German Jager Pistol

Today we have a video for you on a German “Jager“ pistol, so named because it was made by the Jager company. Jager was a well-respected maker of high quality sporting arms, having been established in 1901 in Suhl, Germany. With the onset of World War One, Kaiser Wilhelm decreed that all arms manufacture would be directed to military needs, and Jager responded by designing this pistol for use by the officers’ corps. It was not formally adopted by the German army, but several thousand were purchased privately and used by German officers. The pistol is very interesting mechanically, because it uses two stamped sideplates and separate milled front and rear straps instead of a single solid frame. As far as we can tell, it was the first pistol made using stampings for major components, is its construction method remains unique to this day. So let’s take a closer look! If you’re interested in seeing more details than we could address in the video, we have a link to a whole slew of great photos taken by the pistol’