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LOT 1299
Very Scarce U.S. Test Trial Savage Model 1907 Semi-Automatic
Pistol with Factory Letter - Serial no. 219, 45 ACP cal., 5 1/4 inch
round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. A very scarce example of a Savage
Model 1907 pistol that was manufactured for the U.S. military semi-
automatic pistol test trials of 1907. Based on the poor performance of the
Army’s .38 caliber revolvers during the Philippine Insurrection, in January 1906 the U.S. Army Ordnance Chief, Brig. Gen. Crozier, issued
a letter of invitation to the firearm manufacturing industry to develop and submit new semi-automatic pistols chambered for the then
new .45 Automatic Colt Pistol (ACP) cartridge. Eighteen companies initially responded, with only eight actually submitting a test sample pistol. Of the competitors,
only the offerings of Savage Arms Corp., Colt, and DWM were found to merit additional trials, though DWM would voluntarily withdraw its Luger design due to
concerns that the U.S. wouldn’t pick a European offering regardless of virtue. At the conclusion of the tests and after several revisions, the Colt offering proved a more
reliable option over the Savage and was subsequently adopted as the U.S. Model of 1911. The number of Savage Model 1907 pistols produced, according to Meadows’
“U.S. Military Automatic Pistols 1894-1920”, is 288, many of which 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 returned to Savage Arms, reconditioned, and then made available to the commercial market
through E. K. Tryon of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The included factory letter lists this pistol by serial number “219” as sent to E. K. Tyron from the Savage Arms factory, and
mentions that the pistols were sent in two main shipments on August 14 and August 31, 1922. 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. While this specific pistol is not listed as a
known example in private collections on p. 261 of “U.S. Military Automatic Pistols: 1894-1920”, the subsequent serial “220” is. Featuring fixed oval blade front and rounded
notch rear sights, heavy serrations at the rear of the slide, ribbed hammer, smooth trigger, early thin/narrow grip safety, swinging lanyard loop, and the improved Model
1909 markings of “FIRE” and “SAFE” at the rear of the frame. The top of the slide is marked with the one-line factory added Savage address, as well as “CAL .45” ahead of
the ejector port, which in conjunction with the safety markings were requested by the U.S. Army partway through testing and were added to the pistols already made,
as well as applied to those made after. Serial number”219” visible on the right interior side of the grip frame, along with matching “219” serials marked on the underside
of the slide, slide stop, and magazine catch. “LO” and a nine-digit number is electro-stenciled on the left side of the grip frame under the woodline. Fitted with a pair of
replacement checkered walnut grips (left panel numbered “8”, right panel un-numbered) and a full-blued magazine numbered “31” on the back of the spine.
CONDITION: Fine, retaining 50% factory refurbished matte blue finish and case colors with light edge wear, smooth grey
and brown patinas on the balance, some minor freckling, a few light handling marks, and clear markings. The grips are very
fine with some light compression wear to the left panel and well-defined checkering. Mechanically excellent. Overall a fine
representation of a U.S. test trials Savage Arms Model 1907 pistol!
Estimate: 9,000 - 14,000
According to "U.S. Military
Automatic Pistols 1894-
1920" by Meadows, only
288 Savage Model 1907 Test
Pistols were produced.
274