Semmerling
Encyclopedia
The Semmerling LM4 is a five shot, manual repeating
double action pistol
designed for backup purposes.
750. The LM4 was first offered to the U.S. Army
and government agencies.
The goal of the LM4 was to achieve a combination of the highest practical firepower in as small and light a gun as possible, so as to be easily concealable. This was approached by selecting the service caliber
of .45 ACP
for its proven stopping power
and opting for a manual repeating mechanism to minimize bulk and weight and ensure flawless operation in the most difficult situations.
The Semmerling LM4 has 33 parts (including screws), making it one of the simplest guns ever made. In the original design, every part except for the springs was made of high-quality S-7 tool steel
. Every pistol was Magnaflux
ed (a method of testing ferrous
metals for surface and subsurface flaws) twice in their assembly, making the LM4 one of the most carefully constructed pistols produced.
Each pistol was essentially handmade to order with production averaging a little over ten pieces a month, while maintaining very strict quality control procedures to ensure a high degree of reliability
and functionality. Of the LM4 model, only about 600 were ever produced.
Although the Semmerling was intended as a back-up pistol for those most at risk of having their primary weapon taken from them, some adopted the pistol as a "hide-out" weapon. Capable of a "shot-a-second" firing rate, a practiced shooter can achieve an outstanding shooting performance. With the magazine loaded and a round in the chamber, the Semmerling LM4 is capable of carrying five .45 ACP rounds.
During 2005, the largest collections of Semmerlings comprising examples of the LM1, LM2, LM3, LM4 and the XLM along with all prototypes, tooling, drawings, production and testing equipment, advertising materials and leather accessories were provided to The National Firearms Museum, The Cody Firearms Museum and the Smithsonian
. The XLM was a military contract for an automatic version (not manually operated), making the Semmerling XLM the smallest .45 ACP automatic ever produced.
A stainless steel
version, not part of the Semmerling Corporation's efforts, has been available at request from the American Derringer corporation since about 1995.
or a hard chrome plating
were optional. A factory presentation model was produced with a high polished gold plated slide.
, producing considerable recoil
. The barrel
mechanism is manually pulled forward to eject the fired round, then pushed back to chamber
the next round. This can be accomplished by thumb. For carry, the slide is locked in the closed position by means of a tiny lever located in the middle of the weapon. By carefully pulling the trigger back approx. 1/4 inch and pressing on the lever, the lever clicks into "lock" mode. Hold the lever down and release the trigger. The Semmerling's action is now locked closed with a round in the chamber. To fire, the trigger is pulled back fully. When there is a cartridge in the chamber, the extractor protrudes 1/8 of an inch, so as to act as loaded chamber indicator. Thus, even in the dark the owner can determine the exact condition of the weapon.
It has no safety, decocker, or slide release.
The number of remaining rounds could be seen by using the "thin grip" kit or by removing the grips when carrying the LM4.
in a series of novels by F. Paul Wilson
.
Firearm action
In firearms terminology, an action is the physical mechanism that manipulates cartridges and/or seals the breech. The term is also used to describe the method in which cartridges are loaded, locked, and extracted from the mechanism. Actions are generally categorized by the type of mechanism used...
double action pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
designed for backup purposes.
Concept and History
The Semmerling series of pistols included the, LM1, LM2, LM3(9MM)6+1, LM4 and XLM. The only version available to the public was the LM4. The LM4 was first designed and manufactured in the U.S.A. in early 1980s and marketed at a price of US$United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
750. The LM4 was first offered to the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and government agencies.
The goal of the LM4 was to achieve a combination of the highest practical firepower in as small and light a gun as possible, so as to be easily concealable. This was approached by selecting the service caliber
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
of .45 ACP
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
for its proven stopping power
Stopping power
Stopping power is a colloquial term used to describe the ability of a firearm or other weapon to cause a penetrating ballistic injury to a target, human or animal, sufficient to incapacitate the target where it stands....
and opting for a manual repeating mechanism to minimize bulk and weight and ensure flawless operation in the most difficult situations.
The Semmerling LM4 has 33 parts (including screws), making it one of the simplest guns ever made. In the original design, every part except for the springs was made of high-quality S-7 tool steel
Tool steel
Tool steel refers to a variety of carbon and alloy steels that are particularly well-suited to be made into tools. Their suitability comes from their distinctive hardness, resistance to abrasion, their ability to hold a cutting edge, and/or their resistance to deformation at elevated temperatures...
