Item 1 - Savage Model 1907 Pistol and Holster

Artefact

A ‘Savage Model 1907’ Pistol reputed to have been used by an Irish Volunteer during the 1916 Rising. The weapon was found by a Capuchin friar on North King Street after the conclusion of the hostilities. With leather holster and spare bullet cartridge. A manuscript note found with the pistol in the gallery of St. Mary of the Angels, Church Street reads:
‘These are souvenirs of the 1916 Rising’. A revolver used in King Street. A scissors used in the Four Courts’. Fr. Col[umbus Murphy OFM Cap.]’.

Over-sized storage. Both the pistol and the holster are worn. The firearm has been deactivated.

This semi-automatic pistol was produced by the Savage Arms Company of Utica, New York, from 1907-1920. It had a 10 round magazine. A safety leaver is located on the left side of the pistol, at the upper rear of the grip. The model 1907 is often erroneously called a Model 1905 because of the date Nov. 21, 1905 stamped into the top of the slide on all Savage pistols. This was the date Elbert Searle was awarded one of his firearm patents, which were the design basis for Savage pistols. The model 1907 uses no screws (even the grips snap into place) and is relatively easy to dismantle.
Physical Description and Specifications:
Weight: 0.6 kg / 19 ounces
Length: 165 mm / 6.5 inches
Barrel length: 95 mm / 3.75 inches