[Guest]

As part of my combined retirement and birthday present to myself, I am buying a 1907 Savage auto in .32 ACP. It is a very early one, 4 digit SN, steel grip panels. It needs a little cleaning and TLC, but I plan on shooting it next month.

I have found several very good sites on these pistols, but I want information from someone who has shot one on potential problems, etc.
I have always wanted one of these, and I happenned to find a very good one when I actually had money to buy it.
Thanks.

Mark

 

[romeofoxtrot]

Hey Dogngun--
I've never fired one of these, but they have a very sentimental meaning in my family. My grandfather was an attorney and county judge for many years back when most attorneys were honorable and upright men. This was also long before WWII when the frontier spirit and attitude tended to pervade the culture in the south. The Savage .32 was his "carry gun" back when his mother's "carry gun" was an old nickel plated top break Iver Johnson .32 revolver that now rests in my safe. The older members of my family used to tell how my grandfather would always carry his pistol to "politcal meetings" and whenever he would get threatened which was fairly frequently. The businessmen of our little town used to use the stable behind their offices as their privy, since there were no public restrooms in those days. An uncle used to tell how my grandfather, being about taking a dump in the old stable, let his little Savage slip out of his pocket and land in such a way as to disengage the safety (on a loaded chamber). He carefully retrieved the now spoiled little weapon and re-engaged the safety vowing never again to be so careless. Someone stole that pistol out of his office one day, but I've always imagined I would find one at a gun show or somewhere and buy it. Believe it or not I've never seen one at all with all my looking and experimenting. Hope I haven't bored you with this little tale. Congratulations and enjoy your purchase!
--Ray

 

[silversport]

thanks for sharing...always nice to hear these types of stories...it certainly was a different time.
Bill

 

[slabsides]

A few years ago when I was active in a semi-professional pistolsmithing capacity, a friend asked me to look over his 'desk gun'. He too was a lawyer. The piece was one he'd been given in lieu of a fee, and had sat, loaded and unfired, in his lower desk drawer for decades!
I researched the piece, did a detail strip and check, cleaned and lubed it. It was remarkable, in 99% condition, and the polish and blueing were extraordinary!
It shot well, too, when I gave it a test run. Really justified Savage's old sales motto
of '... 10 shots quick."
I tried to buy it from him, without success.
Hope you enjoy yours!!!

 

[silversport]

Show pics if you can...I will try and do the same...I inherited one of these as well...looks like it was never shot...when I took it apart (seemingly for the first time) the "oil" in it had turned to an orange colored hard much...I soaked the parts in WD-40 for a day and the pistol was then able to be taken apart...I have never shot it and mine is missing the front sight but other than that it is a good 95%+ condition...mine is a later model with the "S" shaped (if the "S" was lying on its side) hammer...
Bill

 

[oberstlt]

Whatever you do, don't take it apart. I had one and could never figure out how to put it back together! I think they also made them in 380 but am not sure. Also, they made a few of them in 45 ACP (bigger frame) to compete in the M1911 trials. Never did figure out how to reassemble it - my first basket case!

 

[silversport]

did you "field" strip it or take it all the way down...if I recall, there is a special way to remove the grip plates so as not to damage them (mine are hard rubber) and the slide comes off a wierd way (to me at least)...I don't have it at hand right now but there is information on the web for dissassembly and reassembly...it helped me greatly.
Bill

 

[silversport]

I need to replace the front sight as that is missing...

 

[silversport]

I love the color case hardened trigger!

 

[silversport]

I dig how much care they took even just to engrave these pistols...

Bill

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. Good pictures of a neat old pistol; I like the way they shoot too.

Best.

PS: Please resize the photos to no larger than 640x480. Thanks in advance.

 

[silversport]

Stephen...sorry...I keep resizing these to "internet" size but I must be doing something wrong...I will take care of this right away...
Bill

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello.

I saved your picture to my drive and then uploaded to Photobucket and resized at 640x480 and posted the picture here.
It worked for me.

Best.

 

[silversport]

thank you sir...that's what I do and I resize to internet size but when I check the "Properties" it shows the file is larger...don't wish to be the "ugly" visitor...all physical attributes aside...

I appreciate the help.
Bill

 

[bmcgilvray]

I've long admired the Savage pistols and came close to purchasing one on more than one occasion. Yours is a nice example.

 

[erich]

Wow, that's gorgeous. Bryan, remember all the Savage .32s they had at Ron Peterson's here in ABQ?

 

[silversport]

thanks and sorry to the original poster...I didn't mean to take over his thread...
Bill

 

[106rr]

The original advertising for these pistols used the slogan"ten shots quick" . Savage hired Bat Masterson as a spokesperson (he was a sports writer in CO then after his carrer in LE) They also showed a large alligator that had (allegedly) been dispatched with the Savage 32.

 

[corky]

I've read somewhere or other that there are two models of this Savage: the 1907 and 1917 versions. Is this correct and if so what are the distinguishing features between them?

 

[erich]

It's true: I don't remember and I'm away from my reference material - sorry!