4.25mm Liliput

[Stinkpotpete]

I was at a show last weekend and found this. I thought it was a joke at first, but it's real. From what I was able to find The Liliput was manufactured by Waffenfabrik August Menz in Suhl, Germany from approximately 1920 to 1927. And it's considered the second smallest center fire cartridge, Something called a Kolibri is the smallest.
I can't find any info on the bullet weight, or ballistics though. There isn't any head stamp either, if there were, I don't have a magnifying glass that strong.

[Wagriff]

Weight: 12 gr (1 g) FMJ
Velocity: 810 ft/s (250 m/s)
Energy: 17 ft·lbf (23 J)

Used to be 50-60 years ago, you could buy the Liliputs and still shoot them, but the ammunition was discontinued and the pistols rapidly moved into the "curio and relic" category.

[Stinkpotpete]

Great, thank you William I did find an expired auction for the pistol, would be a fun novelty I think. The Kolibri only generated 3 lbs. ft. for energy. That they could make a semi-auto work with such low power.

here's a comparison picture of the 2 types of kolibri and the lilput

[MAP]

Would be nice to see it next to a .22 or .17 for comparison.

Nice find btw.

Michael

[Wagriff]

Let's put it this way-the Kolibri 2.7mm round weighed about 3 grains. An average Red Ryder BB gun BB weighs a hair over 5 grains...When they Enlarged the 2.7mm Kolibri, they began producing a 3mm size shell-which weighed in at a hefty 5.25 grains!

[MAP]

Let's put it this way-the Kolibri 2.7mm round weighed about 3 grains. An average Red Ryder BB gun BB weighs a hair over 5 grains...When they Enlarged the 2.7mm Kolibri, they began producing a 3mm size shell-which weighed in at a hefty 5.25 grains!

You'll shoot your eye out kid! LoL

Thanks William.

[Stinkpotpete]

.22 short on the left .22 LR on the right

[MAP]

Now that really puts it into perspective for me. wouldn't want to drop one in the grass and have to find it!

[Walkwolf]

That is some small cartridge !

I read in a WWII biographic of a bunch of 101st troops
entering a German weapons storage facility where
one guy found and fired off the full mag of a
scale miniature Thompson SMG. Wonder if
it was this type of round.........?

[Stinkpotpete]

I've seen some of those scaled down guns that actually fired, hadn't heard about the thompson though, that would be a fun little gun to shoot. I was thinking about what a pain it would be to hand load his round, setting all of those little primers in the tray, the powder, just everything lol not fun

These are the pictures I found from the auction, even the pistol is tiny, I doubt I could hold it in my hand it's that small.