What was the 1st pistol designed with a standard magazine capacity greater than ten?

[BK]

How old is the >10 round magazine and what model(s) were the first to break the "high capacity" mark? The first and only guess I could think of was Browning's HP, but that wasn't until 1923. Was there an earlier one?

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

I believe the best way to look at it is which handgun had the first double stack magazine. The Browning Hi Power was one of the first if not the first.

 

[Swing]

Variants of the Astra 900 had 20-round mags. They were built starting in the late 20s.

 

[Two Old Dogs]

Mauser Broomhandles also had 20 round magazines before 1935.

 

[BK]

I believe the best way to look at it is which handgun had the first double stack magazine.

That is a much better way to search for the answer because when I was searching "first high capacity pistol" on Google, it only brings up a billion current news stories about gun control. Searching for the first double stack magazine resulted in the Savage 1907 although the standard capacity was 10.

 

[rcmodel]

Perhaps the earliest detachable magazines would be the 20-round aircraft magazine for the Colt 1911 used by pilots and gunners before machineguns in aircraft were perfected.

Or the 32-round snail drum magazine used in WWI with the German P08 Artillery Luger.

The first widely used commercial pistol with a double-stack was the M1935 Browning Hi-Power pistol which held 13 rounds.

rc

 

[gazpacho]

Pre-1905 Mauser C-96 were available with non-removable 20 round magazines
http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg/de/mauser-c-96-e.html

FN Browning High Power, 1935, standard 13 roung magazine
http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg/be/fn-browning-hp-e.html

The Luger snail drum dates back to at least 1914, but it wasn't a standard magazine by any means.

 

[rcmodel]

It was standard if you were a WWI German solder issued a P08 Artillery luger with a shoulder stock holster and a snail drum magazine.

rc

 

[benEzra]

Over-10-round magazines came a lot earlier for rifles (early 1860's for mainstream firearms, though the 20-round gas gun that Lewis and Clark carried dates to 1795) than pistols (1920's or so, I'd guess).

 

[forindooruseonly]

The old Savage 1907/1915/1917 pistols had double stack, detachable 10 round mags for what was essentially a smallish, near pocket pistol sized firearm.

"Ten shots quick" was their advertising slogan...

 

[cauldron]

The Savage 1907 is a cool little pistol, and one of my favorites.

Ten round double stack magazine, in .32 auto. Striker fired. The firing mechanism came out the back of the slide as a block assembly, just twist a bit and pull. The action was locked and the barrel had to rotate to unlock. (Like the Beretta Cougar) and the entire gun had zero screws. If it had been made with plastic...

The pistol was first made in .45, and it it had been just slightly better, it would have been called the M1911. But it wasn't... and the 181 copies that were made in .45 were sold. Then the pistol was made in .32 with the double stack 10 round magazine, and sold that way.

 

[45crittergitter]

If you're willing to consider revolvers, there were some Lefauchex pinfires of 30 round capacity before the War for Southern Independence.

http://www.vincelewis.net/30shot.html

 

[Dnaltrop]

+1 for the Girandoni air rifle Lewis and Clark took with them on their jaunt.

Also coming to mind, the Josselyn Chain-revolver was a 20 round one from 1866, I'd love a modern one just for the aesthetic... and I'd probably try to find a way to CCW it for kicks.

http://colmilquetoast.blogspot.com/2008_07_06_archive.html

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

I'll go with the Savage for a conventional semi-auto. The Broomhandle is a beast, and was originally a top loader by stripper clip.