Grover Bergdoll’s Sauer Gun

Grover Bergdoll was very fond of guns. He had several long guns and pistols used for shooting wild game on the Bergdoll farm when he was a boy. As an adult fugitive from justice, he kept a few handguns secreted on him for safety and security. He often used them. In fact, he killed a man with one of his handguns.

Over the years, guns were found or confiscated from his Wynnefield, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania mansion, the Bergdoll Broomall, Pennsylvania farm, from his escape car, the 1917 Hudson touring automobile, from his home in Germany, and from special gun holsters on his side, his pockets, and his ankle.

During his time hiding in Germany, he was surveilled for capture by European and American bounty hunters, patriotic American soldiers, German and American citizen zealots, and French detectives. For his security, he obtained a German gun permit and purchased even more weapons. One of them was a Sauer pistol, pictured below.

Selbstlade-Pistole Modell 1913, J.P. Sauer & Sohn, .32 semi-automatic, 7 rounds. Bergdoll Family Photo.

Stamped into the gun is a small N behind the trigger. This indicates the weapon was reserved for German Army officers. About 10-thousand of these small handguns were made for the German Army for use in the Great War. Where Grover obtained it is unknown. However, in the book, The Bergdoll Boys, I provide details of how he used his pistols, shotguns, and rifles for security and hunting while hiding in Germany. And, consider this, even while traveling back and forth across the Atlantic several times, and on trains in Europe and the United States, Grover always carried multiple guns.