Quick history of the modern Automatic Pistol.

[Dave Hoback]

You could say the modern auto pistol about all of us own & many like me, carry on a daily basis, has had a long journey. But in reality that is not the case. Not so because the greatest firearms designer of all time struck GOLD in his first several attempts, over 110 years ago. Of course that man was John Moses Browning & the most prolific pistol in history, the pistol which the the vast majority have & still use, the Tilt Barrel Locking Action design…the 1911. Basically the Great Grandfather of all. But the beginning, as it were, was only a short time before.

The first Auto Pistols came by the way of Archduke Carl Salvator & Count Georg Von Dormus. Their design, the Salvator-Dormus Pistol was the first patented design in 1891. It uses the Delayed-Blowback Action, was chambered for the 8mm Dormus cartridge & held 5rds in a Mannlicher type clip.


The first auto design, which gained commercial favor, was the C-93. Designed by Hugo Borchardt in 1894. The Action is a Toggle-Lock design based on that used in the Maxim Machine Gun. Chambered in 7.62x25 Borchardt & used an 8rd Box Magazine. Roughly 3,000 of these were made & sold.


Another I must include, is the C-96. More aptly named “The Broomhandle”, designed by non other than Paul Mauser in 1896. Using a Short-Recoil Locked breech Machanism Action, and chambered in the 7.63x25 Mauser, it used an 10rd Internal Rectangle Magazine loaded via stripper clip. You might remember the gun used extensively in the Clint Eastwood film “Joe Kidd”, and it’s most famous role, “A long time ago, in a Galaxy far, far away”. Han Solo’s Blaster was actually a highly modified C-96.


More recognized with the shoulder stock in “Joe Kidd”:


And of course, who can forget Han’s Blaster Pistol!?




I must, of course, include the Savage 1907 here. Not the first at anything, we all know. Again, this is why pistol history didn’t really have a Journey, per say. Most of the designs we are still using today were all invented during this 1.5-2 decade period surrounding the turn of the 20th century. But I note the Savage 1907 as it was among the better designs submitted for trials to be the new US Armed Forces Side Arm. While these were chambered specifically for the trials in 45ACP, the commercial model Savage released was chambered in 32ACP. It uses a staggered Box Magazine, carrying 10rds. Don’t think anyone needs a visual, but I came across this beautifully restored piece in research. It really is breathtaking how nice this looks. You have to wonder… what if the military had chosen it instead? It’s but of fame being this reliable little pistol was trusted & carried by William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, Theodore Roosevelt & Lawman Bat Masterson, after he turned New York Sportswriter. Savage actually commissioned Masterson to write a pamphlet on the 1907 called “The Tenderfoots Turn”. In it Saying, “A Tenderfoot with a Savage Automatic and the nerve to stand his ground could have run the worst six-shooter man the West ever knew right off the range.” While the term Tenderfoot associated with one of these 1907 pistols isn’t very appealing, I doubt many men would dare call Masterson that if he lifted his shirt revealing one of these!


Lastly I’ll add Glock. Whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, Glock is the only other design, next to the 1911, to revolutionize the industry. Invented by an Austrian engineer who worked in metal injection molding polymer parts, Gaston Glock. While not the first polymer pistol throughout history, and Gaston Glock, not being an actual weapons designer (certainly not like John Browning!), what Glock did was start using the new ultra tough, nearly indestructible polymer in his pistol, made it simple & uses a box magazine with 17 rounds-an unheard of amount of firepower without reloading. It has all the safeties internal, & while there are still people today who are nervous of it not having an external safety, a Glock simply cannot fire unless the trigger is depressed. Period! Gaston Glock brought to the world a pistol that can fire no matter how dirty, how dry, even under water. At its unveiling, no other pistol had the same toughness & reliability & capacity of the Glock. All this making the Glock the only other pistol to be so copied, again, next to the 1911.

[jeffreybehr]

Thank you.

[61Knuckle]

Thanks for posting this. Some of the younger folks need to know the history of semi pistols.
Not pick nits too closely, but the C-96 was actually designed by a couple of P.P. Mauser's designers 'on their own time'. Mauser came to accept the design and the rest is history. I don't have my references at hand, but the actual designers are known. Also, around the same time, Georg Luger was hired to improve Borchardtt's pistol which was the first commercially successful semi-auto pistol. Again, the rest is history. It is interesting that all of this occurred before 1900.
That is a nice looking 1907, wish either of mine was nearly as nice.

[Dave Hoback]

Thanks for posting this. Some of the younger folks need to know the history of semi pistols.
Not pick nits too closely, but the C-96 was actually designed by a couple of P.P. Mauser's designers 'on their own time'. Mauser came to accept the design and the rest is history. I don't have my references at hand, but the actual designers are known. Also, around the same time, Georg Luger was hired to improve Borchardtt's pistol which was the first commercially successful semi-auto pistol. Again, the rest is history. It is interesting that all of this occurred before 1900.
That is a nice looking 1907, wish either of mine was nearly as nice.

Correct! It was actually designed by 2-brothers: Fidel Friedrich & Josef Feederle. It was Friedrich who actually worked for Mauser. And yes, Luger is another big name in there. I have a hunch this was quite common throughout the years of many firearms designs. But it takes a mind to bring things to fruition.

There is much else I could include in this. But it wasn’t meant as a complete history. More so, I simply wanted to highlight those which had the the greatest impact. It’s pretty amazing that while things have been refined & modernized, we are essentially shooting the same firearms from well over 100 years ago. And the fact that basically all these designs were created in a very short timespan, around the turn of the 20th century. Just incredible.

I agree on that 1907. I’ve never really been a fan, but this one really caught my eye so I had to include a pic.

[61Knuckle]

Same here, Dave. I wasn't a big fan of the 1907, but since I have a couple of 'brooms' and Lugers in my safe, I figured that I need one. You know how things like that multiply, now there are 2.
The ammunition is another interesting line of study. The Borchardtt cartridge [headspacing on the shoulder] was the 'parent', refined in the Mauser, and shortened in the Luger. The best story is for Luger to maintain the grip size but another good one is that Georg didn't want to share ammo with the Mauser. When the military wanted a larger bullet for the Luger, the 9mm Parabellum was born and we began headspacing semi pistol cases on the case mouth. And along came John Moses Browning...
Yes, the development is simply incredible, especially happening so soon after 'smokeless powder' came into reality.