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LOT 364
Very Scarce U.S. Test Trial Savage Model 1907 Semi-
Automatic Pistol - Serial no. 180, 45 ACP cal., 5 1/4 inch
round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. This is a very scarce example of
a Savage Model 1907 pistol that was manufactured for the U.S. 1907
military test trials. Based on the poor performance of the Army’s .38
caliber revolvers during the Philippine Insurrection, in January 1906
U.S. Army Ordnance Chief B.G. Crozier issued a letter of invitation to the
gun manufacturing industry to develop and submit new semi-automatic
handguns utilizing the then new .45 ACP cartridge. Eighteen companies initially
responded with only eight actually submitting a test sample pistol. Of the competitors, only the offerings of Savage,
Colt, and Luger were found to merit additional trials, though Luger would voluntarily withdraw due to
concerns that the Americans wouldn’t pick a European offering regardless of virtue. The final result, which involved a few rounds
of revisions and corrections for each pistol, was the adoption of Colt’s Government Model pistol as the Model of 1911, which in
turn would be America’s sidearm from World War I to the closing days of the Cold War. Estimates on the total number of Model
1907 pistols vary in the 288-290 range, and many of those were destroyed or misplaced during the course of testing. Aside from a
small handful earmarked for retention by museums, all the Savage pistols in government stores were released for commercial sale.
Between the number destroyed from the stress of government testing, the number “lost” in transit, and additional wear and tear
from civilian buyers, good surviving examples are rare in any condition. This example is marked “CAL .45” ahead of the ejector port,
and has the “FIRE” and “SAFE” markings on the side of the frame. These markings were an addition requested by the Army partway
through testing and were added to the pistols already made, as well as applied to those made after. Only traces of the original
Savage address and patent marking remain on this example, as is the case with many others, due to being lost during factory
refreshment. This pistol is listed by serial number on p. 40 of “Colt .45 Service Pistols: Models of 1911 and 1911A1” by Clawson as one
of the pistols listed in government records as returned to the factory on 14 January 1909, of which five were stolen. The pistol
is not listed on p. 261 of “U.S. Military Automatic Pistols: 1894-1920” by Meadows, as one that was known to be in private
collections. The slide shows the signature heavy serrations towards the rear. It has a ribbed hammer and smooth trigger. The
slide legend is removed except for “CAL 45” as is typical of the Tryon refurbished examples. This example still retains the thin/
narrow grip safety that is not integral to the rear of the frame, and it has the improved Model 1909 markings of “FIRE” and
“SAFE” at the rear of the frame along with a pair of checkered walnut grip panels, the left panel numbered “146” and the right
numbered “100”. The pistol is numbered “180” with two circled “S” proofs on the underside of the slide, with “180” repeated on
the slide stop internally. A swiveling lanyard loop is present, which can be folded into the magazine well if not needed, and
the magazine is full blue finished and has “139” marked on
the spine.
CONDITION: Very good, retains 30% of the faded Tryon
refinished blue with a few scattered patches of light spotting/
oxidation and traces of case colors on the trigger, with mild
wear overall typical of a trials used firearm. The grips are fair
with moderate wear, a vertical split in the left panel (both
pieces present), and a minor chip absent from the right panel.
Mechanically fine. A rare chance to add a Savage Model 1907 U.S. trials pistol to your American military collection!
Estimate: 8,500 - 13,000
Listed by serial number in
Colt .45 Service Pistols:
Models of 1911 and
1911A1 by Clawson
According to "U.S. Military Automatic Pistols
1894-1920" by Meadows, only 288 Savage
Model 1907 Test Pistols were produced.