Curious Relics #084: Original US Double Stack – The Savage 1907 Part II
Sam.S 02.21.24
Welcome, if you are a newcomer to this fun bi-weekly segment of AllOutdoor.com! The last time around I covered the history of the first widely available American double-stack pistol, the Savage 1907. I am glad to say that the Savage 1907 lineage is a fairly uncomplicated one. These variation lists typically go off the rails because a company wants this or a country wants that and so on. Its a mess most of the time but the Savage 1907 is cut and dry. Let’s dive right into the rabbit hole!
Welcome to our recurring series of “Curious Relics.” Here, we want to share all of our experiences, knowledge, misadventures, and passion for older firearms that one might categorize as a Curio & Relic – any firearm that is at least 50 years old according to the ATF. Hopefully along the way you can garner a greater appreciation for older firearms like we do, and simultaneously you can teach us things as well through sharing your own expertise and thoughts in the Comments. Understanding the firearms of old, their importance, and their development which lead to many of the arms we now cherish today is incredibly fascinating and we hope you enjoy what we have to share, too!
Variations: Savage 1907
US Military Trials 45 ACP Savage 1907: Around 288 of these were made from 1907 to 1911. They were all submitted for the US military’s 1907 pistol trials. They were scaled-up versions of our pistol today however they were in 45 ACP, featured a grip safety, and operated slightly differently. They made it to the last run which ultimately revealed the Colt 1911 as the winner. This was after an unrealistic 6000 round endurance test which showcased parts breakages in the Savage. Surviving Savage trial pistols were bought back by Savage for around $6 (they were bought by the military for around $65). These pistols would be refitted, refinished, and sold on the open market and are extremely rare to come across today.
Lot 3724: Savage Arms Corporation 1907 Pistol 45 ACP – Outstanding, Unaltered, Rare and Desirable U.S. Army Model 1907 Savage Arms 45ACP Test Pistol. (n.d.-ay). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved November 7, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/55/3724/savage-arms-corporation-1907-pistol-45-acp.
Savage 1907: After the 45 ACP military trials Savage 1907 failed to yield a military contract Savage did not completely scrap their autoloading pistol idea. Instead, they collaborated with inventor Elbert Searle, who held key patents. Savage aimed to make a compact and handy pistol to compete with other popular pocket pistols such as the FN 1910 or even the FN 1900 which kicked off the compact carry gun craze to begin with. The result was the .32 ACP Model 1907.
Savage began to market the heck out of the Savage 1907 in every possible way. It was advertised as a perfect gift for your wife, the ideal anti-burglar pistol, and it delivered 10 shots of 32 ACP quickly. The advertisements were pretty radicular in a funny way. they did not necessarily lie but let us say they were enthusiastic in every facet. It even garnered endorsements from the likes of Bat Masterson and Buffalo Bill Cody.
Savage 1912 Pocket Pistol “Prototype”: Savage’s foray into the lucrative .25 ACP pocket pistol market in 1912 resulted in the obscure Savage Model 1912. This diminutive semi-automatic was developed but never commercially released, with barely forty examples produced in total. These rare pistols were made across two small batches, each exhibiting slight variations. The first twenty guns wore wide serrations on the slide, harkening back to earlier Savage automatics. Factory markings were prominently displayed, and serial numbers began at M1000. A subsequent run of twenty Model 1912s emerged with Savage’s newer slimline slide striations but lacked embellishments. The 1912 held 6 rounds of 25 ACP and operated via simple blowback, unlike Savage’s locked-breech 1907 pistols.
Lot 1470: Savage Prototype Semi-Automatic Pistol in .25 ACP – Excellent and Incredibly Rare Savage Prototype Semi-Automatic Pistol in .25 ACP. (n.d.-f). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved January 12, 2024, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/87/1470/savage-prototype-semiautomatic-pistol-in-25-acp.
French Contract Savage 1907: WWI was a war of absolute attrition. The French were notoriously lacking in side arms. they had their service revolvers (not enough of them), Spanish Ruby pistols (not the highest quality guns), and they had the Savage 1907. Around 40,000 Model 1907 pistols in .32 ACP were purchased by France during World War I between 1914 and 1917 to equip soldiers in combat. These French contract Savage 1907 pistols can be identified by the addition of a lanyard ring on the grip. Beyond that they were mechanically similar to your average 1907 pistol.
Lot 751: French Contract Savage Model 1907 Prototype Pistol. (n.d.-a). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved February 13, 2024, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1044/751/french-contract-savage-model-1907-prototype-pistol.
Savage 1915: The rare Savage Model 1915 pocket semi-automatic pistol had a fleeting production run of just a couple of years, with approximately 6,500 units manufactured making it one of Savage’s most elusive automatic designs. The Model 1915 represented a transitional model between the earlier Model 1907 and the subsequent near-identical Model 1917 pistols. It retained the compact size and 10-round magazine capacity of the Model 1907 but incorporated a grip safety inspired by the immensely popular Colt pistols. Visually, the 1915 was almost indistinguishable from the Model 1907 with its prominent cocking hammer attached to the striker-fired mechanism shared by both pistols. Only minor design tweaks separated the 1915 from the Model 1917 that followed.
Lot 3509: Savage Model 1915 Semi-Automatic Pistol – Exceptional Rare Savage Model 1915 Semi-Automatic Pistol with Scarce Factory Box. (n.d.-d). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved November 20, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/87/3509/savage-model-1915-semi-automatic-pistol.
Savage 1917: The Savage Model 1917 pocket semi-automatic pistol was developed as a competitive response to the popular Remington Model 51 that was gaining traction. It showed up around 1920 and puttered out around 1928. It really was not a whole lot different from its 1907 counterpart. The biggest differences were a redesigned hammer/striker and grip contour. Oh and it also was available in 380 ACP in order to compete with the Remington Model 51.
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.
End of Part II: Savage 1907
An excellent resource on all things Savage Pistols check out Savage Pistols by Bailey Brower JR.
In closing, I hope our Curious Relics segment informed as well as entertained. This all was written in hopes of continued firearm appreciation and preservation. We did not just realize how guns were supposed to look and function. It was a long and tedious process that has shaped the world we live in. So, I put it to you! Is there a firearm out there that you feel does not get much notoriety? What should our next Curious Relics topic cover? As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