. Every pistol was Magnaflux
Magnaflux
Magnetic Particle Inspection , developed originally by Alfred Victor de Forest and Foster Baird Doane, and developed further with the assistance of Carl E. Betz, is a method of testing ferrous metals for surface and subsurface flaws. The component being tested must be made of a ferromagnetic...
ed (a method of testing ferrous
Ferrous
Ferrous , in chemistry, indicates a divalent iron compound , as opposed to ferric, which indicates a trivalent iron compound ....
metals for surface and subsurface flaws) twice in their assembly, making the LM4 one of the most carefully constructed pistols produced.
Each pistol was essentially handmade to order with production averaging a little over ten pieces a month, while maintaining very strict quality control procedures to ensure a high degree of reliability
Reliability engineering
Reliability engineering is an engineering field, that deals with the study, evaluation, and life-cycle management of reliability: the ability of a system or component to perform its required functions under stated conditions for a specified period of time. It is often measured as a probability of...
and functionality. Of the LM4 model, only about 600 were ever produced.
Although the Semmerling was intended as a back-up pistol for those most at risk of having their primary weapon taken from them, some adopted the pistol as a "hide-out" weapon. Capable of a "shot-a-second" firing rate, a practiced shooter can achieve an outstanding shooting performance. With the magazine loaded and a round in the chamber, the Semmerling LM4 is capable of carrying five .45 ACP rounds.
During 2005, the largest collections of Semmerlings comprising examples of the LM1, LM2, LM3, LM4 and the XLM along with all prototypes, tooling, drawings, production and testing equipment, advertising materials and leather accessories were provided to The National Firearms Museum, The Cody Firearms Museum and the Smithsonian
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
. The XLM was a military contract for an automatic version (not manually operated), making the Semmerling XLM the smallest .45 ACP automatic ever produced.
A stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
version, not part of the Semmerling Corporation's efforts, has been available at request from the American Derringer corporation since about 1995.
Finish and accessories
The original standard color was matte black with highly polished slide frames. A complete high polish blued finishBluing (steel)
Bluing is a passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust, and is named after the blue-black appearance of the resulting protective finish. True gun bluing is an electrochemical conversion coating resulting from an oxidizing chemical reaction with iron on the surface...
or a hard chrome plating
Chrome plating
Chrome plating, often referred to simply as chrome, is a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object. The chromed layer can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, ease cleaning procedures, or increase surface hardness.-Process:A component to be chrome plated will...
were optional. A factory presentation model was produced with a high polished gold plated slide.
Accessories
- Optional two-stage trigger
- Gun holsterHolsterA handgun holster is a device used to hold or restrict the undesired movement of a handgun, most commonly in a location where it can be easily withdrawn for immediate use.-Function:...
- Magazine holster
- Skeleton "thin kit" Grip, allowed for round counting
- Minor replacement parts kit
- Major replacement parts kit
Operation
The Semmerling fires from a static, fully locked breechBreech-loading weapon
A breech-loading weapon is a firearm in which the cartridge or shell is inserted or loaded into a chamber integral to the rear portion of a barrel....
, producing considerable recoil
Recoil
Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...
. The barrel
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
mechanism is manually pulled forward to eject the fired round, then pushed back to chamber
Chamber (weaponry)
In firearms, the chamber is that portion of the barrel or firing cylinder in which the cartridge is inserted prior to being fired. Rifles and pistols generally have a single chamber in their barrels, while revolvers have multiple chambers in their cylinders and no chamber in their barrel...
the next round. This can be accomplished by thumb. For carry, the slide is locked in the closed position by means of a tiny lever located in the middle of the weapon. By carefully pulling the trigger back approx. 1/4 inch and pressing on the lever, the lever clicks into "lock" mode. Hold the lever down and release the trigger. The Semmerling's action is now locked closed with a round in the chamber. To fire, the trigger is pulled back fully. When there is a cartridge in the chamber, the extractor protrudes 1/8 of an inch, so as to act as loaded chamber indicator. Thus, even in the dark the owner can determine the exact condition of the weapon.
It has no safety, decocker, or slide release.
The number of remaining rounds could be seen by using the "thin grip" kit or by removing the grips when carrying the LM4.
Additional Specifications
- Patridge sights
- Accuracy: 3" groups at 25 yards, 6" groups at 50 yards
Additional Topics
It is also the signature gun used by Repairman JackRepairman Jack
This series of novels uses realistic, thriller-like situations to tell a story with a broad supernatural theme. It is technically a spin-off branch of the aforementioned larger, overarching supernatural horror series, The Adversary Cycle.- Introduction :...
in a series of novels by F. Paul Wilson
F. Paul Wilson
Francis Paul Wilson is an American author, primarily in the science fiction and horror genres. His debut novel was Healer . Wilson is also a part-time practicing family physician. He made his first sales in 1970 to Analog while still in medical school , and continued to write science fiction...
.