Ludwig Wilhelm Seecamp, aka Louis Seecamp, was an interesting guy. He immigrated from Germany after the war. In Germany, he had trained as a gunsmith, and when he landed in 1959, he first worked as a gun designer for Mossberg. He then opened up a shop and produced customized M1911s that used a double-action trigger. In the late 1970s, he began working on the miniaturization of pistols, which resulted in the Seecamp LWS series.
Ludwig went on to patent the dual-coiled spring system we see in most modern handguns. By 1981 he produced his first handgun, the LWS-25. There was a huge demand for small, concealable pistols in this era. After the passing of the Gun Control Act of 1968, the import of many ultra-small handguns from European sources was no more. This included guns like the Walther PPK, the Baby Brownings, and similar weapons.
With this gap in the market, Seecamp was capable of swooping in with pistols smaller than most others on the market. In fact, they became extremely popular, and the Seecamp company couldn’t produce enough guns to satisfy the market. Seecamp pistols were reasonably priced with their MSRP at the time, but on the secondary market, they were selling for more than a Colt Python at the time!
Ludwig eventually retired and passed the business on to his son, Lueder, who also eventually retired and sold the company to a third party. Regardless of the ownership, the Seecamp company has always produced extremely nice and capable pistols for self-defense.
The Seecamp LWS Pistols
The first of the LWS pistols were the LWS 25 models. These were standard blowback operated.25 ACPs, and only about four to five thousand were produced. These were great guns, but their downside was the fact they used the rather diminutive .25 ACP cartridge. It’s not a cartridge known for adequate penetration or great wounding characteristics. At the time, it was the smallest centerfire option on the market.
In place of the LWS 25, Seecamp released the LWS 32 in the much more potent and deeper penetrating .32 ACP. They discovered they could make the .32 ACP pistol in the same size constraints as the .25 ACP model. The .32 ACP model was just about perfect. To go along with the new cartridge, the LWS 32 became a locked breech firearm.
It is not a direct blowback action, which would generate some excessive recoil. In its place, the LWS 32 used an odd but effective chamber-ring delayed blowback mechanism. The LWS 32 has remained Seecamps most popular pistol.
In 1999 the company released a third gun, the LWS 380. It’s identical in size to the LWS 380. That’s an impressive feat, and much like the LWS 32, it uses a chamber-ring delay blowback system. The .380 ACP variant offers the bigger round, but alongside it, we have some excessive recoil that’s downright painful and uncomfortable. It’s not a pistol I’d like to shoot often.
Breaking down the LWS Pistols
The LWS series from Seecamp are ultra-tiny guns .it’s tough to really visualize via measurements, but here they are:
Barrel Length – 2.06 inches
Overall Length – 4.25 inches
Width – .86 inches
Height – 3.25 inches
Weight – 10.5 ounces
They aren’t the lightest but are made entirely from metal. The Seecamp designs are double-action-only, hammer-fired guns. The trigger pull is fairly heavy at 11.5 pounds but also smooth and consistent. Every edge is melted to allow a smooth draw from deep concealment, and they disappear in a pocket.
The gun lacks a slide lock device, and the magazine release is a European-type heel magazine release. It’s certainly not fast to reload, but if you have to reload, then the Seecamp is already out of its element. There are no sights across the top, and the gun is very much a belly gun. It’s tough to hit targets beyond 10 yards with the gun.
However, it’s so absurdly small that other than legal reasons, there is no excuse not to carry it. The Seecamp series of pistols are proven to be reliable, and after decades of production, they remain a popular option for those needing the smallest pistol possible. When you absolutely need a gun that disappears on your body, then the Seecamp LWS series is the route to take.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine gunner who served with 2nd Bn 2nd Marines for 5 years. He deployed in 2009 to Afghanistan and again in 2011 with the 22nd MEU(SOC) during a record-setting 11 months at sea. Travis has trained with the Romanian Army, the Spanish Marines, the Emirate Marines, and the Afghan National Army.
He serves as an NRA-certified pistol instructor and pursues a variety of firearms-based hobbies.
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