Designed on contract by August Menz, the Erben series of pistols was made in the 1930s. The Special Model draws many mechanical and aesthetic cues from the Walther PP family of handguns, with the safety and action being the largest differences. The safety both engages a hammer block and simultaneously rotates the firing pin out of alignment with the firing pin hole, and the action is single-action with a cocking lever integrated into the trigger; the first pull cocks the hammer, with a short reset before firing. Fixed sights, with the three line "SPEZIAL-MODELL" markings on the left side of the slide, serrated ring hammer, smooth trigger, and checkered wraparound grips with "Special" banners. German commercial "crown N" proofs present on right rear slide.