With a rimless, bottlenecked case using smokeless powder, the 7.65×25mm Borchardt adapted features of the 7.92 mm cartridge used in the 1888 pattern M/88 rifle, essentially scaling it down for use in a pistol.

The Feederle brothers (Fidel, Friedrich, and Josef) used the Borchardt cartridge in their design for the Mauser C96 pistol.

The same shorter length of cartridge was maintained when the design transitioned to the 9×19mm Parabellum.

The 7.65×25mm Borchardt was manufactured by DWM in Germany, Eley Brothers and Kynoch in Great Britain, and Remington Arms - Union Metallic Cartridge Co. and Winchester in the United States.

In many instances, the ammunition was packaged in boxes that read "For Borchardt and Mauser Automatic Pistols".