced for the military, police and NSDAP (Nazi party) prior to April 1945, when the U.S. Army occupied the plant. The German designation for this handgun was Sauer Pistole Modell 38 Hahn Selbstspannung (Sauer Pistol Model 38 Hammer Self-Cocking).