2 mm Kolibri
Encyclopedia
The 2 mm Kolibri is the smallest commercially available centerfire cartridge, patented in 1910 and introduced in 1914 by Franz Pfannl, an Austria
n watchmaker, with financial support from Georg Grabner. It was designed to accompany the Kolibri semi-auto pistol or single shot pistol, both marketed as a self-defense weapon.
s (3 foot-pounds).
The round was not accepted overly well. The 2 mm Kolibri's small size made handling and loading individual cartridges difficult, and the bullet itself was fairly weak, literature at the time suggesting the round was capable of penetrating only 10–40 mm (0.5 to 1.5 inches) of pine board. The round also suffered some accuracy issues, since the technology of the time was incapable of applying rifling
to the bore of such a small caliber, resulting in no spin on the bullet.
The series, and most weapons by Franz Pfannl, were discontinued in 1938.
The cartridge (and related firearm series) is now a collector's item, with individual rounds going for over US$
70. Original guns for this round can sell for US$5,000.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n watchmaker, with financial support from Georg Grabner. It was designed to accompany the Kolibri semi-auto pistol or single shot pistol, both marketed as a self-defense weapon.
Background
The cartridge weighed 5.3 grams (82 grains), measured 3 millimeters (0.12 in) at its widest point, and 11 mm (0.43 in) from the base of the primer to the tip of the bullet. The cartridge headspaced on the mouth of the case. The bullet itself weighed 0.2 g (3 grains), and was estimated to have a normal muzzle velocity of 200 m/s (650 fps), resulting in a muzzle energy 4.0 jouleJoule
The joule ; symbol J) is a derived unit of energy or work in the International System of Units. It is equal to the energy expended in applying a force of one newton through a distance of one metre , or in passing an electric current of one ampere through a resistance of one ohm for one second...
s (3 foot-pounds).
The round was not accepted overly well. The 2 mm Kolibri's small size made handling and loading individual cartridges difficult, and the bullet itself was fairly weak, literature at the time suggesting the round was capable of penetrating only 10–40 mm (0.5 to 1.5 inches) of pine board. The round also suffered some accuracy issues, since the technology of the time was incapable of applying rifling
Rifling
Rifling is the process of making helical grooves in the barrel of a gun or firearm, which imparts a spin to a projectile around its long axis...
to the bore of such a small caliber, resulting in no spin on the bullet.
The series, and most weapons by Franz Pfannl, were discontinued in 1938.
The cartridge (and related firearm series) is now a collector's item, with individual rounds going for over 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....
70. Original guns for this round can sell for US$5,000.
See also
- List of handgun cartridges
- 2 mm caliber2 mm caliberThis article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the .079 in / 2 mm caliber range.Length refers to the cartridge case length. OAL refers to the overall length of the cartridge...
- Table of pistol and rifle cartridges by yearTable of pistol and rifle cartridges by yearTable of selected handgun, submachine gun, rifle and machine gun cartridges by year....