The 2mm Kolibri: The world’s smallest centerfire pistol?

Today many think that tiny guns like the NAA line of Mini-Revolvers and the arms of the American Derringer company are as small as a handgun can get in terms of practical self defense. If you count yourself in this camp, then perhaps you have never heard of Austrian firearms designer Franz Pfannl. Born in 1867 in the small village of Stein, Austria, Pfannl accomplished something that will probably never be repeated. A watchmaker by trade, his trade showed in his work as this tinkerer created what many believe to be both the smallest semi-auto pistol and also the world’s smallest centerfire round: the 2.7 Grabner Selbstlade Pistole, firing the 2.7 x 9mm Kolibri cartridge.

Read the rest in my column at GUNS.com

kolibri compared to a penny

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