Tell me about the Savage .25 pocket pistols

[Owen Meany]

Hi everyone,

While browsing the Standard Catalog of Firearms, I read (pg. 995) that the Savage company manufactured a small number of .25 caliber pocket pistols in the early part of the last century (1915-1919). Supposedly only about 25 were made.

Outside of this mention, I have been unable to find any information at all about them except for the fact that they are extremely rare. The only photos I have ever seen are on the above-mentioned page of the Standard Catalog of Firearms, where there are pictures of two versions - one with 10 slide serrations and the other with 27 serrations. The transition is said to have taken place in 1917.

The same two photos are reproduced on this webpage if you care to see them:

http://savagepistolsbb.com/id31.html

Does anyone have any information about these obscure little guns?

 

[Jim K]

Not much, and I can't recall ever having seen one. Stern ("Ten Shots Quick") shows two guns, both of the later (27 serration) type; one is a cutaway, maybe a salesmans sample.

Apparently, Savage worked on the design in two phases, 1914-1915 and 1917-1918. There is wide discrepancy in the guesses about the number made. Stern says there about 50 known, and maybe that many more made or partially finished. Quite a few are reported without serial numbers, possibly taken home by employees when the project was terminated.

There is little doubt that the pistol went beyond the experimental stage. Hard rubber grips were made just for that gun, which was an expense not normally seen unless series production was imminent.

Did dealers and distributors nix it? Did it run headlong into the 1921 recession? Was the company too low on funds to properly launch it? Did it have some feature already patented by someone else? (We know Savage and others had a heckuva time working around Browning's patents on a breechblock as part of the slide, and on grip screws.)

Your guess would be as good as mine on why the little gun was not produced.

Jim

 

[Owen Meany]

Jim, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts. It's always good to hear from you.

I hope someday to encounter one of these little guns.