When the magazine is inserted into the magazine well, a small projection on the right side of the frame's inner wall raises the rear end of the trigger bar by means of a prominent dimple on the right side of the magazine body to bring it into contact with the hammer's cocking notch, thus deactivating the magazine safety.

The concealed hammer is mounted in a conventional manner on an axis pin at the rear of the frame and has an attached strut that passes through the coils of the mainspring and through a compression shoulder at the butt of the frame. The hammer's head rises up into a cutout in the slide behind the rear end of the breechblock and is completely enclosed.

The trigger, a pivoting type, has a long trigger bar inset in the right side of the barrel mount and the side of the frame's inner wall. When the magazine is inserted into the magazine well, a small projection on the right side of the frame's inner wall raises the rear end of the trigger bar by means of a prominent dimple on the right side of the magazine body to bring it into contact with the hammer's cocking notch, thus deactivating the magazine safety.

Pulling the trigger rearward will pivot it and cause the trigger to draw its bar ahead in its guides. The bar then rotates the hammer on its axis pin, thrusting the hammer stirrup down and compressing the mainspring. When the hammer rotates past the cocked position, the hook on the end of the trigger bar will slip its notch in the hammer and allow the mainspring to drive the hammer fully forward against the firing pin.

The double-action trigger-pull weight of our early specimen (serial number 312857) was 91?2 pounds. With the hammer cocked, the single-action pull weight was 43?4 pounds. As the series production quality of these pistols declined toward the end of the war, so the trigger-pull weight at double action increased to 111?2 pounds on our late-war specimen (serial number 506910). The single-action pull weight of this latter handgun was 41?2 pounds.

As with all semiautomatic handguns, the slide must, of course, be retracted by hand to chamber the first round. This also cocks the hammer in the conventional manner. As the slide travels rearward, a solid surface on the slide impinges against the trigger bar, which rises into a disconnector cut. As the slide rides over the trigger bar, it forces it down and out of contact with the sear.

Pressure on the trigger must be removed before the trigger bar can come in contact again with the sear to release it from its bent (or notch) in the hammer. If the chambered round fails to fire, a second pull on the trigger will raise and drop the hammer for a second attempt at firing the round in the chamber. If that doesn't work, I'd seriously consider either retracting the slide to chamber another round or transitioning to another weapon.

The detachable, single-column, box-type magazine holds eight rounds, which was the standard capacity for 7,65mm-caliber pocket pistols during the Sauer's service life. Early magazine floorplates carry the superimposed double-"S" Sauer logo and "Cal.7,65." Late-production magazines are commonly devoid of any markings.

When chambered for the 9mm Kurz (.380 ACP) cartridge, the magazine capacity invariably drops by one round. As very little was known about the science of wound ballistics at that time, the two cartridges were perceived to be equal in effectiveness, and users quite naturally almost always selected the caliber providing an additional round.