Hämmerli 201

About the Hämmerli 201

The Hämmerli 201 is a Swiss semi-automatic target pistol chambered in .22 Short, part of the Hämmerli-Walther Olympia series built in Lenzburg from 1952 under license from the Walther Model 1936 Olympia design. Configured for the rapid-fire discipline, this variant pairs a long heavy target barrel fitted with a removable muzzle brake and a lightweight alloy slide to cut reciprocating mass and keep the muzzle flat between shots. The simple fixed-barrel blowback action, single-action trigger, and adjustable target sights made the Olympia line one of the dominant competition pistols of the 1950s.

After World War II, Hämmerli acquired the rights to Walther's medal-winning 1936 Olympia pistol and reintroduced it in 1952 as the Swiss-built 200 series - the same lineage that won five gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and later influenced the Smith & Wesson Model 41.

Hämmerli 201 specifications

The actual Model 201 example documented at auction carries a 9.5-inch (241 mm) barrel in .22 Short with a removable factory muzzle brake. Weight is taken from the 200-series Olympia figure of roughly 38 oz; magazine capacity and other minor dimensions are unconfirmed for this specific variant.