POTD: Savage Arms Model 1916 Prototype 25 ACP
Sam.S 10.19.21
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here I found an example of a Savage prototype pistol very obviously based on their 1907 pistol. This 1916 Prototype is supposed to be in 25 ACP and even though that cartridge is basically dead by today’s standards it was quite popular to have back in the day. It was the .380 Auto equivalent in the early 20th century. Any reason for this pistol being left out of production would be speculation. My guess is it came along in a time of world war, but also when the 1907 was starting to lose popularity to a lot of Colt designs. Savage also probably opted to concentrate on their new pistol, the 1917.
“This is a unique example of a rare prototype Model 1916 Savage Arms semi-automatic pocket pistol in the highly desirable 25 ACP cartridge. This pistol was originally purchased in Sept 1977, directly from Savage Arms Company museum when they closed and were selling off their factory assets. At this time there are only 3 of these pistols known to exist. These pistols as well as the very successful 1907 and 1917 models were all based on a direct blow-back operation that were designed by the Savage head engineer Charles Nelson. All these models have an extremely well balanced design with a super fast action. The larger 1917 model pistol was featured in the movie “The Road To Perdition” and was used by Jude Law in the final scenes of the movie. This prototype pistol is completely void of any factory proof marks or legend and only carries the “SAFE” and “FIRE” markings on the left rear end of the frame. It is fitted with fit set of smooth hard black composition grips and is complete with one magazine.”
Lot 3544: Savage Arms Corporation 1916 Pistol 25 Acp. (n.d.). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved October 19, 2021, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/59/3544/savage-arms-corporation-1916-pistol-25-acp.
