RARE Savage Model 1915 Pocket Hammerless Automatic, Blue 4 ¼” Semi-Automatic Pistol & Box, MFD Ca. 1915 C&R
SOLD FOR:$1,978.00
LSB#: 150922RA06
Make: Savage
Model: 1915 Pocket Hammerless Automatic
Serial Number: 10233B
Year of Manufacture: 1915. http://milpas.cc/rifles/ZFiles/Manufacturers/Savage/Unique%20Am%20Legacy/Unique%20Am%20Legacy.html#1907
Caliber: .380 A.C.P. (9mm Kurz)
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto Pistol with Removable Magazine
Markings: The top of the slide is marked “MANUFACTURED BY SAVAGE ARMS CO. UTICA, N.Y. U.S.A. CAL. 380 / PATENTED NOVEMBER 21, 1905 – 9 M-M.”. The front of the frame under the barrel is marked “10233B” and the left side of the frame above the grip is marked “SAVAGE”. The left rear of the breechblock is marked with two circled “K’s”.
Barrel Length: 4 ¼”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a rounded blade fixed to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a “U” groove in the top of the slide.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are black checkered Gutta-Percha hard rubber with the “Savage Quality” Indian Head logo on each side. There are a few very light handling marks in the smooth borders. The checkering shows light wear with no mars. The grips are in about Fine plus condition.
Type of Finish: The pistol is blued. The magazine release and trigger are case colored.
Finish Originality: The finish is original.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright, tending to gray in the grooves. The rifling is sharp. There is extremely light erosion in the grooves the length of the bore.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 92% of its metal finish. There is thinning on the edges of the slide and frame, and on the front strap, grip safety and backstrap. There are a few light marks in the slide with a tiny ding on the left side about an inch from the muzzle. There are two spots of pinprick surface erosion on the left side of the front strap and light handing marks in the grip safety and mainspring housing. There are also spots of surface frosting around the edges of the grip panels. The slide serrations are sharp and the knurling on the safety shows light wear. The markings are clear. Overall, this handgun rates in about Fine condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. It has a frame mounted safety and a grip safety. There is absolutely no play between the slide and the frame. We did not fire this handgun.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with one 10 round double stack blued magazine. The left side of the magazine is marked “380 CAL”. The magazine shows light wear, a dusting of surface frosting, and thinning on the edges of the floorplate. The magazine is in about Fine condition. The pistol also comes with a black cardboard factory box, a “Savage Automatic” owner’s manual, a “.32 and .380 SAVAGE Hammerless” two page instruction sheet and a black nylon bore clear. The cover of the box is marked with a warning label that also has a “Savage Quality” Indian head logo on it. One end panel is also marked with their logo, and the make and model of this pistol. There is another label on the inside of the cover marked “SAVAGE ARMS COMPANY”, indicating the label was made before the name change to Savage Arms Corporation in 1918. One end panel is missing from the cover and the other is torn. There is fraying at the corners and surface loss in spots along the edges. The box is in about Fair condition. The cover of the Owner’s Manual is frayed along its folded edge and there are markings in pencil on its back cover. It is in about Good condition. The instruction sheet shows minor staining on its rear face and is in about Fine condition. The bore brush shows very little wear, if any, and is in Fine condition.
Our Assessment: The Savage Model 1907 is a very unique looking pistol with a small cocking piece in lieu of an exposed hammer and uses no screws – even the grips snap on. The design of the Model 1907 pistol was based on the .45 Caliber pistol Savage submitted to the 1906-1911 Army trials. The Model 1907 was one of the first pistols to use a double-stack magazine and was advertised with the slogan “Ten Shots Quick!”. It was first produced in 1908 in .32 ACP and then in .380 ACP starting in 1913. In 1915, the cocking piece was eliminated and the “hammerless” model given the designation Model 1915. This pistol was also made in both .32 and .380 ACP calibers, but only about 3900 were made in .380 caliber, making it the rarest of the Savage production automatics. This pistol is in about Fine condition with about 92% of its original finish remaining. It shows thinning on the edges of the slide and on the front strap, grip safety and backstrap. There are two spots of pinprick surface erosion on the left side of the front strap and tiny spots of surface frosting around the grip panels. The grip safety, front strap and backstrap show light handling marks and there is a tiny ding in the left side of the barrel about an inch from the muzzle. The checkered black Gutta-Percha grips show light wear in the checkering. The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling and extremely light erosion in the grooves. There is no play between the slide and frame. This is a cute little pistol in fantastic condition for its age that certainly isn’t “just another Browning copy”. It is a shame the early Savage pistols never gained the same collector status as the Colts, for this is a very unique pistol that deserves a spot in a high-end collection alongside its Colt and Browning cousins. With only 3900 of this model made in .380 ACP, it is also very rare. This pistol comes in a factory box with a vintage owner’s manual and a separate instruction sheet for the hammerless pistols.
