POTD: Last Gasp of The 1907 – The Savage Model 1917
Sam.S 11.20.23
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! The Savage Model 1917 was created as a response to the popularity of the slick new Remington Model 51 pistol in the early 1900s. Savage wanted its own compact semi-auto contender. The result was the innovative Model 1917, hitting the market around 1920. This striker-fired pistol featured a 10-round double stack magazine, providing impressive firepower compared to other pistols of its day. Don’t let the Model 1917’s old-timey exposed “hammer” fool you – it was actually a cocking lever for the internal striker. Field stripping the Model 1917 reveals its rotating barrel lockup system ahead of its time. Remove just three parts and this pistol breaks down easily. Though meant for the commercial market, the Model 1917 shared its delayed blowback action with Savage’s experimental .45 ACP submission for the Army trials to replace the Colt 1911. While the military passed on the Model 1917, over a quarter million Savage semi-autos sold between 1907 and 1928, cementing the Model 1917’s legacy as a mechanically fascinating pistol design.
“Manufactured 1921-1928. With a correctly labeled factory box. Provenance: The Bailey Brower, Jr. Collection, author of “Savage Pistols””
Lot 4754: Savage Model 1917 Semi-Automatic Pistol with Box. (n.d.-be). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved November 20, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1043/4754/savage-model-1917-semi-automatic-pistol-with-box.
