Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors New from TX ,Savage 1915 Questions

New to this forum. Joined because I was told there are some knowledgeable folks here, particularly about Savage firearms. I hope so. I have some questions about Savage pistols. Also looks like there is a great deal of information about subjects here too. I think this might be fun.

Welcome to the campfire! Answers on pistols might be a tad bit slower than answers about 99's, but answers will show up. If nobody knows the answers, that the questions we really like... cuz then we're all learning something.

Welcome to the 'Fire.
Knowledgeable? Nothing but Loonies on this site.
What is your question?

Thank everyone for their replies. I apologize in advance for the long post. Where to begin...

I recently purchased a Savage 1915 off Gun Broker. The seller listed it as probably reblued somewhere in its 102 year old history, it was too nice to be otherwise. I bought it with that understanding. I thought I was buying a shooter but I got much more. When I finally figured out how to get it apart, from all appearances, this gun has been shot very little. I hesitate to say unfired, but I am hard pressed to find wear anywhere on it. Further, from the research I have done, it appears this high polish blue finish is how the 1915s came from Savage.

The history as best I can determine - The seller was Paducah Shooters Supply, Paducah, KY. I was told by them that this was part of a consignment from the spouse of Carl McCallister, original owner of Carl’s Gun Shop and Museum, located in El Dorado Springs, Missouri.

Carl McCallister passed away in September 2012. The business was taken over by his son, Terry McCallister. Terry McCallister was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and passed away on June 7th, 2013. Following his passing, no one else was interested in running the business. Carl’s Gun Shop owed a considerable sum to one creditor, possibly a supplier. To settle that debt, a number of firearms were given to the creditor. The creditor sold them to Paducah Shooters Supply. Additionally, the estate consigned the remaining firearms to Paducah Shooters Supply for sale.
This firearm came from the consignment. I was told that Carl McCallister had what was perhaps the largest collection of Savage pistols in the U.S.

I hesitate to shoot it. Not for safety or mechanical reasons, but if this truly a pristine, original example of this very rare variety (6500 made) it would diminish the collector value and this gun is probably worth more to a collector than it is to me. I just wanted a nice shooter.

What say any of you? Is this original? Where can you point me to enlighten me further? Any help will be appreciated. The pictures don't do it justice.

Looks pretty good to me....

send it to me , i'll pop its cherry! looks virgin to me. fine weapon.
i had one rifle in my life that i never shot. a unfired winchester . i sold it, took a loss on it, bought something i could/would shoot and was happy. but that was a winchester . what you have is a piece of art. its up to you . me i would shoot it once and display it front and center

but i am not a expert just a loonie.

Picture make it kind of hard to tell, but it looks like a mirror blue. And that would be correct, I believe... though my book on pistols is at home.

You done good.

That is exactly what it is. The pictures really do not show mirror like blue finish on the gun. It also has the correct hold open magazine.

As far as shooting it, I have really been tempted. REALLY tempted. But I am holding off, hoping to make an informed decision. If this is some collector's Grail gun, I can see letting it go. I don't own any safe queens.

That is one of the more rare Savage pistols. And in very nice condition.
Finish looks right. Fire & Safe are crisp. This is the first place I look at potential re-blues.
Go ahead and shoot it. Doesn't hurt a thing, plus it's fun!
Plenty of books, info, web pages available on Savage pistols. And here of course.
Now ya gotta find a 1915 .380 to complete the set. Good luck!

Member cmjohn is an advanced collector of Savage auto's. He will see this eventually and possibly respond.

Welcome to the forum CAT. That looks like a nice pistol you found. Nice photo's too.

Here are examples of both Model 1915's 32 & 380.
Only one variation of each whereas 1907's early, common and late as well as 1917's all have multiple variations.
Top is 380. Notice difference in barrel length.