The first cartridges in Bergmann pistols were grooveless, with the bullets having a sharp nose to avoid jams.

[6][better source needed] In 1893, Theodor Bergmann collaborated with Louis Schmeisser to create a new firearms, with their first pistol design being the Model 1893.

The development of automatic pistols began with the goal of reducing the size of a rifle mechanism so that it could be held in one hand, so this gun has a magazine in front of the trigger like the (later) Mauser C96, but it uses the Mannlicher method of loading, where the clip, that also wraps around the sides of the bullet, is inserted.

However, the clip was not left in the gun, but had a round handle at the rear end that was removed after loading.

[8] Upon release, the Model 1894 was commercially overshadowed by the Borchardt C-93, which is why the C-93 is considered the world's first practical semi-automatic pistol.

[9][10] While the earlier models had been manufactured by Louis Schmeisser, the M1896 was built under license by Charles V. Schilling of Suhl.

2 variant was initially released with a folding trigger, which was located at the front of the internal magazine, in order to help with its portability in concealment.

He cites author Geoffrey Sturgess[b] in saying that "Bergmann had already sold several thousand pistols while [Borchardt C-93]'s sales were still in the hundreds.

[14] Also at the time of its release, the Model 1896, as with Borchardt C-93 and other early semi-automatic pistols, was considered over-engineered and thus too elegant to be fielded in combat, which is why certain officers carried them only for show, and not for practical use.

[16] With the commercial success of civilian sales for the M1896[citation needed], Bergman made additional modifications hoping to obtain military contracts.

It was also a sturdier design with a shrouded barrel and rear sight adjustable to 1,000 metres (1,100 yd).

A few had 12-inch (30 cm) barrels with either a conventional carbine configuration or a detachable wooden shoulder stock.

In the 1971 Technicolor Western film Big Jake, the character Michael McCandles (played by Christopher Mitchum), uses a Bergmann 1896 as his sidearm.

The blaster pistol utilized by the titular character in the 2019 television series The Mandalorian is based on the Bergmann M1894 nº 1.