Savage 1907 .32acp: Blowback or not?

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Snowdog

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A few months after having received my Colt 1903 .32acp, I was fortunate enough tonight to win an auction for another C&R eligible .32acp that's been on my list for ages: the Savage 1907.

I don't know much about the pistol other than I dig the aesthetics, it was advertised as "Ten Shots Quick!" (it boasts a 10+1 capacity, a marvel of its day) and it's chambered in .32acp/7.65 Browning.

What I don't yet know is what kind of action it uses. Until tonight, I was under the impression that it was a blowback like the Colt 1903 (I love that pistol more than I thought I would), but some take-down videos I've seen recently keep mentioning a rotating lug.

I know that the Colt 1903 uses rotating lugs to take down but it's been (seemingly) implied in more than one YouTube video that the slide rotates the barrel via a chamber lug when the slide reciprocates.

So, is the Savage 1907 a blowback like I suspect it is or is something more going on here?
 
I have always loved those pistols - Art Deco can be so elegant. I would be surprised if it is not blowback, being an all-steel .32.
 
I have always loved those pistols - Art Deco can be so elegant.

I completely agree. I've wanted one for what seems forever but there were always things above it on the list. I found a smoking deal on this one and decided that now was the time.

I've made a discovery after additional searching and found that it was marketed as a locking breach though it's actually a delayed blowback. According to the YouTube video linked below, it featured a rifling that twisted in the opposite direction that the lug would rotate, preventing the barrel from allowing the slide to unlock it until the bullet exited the barrel. Pretty nifty concept if it worked. It seems this resistance isn't felt by racking the slide, but function only during firing (as it's the bullet traveling down the barrel that does the work).

 
It seems to operate like the MAB french pistol.
Anyway, congratulations. Nice piece.
 
I do know the .45 ACP Savage pistol that competed with the Colt 1911 during Army trials used a rotating barrel lock up.
 
My understanding is also that it's some kind of rotating delayed blowback thingie. It's doubtless from some article I read years ago. I tend to remember the general gist of things, but don't usually recall the exact details very well.

FWIW, I also recall a discussion whether this system actually worked at all in Pistol X, or if in fact it was effectively a pure blowback. I don't recall which pistol was being discussed, or if the question was ever settled. It wouldn't really matter much one way or another in a steel 32acp pistol, IMHO.

The 1907's are very cool. It's still somewhere on my Christmas list. Apparently I've been a bad boy lately; Santa never leaves me weaponry under the tree. :(
 
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I think most would call it a delayed blowback-
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As a collector peice to admire for its looks and quirkiness, they are cool. Unfortunately, my experience shooting it was not so great......

The magazine release is nigh unusable. You have to squeeze quite hard and even then find a "sweet spot" where you can drag the magazine free with a fingernail in the tiny relief cut at the bottom. I say "drag" because the mag will not fall free when its empty, in fact it grips the well tightly. Ive experienced this on 2 different M1907s with both factory and aftermarket mags, so I can only assume this is a common issue with the design?

Speaking of magazines- it has apparently become common for unscrupulous sellers to strip the original mags out of these, pop a crappy Circle K mag in, and then sell off the factory ones for crazy high prices (over $100!) on the internet or at gunshows. Beware of this. My gun would only feed from the factory mag, the aftermarket ones sat too low for the feed ramp to line up properly.:fire:

The design has some other not-so-fun features as well, including an unusable safety, nonexistant sights, and the slide not remaining open on the last shot. Worst of all, you have to be on anabolic steroids to pull either the slide or the striker knob (hammer) back and the slide serrations dont help.

As a bit of gun art-deco, these are neat, and I hate to be a party pooper, but as a practical defensive handgun or even a range toy, I was massively dissappointed.

Hope your experience is better.o_O
 
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Delayed blowback is my guess. :thumbdown:

The 32 acp runs at 20,500 psi.(delayed blowback.)

The 22 lr runs at 24,000 psi. (Blowback.)

Bolt thrust would make a difference on what type is needed.
 
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It's a delayed blowback design where a cam action twists the barrel slightly and the twist of the rifling is opposite to the motion of the barrel itself. With mine, all the magazines both original and new drop free empty or full.

About accuracy, my Savage is not quite as accurate as either of my Colt 1903s but pretty close and of course, the Savage is HiCap and the Colt's ain't.
 
NIGHTLORD is correct about the pistol's drawbacks. I cock the hammer 1st then draw back the slide. That part doesn't bother me nor does the sticky magazine BUT the magazine release is something that seems to have been designed just so the designer could say he 'invented' it. It is extremely annoying.

However, the cool odd good looks of the gun make up for a lot plus it fits my hand perfectly. The 11 shot capacity doesn't hurt either. IMO it is the best looking of the early pocket pistols. I managed to score it and a 1910 FN .32 from the same seller who is a member here.
 
The early savage pistols were also available in .380. Yes it is a delayed blow back, but I wonder if it was necessary. Certain not really needed in the ..32 ACP IMHO. A 100 yrs ago they were excellent pistols.
 
I have one, and a 1917 Savage too. Supposedly the US Army Trials Savage in .45 ACP had a nasty snap to it that made the Colt gun feel much more comfortable to shoot. Also, spark tests showed that the breech was open when the bullet left the barrel I think I read, but this is strange since the accelerating mass of the bullet should have had some retarding effect, maybe it just doesn't take that much energy to spin a 90 grain slug up, compared to what it takes to accelerate it to muzzle velocity.
 
I would go with delayed blowback too. My brother has one though I don't know if he has ever fired it.
 
I can’t answer your question but my LGS has a very nice one. Very interesting pistol.
 
Researched those a little while back. It is blowback, but there are some very unique aspects of how it functions compared to what is available today.
 
pretty sure the upsized version of that was the strongest competition for the 1911 when it was selected in trials. one of those would be a collectors item on a whole other level IMHO …
 
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