Rock Island Auction Company is proud, pleased and excited to offer for the first time at public sale this rare and extremely significant U.S. Military "Prototype or Preproduction" Savage Model 1907 Test pistol serial number "A" originally manufactured to facilitate the final production configuration of the Savage Model 1907 pistols for the U.S. military test trials in 1907-1911. This extremely rare pistol was developed by the Savage Arms Company based on the issuance of a Letter Of Invitation (LOI) in January 1906 to the gun manufacturing industry by B.G. Crozier, Chief of Ordnance, for a new and more powerful semi-automatic pistol chambered in the "45 ACP" cartridge designed by John Browning in early 1904. The basis for the LOI was the terrible experiences that the U.S. Army suffered during the Philippine Insurrection when equipped with old Colt Model 1894 revolvers firing the anemic Colt 38 revolver cartridge. Eighteen companies initially responded, but only eight actually submitted a test sample pistol; Savage and Colt were two of the companies. This example is one of only "10" such pistol produced by the Savage Arms company and is more than likely the very first 1907 manufactured. It is widely discussed that the first ten 1907 pistols were not serialized numerically but rather alphabetically. Conventional wisdom would support "A" being the VERY FIRST pistol manufactured and would also give credence to the Savage Arms Company retaining this pistol for their archive collection! This pistol has several unique, early preproduction configurations not found on the standard production model such as: 1) as noted, there is NO traditional serial number, instead it is numbered or scribed with only a letter "A" on the various parts which include frame, slide, barrel, breech plug, safety slide link bar, grip safety, hammer, mag catch hold open, loaded/rear sight indicator; 2) loaded chamber indication with small machined in window (production examples were solid); 3) checkered walnut grips panels; 4) 3-piece brazed together breech block/bolt face with relief cut for cartridges to feed; 5) the magazine has a small lip brazed on the left side to engage the modified magazine catch (before final location was decided); 6) a small pilot hole is in front of the breech plug at the rear of the ejector, (this was dropped on all production pistols); 7) the top of the barrel rib has no factory markings; 8) the frame is not marked for either "SAFE" or "FIRE"; 9) the frame feed ramp is wider than on production pistols, (which altered the angle of the cartridge into the chamber); 10) frame trigger milling has a cutter location hole for actually milling this slot, (which was dropped on standard production guns), 11) the grip safety link bar spring yoke and top has a different shape that on production guns; 12) this pistol remains in the original "in the white" raw, unblued metal finish. As we all know, the U.S. Army tests/competition ultimately resulted in Colt being awarded a contract for the Model 1911 pistol. In total, only 288 Savage .45 caliber automatic pistols were manufactured between 1907 and 1911. It is completely original, resided in the Savage Arms Company museum for many years, later being deaccessioned by the company. This fabulous pistol is also accompanied by various letters and a bill of sale from a well known New York firearms dealer to the current owner (in 2007) along with a short letter from Bailey Bower Jr., author of the book: "Savage Pistols" published 2008, which discusses in detail these rare and highly desirable and historic pistols.

Excellent with 99% of the original "in the white" metal finish with no modifications. The walnut grips are in very fine condition overall with no visible handling marks. This wonderful and exceptionally rare pistol retains all it original matching lettered parts such as the frame; slide; barrel; breech plug; safety slide link bar; grip safety; hammer; magazine catch hold open; and loaded chamber indicator. This is a once in a life time chance to obtain one of only a handful of original Savage Arms Model 1907 .45 Automatic preproduction test pistols.