Steyr-Hahn Model 1912 9mm Luger 08 Marked Semi-Automatic Pistol, 1916 C&R
SOLD FOR: $2015
LSB#: 210614RZ06
Make: Steyr
Model: Steyr-Hahn Model 1912
Serial Number: 9066l
Year of Manufacture: The pistol was originally made in 1916 and rechambered to 9mm Parabellum in the 1940s.
Caliber: 9mm Parabellum (9x19mm, 9mm Luger)
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto Pistol with Internal Magazine Fed by Stripper Clips
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “08” (German designation for P08 Luger, or 9mm Parabellum), “9066l”, STEYR1916?, and at the rear with “K” (Kontroll inspection stamp) and a large “S”. The left side of the trigger guard is marked “9066l”. The left side of the frame is marked with an “Eagle / N” German proof added after conversion to 9mm Parabellum and “O” in a triangle. The right side of the frame is marked with an eagle holding a globe with swastika with “L” above and behind the trigger. The groove in the left side of the frame at the muzzle is marked “a” and the notch at the rear of the recoil-spring slot is marked “3”. The bottom of the slide release, the left of the safety, left face of the hammer, top of the magazine follower, and the left of the lanyard ring are each marked “K”. The left side of the lanyard ring is also marked with an Austrian eagle. The bottom-rear barrel lug is marked with eagle over “N” and “9066”, the front lug is marked “1”. The left of the lanyard ring is marked “1299”. The right of the lanyard ring is marked “LGK. ST.” (Landes Gendarmerie Kommando Steiermark).
Barrel Length: 5”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed into the front of the slide. The rear sight is a “V”-notch in the rear of the slide between its grasping ears.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered wood panels with smooth borders. The grips show light handling wear with some scattered light nicks, dings and scuffs. The left panel has more notable wear and a crack at the grip screw head. Each panel has light play to the frame. Overall, the grips are in about Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Refinished, likely at the time of conversion to 9mm Luger.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the rifling is sharp. There is some minor erosion scattered through the bore.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 95% of its current metal finish. The finish is thinning at some edges. There are a few scattered light nicks and scuffs, some of the nicks are under the finish. There is some scattered minor erosion under the finish and minor oxidation. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots. Most markings are clear, the “STEYR 1916” marking on the slide is a little shallow. Most exposed markings have been filled with white. Overall, this pistol is in about Very Good condition as refinished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly and the slide is tight to the frame. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with printouts which have information about the gun including parts list and disassembly instructions.
Our Assessment: Borrowing features from both the Roth-Steyr 1907 and the Colt 1900-1911 series of pistols, the Steyr M1912 is a rotating-locking barrel, internal magazine semi-automatic pistol. The pistol is frequently referred to as the Steyr-Hahn or “Steyr Hammer” due to its external hammer. The pistol was an Austro-Hungarian sidearm during WWI with other contracts for sales to Chile and Romania. This example was still in Austrian inventory in the 1940s when many were converted to 9mm Parabellum for use by Austrian police. The pistol was originally made in 1916 and was later converted to 9mm for use by police under the administration of Nazi Germany. The pistol is in about Very Good-plus condition with 95% of its new finish remaining, a nice bore and strong mechanics. This pistol is in really nice condition for having survived inter-war Austria, Anschluss and a world war, though it would likely not have seen any front-line action. The lanyard ring is unit-marked, it is unclear if it has a non-matching serial number or if this was an inventory/rack number for the unit to which it was issued. There were only about 60,000 Steyr-Hahns converted to 9x19mm for police use, and far fewer are still in existence today. This rare variation should be a big hit with collectors of WWI and WWII pistols and those used by the Axis in particular, especially with its matching numbers. Please see our photos and good luck!