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SIMILAR EXAMPLE PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN SAVAGE PISTOLS BY BROWER JR.
258
LOT 1301
Incredibly Rare Savage Prototype Semi-Automatic Pistol
in .25 ACP - Serial no. 1005M, 25 ACP cal., 2 1/2 inch round bbl., blue finish, hard rubber grips. Development of these scarce pistols began in 1912, with Savage feeling a need to make a pistol to compete with the .25 ACP pocket automatics offered by both Colt and FN/Browning. These pistols, loosely termed the “Model 1912”, never made it to full production, making them incredibly scarce. This example appears to be from the first of two fairly distinct phases of production, pistols from which are believed to have been manufactured around 1914-1915. These pistols are discussed on p. 136 of “Savage Pistols” by Bailey Brower, Jr., and a very similar example numbered “1013M” is pictured on p. 135, and two similar examples are pictured on p. 199. Like the example on p. 135, this pistol is serial numbered on the lower edge of the magazine well and has the standard two-line address, patent, and caliber marking on the top of the slide. This example has the distinct “first phase”
heavy slide serrations, similar to the Model 1907. These pistols were a straight blowback design with a slide much the same
shape as the Savage Model 1907, a grip safety similar to the Model 1915, and a magazine capacity of six rounds. It is fitted with blade and notch sights and a pair of checkered hard rubber grips with “SAVAGE” at the tops and the Savage logo at the center. CONDITION: Very fine as a Savage factory prototype, retains 70% of the bright original high polish blue finish with the balance having thinned to mostly a smooth grey patina with a few scattered patches of light pitting. The grips are also very fine with some scattered light handling marks and crisp checkering.
Mechanically excellent.
Provenance: The Bailey Brower, Jr. Collection, author of “Savage Pistols”.
Estimate: 7,000 - 10,000