Referred to in the literature as the Model 1907-19, these pistols were immediately recognizable by their less expensive matte blue finish that was also more durable than the bright bluing used on earlier guns. They also had twenty-eight smaller, sharper cocking serrations on each side instead of the ten large rounded ones of the original pistols.
The ejection port was smaller, no longer relieved to accept the loaded chamber indicator, which had added extra parts & manufacturing steps and acquired a reputation for breakage.
The large "SAVAGE" billboard rollmark on the left side of the gun was also gone now, eliminating another manufacturing step.
With the Model 1907-19 Modification #2 variant, the cocking lever with a pronounced thumb spur that had been an optional addition since 1914 became standard on the model.
Some 18,000 of the 1907-19 Modif. #1 and 26,400 of the 1907-19 Modif. #2 were build between the start of 1919 and the end of 1920. These pistols, however, were just a stopgap. Savage was feeling pressure not only from Colt, but now also from Remington, who had entered the pocket pistol fray with their John Pedersen-designed Model 51 at the tail end of 1918.
In response, Savage had revamped their basic pistol design in '17 and the new pistol would be ready for sale at the dawn of the Roaring Twenties.
3 comments:
Thank you for running this series. I've only seen a few of them in gun stores; I've never handled one, let alone shot one.
Thank you for reading and commenting!
America was "Revolver Country" for so long that most people don't even realize all the manufacturers at least tried to stick a toe in the self loader market early in the 20th Century.
Colt's deadlock on the Browning patent for the one-piece slide and breechblock made it difficult to compete.
A Savage is on my list of wants. I already have a beautiful 1903 Colt.
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