Savage models 1907 1915 1917

[Tornado]

I recently learned of these interesting pistols and wanted to know if any of you fine gents or ladies have any experience with them?  They seem to be one of the first to have a double stack magazine.  They were available in both 32acp and 380 acp.

Ian's video on them:

[Forty Rod]

I had a 1907 type 2, .32.  Fine gun and about the only pistols I have ever had that pointed more natually were a Luger P-08, a Nambu POS, and my favorite, a little .Remington Model 51 in .32.

The Savage went to a frat brother for the princely price of $40.  I almost threw the Nambu away.  I paid $300.00 for the 51 about fifteen years ago and still have it... probably always will.

The Savage had a bit of an edge in the magazie capacity and I'd take another one in a second if the price were right.

[Queasy Dillo]

I picked one up earlier this week.  Near as I can tell it falls somewhere around 1914 vintage.  Surprisingly good condition and no internal trouble.  I'm not much of a shot but some of the coworkers were getting minute-of-tin-can accuracy at the 7yd mark. 

Definitely and interesting little critter.  Lots of features from the era before autoloaders were any kind of standardized, so the buttons and switches are a little odd. 

[St. George]

These fired from a locked breech, unlike the other pocket pistols of the era.

That gave them an increased velocity for better penetration.

There are a number of books on them - Bailey Brower's 'Savage Automatic Pistols' more or less combined Stern's and Carr's earlier works.

Scouts Out!

[Drydock]

Great little guns.  Kind of a hesitation lock,  Some gunwriter ground off the locking lug, and found it gave up around 100 fps over straight blowback.  (If I remember right!)  A real "Art-Deco" handgun.

[LongWalker]

They are a decent little pistol.  The .32 auto had some fans amongst the cowboys of 1905-1940 or so: the little pistols fit nicely in chaps pockets, and in a pinch it was a pistol after all.  Back home, the Savage seems to have been a local favorite.  (I've always thought it was the "10 shots quick" sales motto.  Some of those old boys had been in enough shooting scrapes to expect to miss frequently, and ten shots without loading can be a comfort when you are carrying a pocket pistol.)  I know they made them in .380, but the magazine only holds nine rounds. 

They point well, very well if you figure out which model fits your hand best.  For me, that is the original 1907, but a friend finds the later model of 1917 to suit his hands better.  I've carried a 1907 some.  It fits nicely in a hip pocket, or the pocket of a coat.  Not the most accurate .32 I've ever shot (that would be the CZ70), but one of the best pointing pistols I've ever handled. 

There are a couple of typical problems with them.  Before doing anything else, get decent instructions on take-down!  Finding spare magazines, or spare parts, can be a trial.  I'd get a set of springs from Wolff.  And the grips. . . hundred-year old gutta percha grips that "snap" into place are going to break.  I'd get a set of repro grips before shooting it much. 

They tend to like Winchester FMJs.  Mine got almost 100 fps more with S&B FMJs, so that was what I carried in it.  I'd love to have my old one back, and sooner or later will pick up another.   

[Pitspitr]

Garry James featured them last week on American Rifleman.

[Bat 2919]

Bat Masterson (and Buffalo Bill) did print advertising for this little pistol so how could I not own several.  Way ahead of their time, a detachable double stack magazine was unknown before 1907.  They even had a loaded chamber indicator before they were done.  The .45 ACP version almost beat out the Colt 1911 as the U. S. service pistol.  A lot of fun and an instinctive pointing pistol, I don't know if the word ergonomics even existed in 1907 but Savage Shure understood the concept.  The first 1907's had the magazine release in the middle of the front grip face (not the bottom like the latter ones) and I like these the best, a true one hand pistol, all the controls conveniently located, just not where we're used to finding them today.

[Tornado]

Thanks guys, I think I like the looks of the 1907 better, but I need to get my hands on both to see which one feels better in my hand.

[Scattered Thumbs]

I picked one up earlier this week.  Near as I can tell it falls somewhere around 1914 vintage.  Surprisingly good condition and no internal trouble.  I'm not much of a shot but some of the coworkers were getting minute-of-tin-can accuracy at the 7yd mark.  

Definitely and interesting little critter.  Lots of features from the era before autoloaders were any kind of standardized, so the buttons and switches are a little odd.  

Yours is either from a French or Portuguese military contract. The tell tales are the loaded chamber indicator and the hole on the back of the frame grip for the lanyard ring.


And a word of caution. Never remove the grip panels. They are likely to break, and there are no replacements available.

Here is mine from the Portuguese military contract made in 1915.

[St. George]

There are good replacements available through 'Vintage Gun Grips' and I highly recommend getting a set for your using Savage.

If you dull them by using a toothbrush and baking soda/Ajax, they'll look like the original hard rubber finish.

Scouts Out!

[Queasy Dillo]

Yours is either from a French or Portuguese military contract. The tell tales are the loaded chamber indicator and the hole on the back of the frame grip for the lanyard ring.


And a word of caution. Never remove the grip panels. They are likely to break, and there are no replacements available.

Gracias and bueno.  I've heard from a couple of sources that grips are something best let lie, so unless/until mine break they'll stay as they are. 

Now I gotta find me a proper western holster for such an animal.   

[Baltimore Ed]

Last year there was one in .45 listed on GB for 25 grand I'm thinking. It was supposed to be one of the pistols from the trials.

[Bat 2919]

Bob Mernickle made me one of his Wild Bunch holsters and mag. pouches for my 1907 several years ago.

http://www.mernickleholsters.com/bm_wb.html

I don't know if he lists this as one of the guns he makes holsters for but I know he has a 1907 in his stable of sample guns so he may be able to make other styles as well.  When you call tell him Bat sent you.

[Scattered Thumbs]

Last year there was one in .45 listed on GB for 25 grand I'm thinking. It was supposed to be one of the pistols from the trials.

That should have been inexpensive.

[Drydock]

http://www.forgottenweapons.com/early-automatic-pistols/savage-45/

[Tornado]

I brought this little guy home a few weeks ago.  I finally got the the range this weekend to shoot it,  the slide is pretty stiff and the mag release takes some getting use to, but it is a sweet shooter.  This one is a Model 1917, it made in 1920, and is chambered for 380.

[Bat 2919]

Just noticed that SARCO has 1907 .32 magazines listed as in stock at $49.95 Ea.

This is all they say about them:
"Original. Been in the warehouse for 40 years from the Golden State Portuguese deal. Good condition. Just found!"



I guess that implies they were made by Savage, I don't know who else would have been making spare mags for the Portuguese.  These little pistols were very popular all over western Europe up until WW2.  The one in the photo has holes for both styles of mag release so they should work with any of the 1907 32's. 

http://www.e-sarcoinc.com/savage190532autopistolmagazine.aspx

[treebeard]

I have shot the 1907 .32 many times with great enjoyment. There is a YouTube video on disassembly that is very helpful if you are doing it for the first time. Those early 20th Century Savage machinist's could really put out superb work.

[Niederlander]

Anyone here have a clue as to what the heck this is?!