Introduced to the market in 1895, the Model 1896 was a refinement of Theodore Bergmann's automatic pistol design, using a side-opening fixed magazine mechanism that gave it a distinctive profile and appearance, and was among the first commercially successful semi-automatic pistols to reach the market. The first iteration of the Number Two used a hinged folding trigger installed ahead of the magazine, with a long transfer bar connecting it to the rest of the mechanism; unpopular with end users, a new version of the Number Two with a conventional fixed trigger was released less than a year after initial release. Fixed sights, with "crown/crown/U" proofs on the barrel, frame, and bolt, "611" on the left side of the barrel, "PATENT/BREVET/S.G.D.G." on the left side of the frame, Schilling "mountain man" logo on the right sideplate, and serial number "96" on multiple components.