Welcome, if you are a newcomer to this fun bi-weekly segment of AllOutdoor.com! The last time around was chronicling the Savage 101 pistol (it looks like a revolver but it is not!) with its history, variations, dating details, parts, and range time. You can revisit that multi-part series by using the links below. Today we’re delving into the fascinating history of the Steyr M1912 pistol, also known as the Steyr-Hahn. This rugged 2.6 lb, 8.5″ long Austrian military sidearm saw action in both World War I and World War II, playing a pivotal role for the Austro-Hungarian Empire and later Germany. Let’s take a journey through its storied past.
Recent Content in Curious Relics:
Welcome to our recurring series of “Curious Relics.” Here, we want to share all of our experiences, knowledge, misadventures, and passion for older firearms that one might categorize as a Curio & Relic – any firearm that is at least 50 years old according to the ATF. Hopefully along the way you can garner a greater appreciation for older firearms like we do, and simultaneously you can teach us things as well through sharing your own expertise and thoughts in the Comments. Understanding the firearms of old, their importance, and their development which lead to many of the arms we now cherish today is incredibly fascinating and we hope you enjoy what we have to share, too!
History Abridged: Steyr 1912
The Steyr M1912 emerged from a lineage of innovative semi-automatic pistol designs by Steyr Mannlicher in the early 20th century. Developed in 1911 by Karel Krnka, its origins can be traced back to the Roth-Steyr M1907 (Krinka also designed), from which the M1912 drew inspiration from with its rotating barrel lockup system. The M1912 also incorporated elements like the front locking wedge found on early Colt pistols like the 1902 model, as well as the slide serrations and lanyard loop reminiscent of the Mannlicher 1905.
Lot 1479: Roth-Steyr Model 1907 Semi-Automatic Pistol – Exceptional Roth-Steyr Model 1907 Semi-Automatic Pistol. (n.d.-t). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved May 27, 2024, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/4091/1479/rothsteyr-model-1907-semiautomatic-pistol.
Lot 3569: Colt – 1902 Desirable Early Production – Colt Military Model 1902 Semi-Automatic Pistol. (n.d.-ac). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved May 27, 2024, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/70/3569/colt-1902.
Lot 2702: Steyr Argentine Contract Model 1905 Mannlicher Pistol. (n.d.-z). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved May 27, 2024, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1036/2702/steyr-argentine-contract-model-1905-mannlicher-pistol.
Despite these borrowed design cues, the M1912 was a distinct creation originally submitted for Austrian military trials in 1911 but initially rejected. However, the outbreak of World War I in 1914 left Austria-Hungary scrambling for a modern service pistol to replace their obsolete black powder revolvers. Enter the Steyr M1912 and its 9x23mm Steyr cartridge, hastily adopted in 1912 as the standard sidearm.
What made the Steyr M1912 so unique was not just its unconventional fixed 8-round internal magazine fed by stripper clips (similar to the Mauser C96), paired with its rotating barrel short recoil operation. It is operated by a system of short recoil with the barrel unlocking from the slide by rotating after firing. Its rotating barrel system, while complex to manufacture, offered potential accuracy benefits over tilting barrel designs like Browning’s. The barrel would rotate 20 degrees until a lug hit a stop wedge, allowing the slide to continue rearward and eject the spent casing. Between 1912 and 1919, Steyr churned out around 300,000 of these pistols for Austro-Hungarian forces to complement their old-school Rast & Gasser M1898 revolvers on the frontlines of WWI’s bloody trenches.
Lot 247: Rast & Gasser 1898 Revolver 8 mm – Rast & Gasser Model 1898 Double Action Revolver. (n.d.-e). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved May 27, 2024, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/2009/247/rast-gasser-1898-revolver-8-mm.
The M1912’s reputation for durability meant it remained in high demand even after the war’s end. When Germany annexed Austria in 1938, the Wehrmacht ordered 60,000 existing M1912s to be rechambered for the 9mm Parabellum round and marked with the distinctive “08” proof. Renamed the 9mm P12(Ö), these hardened survivors continued service through the end of WWII in 1945.
It was among the first successful military autoloading pistols, evolving from Steyr’s pioneering M1900/1901 Mannlicher models. Its rotating barrel system influenced other unique designs like the Mexican Obregon and Czechoslovakian CZ-24.
Lot 1668: CZ Model 24 Semi-Automatic Pistol with Kriegsmarine Markings – CZ Model 24 Semi-Automatic Pistol with Very Scarce Kriegsmarine Markings. (n.d.-u). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved May 27, 2024, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/79/1668/cz-model-24-semiautomatic-pistol-with-kriegsmarine-markings.
From a collector’s perspective, the M1912 offers an appealing mix of historical pedigree and attainable pricing compared to similar WWI/WWII handguns. However, one usual deterrent is the uncommon 9mm Steyr chambering. Some owners risk firing the similar but often hotter 9mm Largo ammunition through their M1912s, which can potentially damage the pistol. Locating proper 9mm Steyr cartridges poses a challenge. Well-constructed examples tend to remain functional despite their age when fed the correct ammunition. Whether issued to Austro-Hungarian trench fighters or German forces decades later, the Steyr M1912 represented cutting-edge firearm engineering for its era.
End of Part One: Steyr M1912
The M1912’s incredible journey from a rejected prototype to a battle-proven wartime companion is a testament to necessity being the mother of invention. While unconventional, its robust mechanisms and hardy 9mm chambering made the “Steyr Hammer” more than fit for the chaotic battlefields it served on. This underappreciated gem deserves its place in the pantheon of influential military pistol designs.
In closing, I hope our Curious Relics segment informed as well as entertained. This all was written in hopes of continued firearm appreciation and preservation. We did not just realize how guns were supposed to look and function. It was a long and tedious process that has shaped the world we live in. So, I put it to you! Is there a firearm out there that you feel does not get much notoriety? What should our next Curious Relics topic cover? As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
