My oldest gun- 1914 Savage 1907

Boy this one has not just been around the block, but by the looks of it the world- a couple of times!

This mechanically sound .32 caliber 1907 Savage dates to 1914. I picked it up in 2005-2006 or so. A widow was selling off her husbands collection and this was part of it. With him being gone I have no story or history on this piece at all. The grip panels do not stay attached and the bluing is virtually gone. There is no maker information on the holster, but it was made to fit the 1907. The magazine functions properly, but it seems too dark to be original to this gun.

I suspect this little guy rode most of its life in that holster based on the wear pattern, and most likely a vest pocket from time to time.

Oh, if these could just tell their tales!

This is from 1911. My late brother in law brought it back from Vietnam


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dscampbell said:

This is from 1911. My late brother in law brought it back from Vietnam

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That’s awesome! Yours is in great shape!

The trigger is gritty but it does shoot to poa


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Your 1907 Savage could be part of the large French Military order. The hole for the lanyard loop in bottom of the back strap and the French pattern holster would be clues to its history?

Great find. The .32s are not as common as the .380s, or so I read. If it was imported by the French, it would have French proofs on it. The holster definitely looks military.

The French contract pistols can be identified by a combination of features, but to my knowledge French proofs are not among them.

Relevant items are the correct serial number range, which are known for the contracts, the large SAVAGE on the left, dual caliber markings for .32 and 7.65mm, and the lanyard loop.

The very earliest 3300 have none of the special features but were regular commercial 1914 production shipped off the shelf. A serial between SN 110500 and SN 113600 makes the gun a candidate for a history letter from Savage, the only way to confirm.

If it is a French contract Savage, C&Rsenal has a good video:

Small Arms of WWI Primer 016: French Savage 1907 Pistol - YouTube

I have one of these 1907 Savage autos in .32 cal given to me by my father-in-law. It is in about 70% overall condition. The only problem I have is keeping the plastic grips on when firing. Any ideas gents?

Thanks guys! I just started checking for the features you were taking about. It does of course have the lanyard loop holes. If it ever had a loaded chamber indicator it is now missing. The serial number range appears to be correct and it has the cal .32/7.65mm marking. I am definitely intrigued and this will get my full attention until I figure it out. A Savage letter request will be made too.

Triggerman66 said:

I have one of these 1907 Savage autos in .32 cal given to me by my father-in-law. It is in about 70% overall condition. The only problem I have is keeping the plastic grips on when firing. Any ideas gents?

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If my memory is right the Savage grips had tiny shoulders that locked them into the frame. They had to be flexed slightly to get them in or out. Wear or any warping of the material causes them to get loose and fall out. I don't know of any sure way to fix them. I have heard of people placing them in boiling water to soften them a bit then flattening them between two boards if they were warped. There are modern replacements offered but I have never tried them so don't know how well they fit.

I’ve owned several Savage auto pistols. Funny everyone I had was a 32. Most were 90% or better. Just saw one in a Tom Hawks movie, Road to Perdition. Bad guy had one.
I’ve had hundreds of quality 32 and 380 pistols of pre WW2 manf. I never did more than run a few mags through to test for function. The Savages were above average for accuracy and were same quality as Colt or Walther.

a very good pistol ! BUT, not in .380. the .32 is better wear on a pistol. AND, is powerfull enough to penertrate an empty oil drum. !

Your bbl has the cuts made in it for the Loaded Chamber Indicator.
(One shallow cut going nearly all the way around the circumferance of the bbl.
The other cut is the straight line cut going the length of the chamber.)

The Loaded Chamber Indicator was a simple spring steel clip that snapped into place around the bbl with the one arm w/a slight hook on the end extended into a clearance cut just forward of the extractor.
If a cartridge was present in the chamber, the indicator arm flexed upward and could be felt by the shooter.

It is a very fragile & hard to find replacement part. Many have since broken or been lost during disassembly, etc.
I don't know of any repros being made but maybe someone has seen the need and is making some.

Savage actually discontinued the feature in 1917 but the supply of bbls with the cut already machined in place remained in stock. So pistols were still assembled with it well after that time.

The orig grips are Gutta Percha,,the real stuff,,not Hard Rubber of Vulcanite.
GP from that era is now very brittle. Original Savage grips in undamaged condition (not cracked, chipped, repaired, glued, ect) are a near rarity to find.
The originals were designed to slide into place in the dovetail slots of the frame and then snap into place by the slight flexing they encountered during that installation. The tabs on the back of the grips made them flex very slightly as they are pushed into place and then snap back flat as the tabs engage the slots in the frame.
That's all that held them in position.

To remove them. you were expected to take the magazine out and place your finger inside the mag well and push upward on the inside of tha grip panel just enough to again flex the grip to allow the tabs on the back face to clear the cuts in the pistol frame.
Then holding it there, use (usually it takes both thumbs) your thumb to slide the grip panel free of the frame.

Probably worked great when it was 1917. But the Gutta Percha stuff just doesn't bend any more and 99% of the time this simple process is tried these days results in a broken orig grip panel.

Savage even switched over to metal grip panels for the pistol.

Modern repro replacement grips of moulded hard rubber or other decent cast plastic work OK. They can take the flexing needed to install and remove.

Neat guns.
Kind of complicated but interesting for sure.

2152hq said:

Neat guns.
Kind of complicated but interesting for sure.

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Excellent information- thank you!

Don't own this Model 1917 in 32 anymore, IIRC I sold to a forum member. Kind of miss it. Such an innovative design for its time...1st double stack magazine, one of the 1st striker fired, very few parts/screws, etc.

Thanks for sharing yours. They're neat little poppers with LOTS of art deco style points imo. And of course, "10 Shots Quick ".

I once had two of them, both in .32, both were in very high condition. One was stolen in a burglary, ca. 1989, recovered by the police, but for various reasons, it was never returned to me. I suspect someone in the PD decided he wanted it for himself. I still have the second one. It's my bathroom towel and washrag closet gun. It's in the "Made like a Swiss Watch" category.