I have flirted with Savage pistols and rifles for awhile now and I have been able to find and purchase some nice guns. This last one is by far the best. This model 1907, made in 1910, was verified in a records search by Cody to be "Engraved A.” As many of you probably know, whether there were only 100 pistols engraved per Stern (echoed by Brower) or 200 as put forth by someone in this or another forum (I cannot find the post at the moment), these are very rare birds. I was very lucky to find this one. I have a few questions. The style of the engraving looked a little different from the very few other Savage engraved pistols that I have seen in photos. The location of the engraving was where it should be but, to my very inexperienced eyes, the scrolling wasn’t as “fancy” as other engraved 1907s. Is this Tue’s style? Gough supposedly did a few of these but I read he worked at Savage after Tue's death - too late for this pistol? Maybe I just don’t have enough experience looking at these? What do you guys think? Also, weren’t the engraved 1907s supplied with MOP grips?

Quite frankly, I am still stunned by my luck. Also, I apologize for the photos - I need a light box or something. Having said that if anyone needs more photos please let me know.

Any comments, observations, opinions will be greatly appreciated.

If the Cody/Savage factory records say Engraved A then that is probably what it is. Looks right to me. Although there does appear to be some variation in the patterns. Can you post of pic of the letter?
Almost certainly engraved by Tue. Gough did some Savage engraving before he started officially with Savage with the A.H. Fox purchase ~1930, but only on special orders of the highest quality.
MOP grips were optional.
Congrats on the pistol!

Had them do a serial number search first. Ordered a letter immediately but it will be awhile. And thanks!

Better photo of engraving

Nice Find!

That is sweet! Congrats.

Thanks guys!

I Googled Cody Savage pistol, blew both up and put one above the other. Your pistol looks like it only has 2/3-3/4 as much work in it. The Cody pistol looks like what I would expect to find on an 1899 from that period.

I think your pistol and the Cody are from the same time period so I would expect them to look very similar.

I think Buffalo Bill’s pistol was a higher grade of engraving.

This one of Bailey’s was A engraved. Looks pretty similar, no? At least for coverage. The whorls are different.

The one that came up had A like in your photo.

Baileys is a later model so would expect some amount of difference.. I compared the other side.

JohnL's pistol is very, very Enoch Tue style engraving... I'm definitely no expert on engraving, but I don't see a reason to doubt that his isn't Tue's work.

https://www.morphyauctions.com/jamesdjulia/item/52204-2-397/

I'm not saying it is not Tue's work. I'm no expert on engraving details. I am saying there is a lot of difference in the two pistols made about the same time. Wonder if it was done at a later date? Like early Tue vs late 20's K by Tue.

https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/63/1064/savage-arms-corporation-1907-pistol-32-acp

There is quite a bit of difference on the fine details inside. JohnL's is what I would expect to see. Maybe there so few orders for engraved 1907's that he never standardized as much as on the 1899's, and did as much detail as he had time to do with his current workload?

Looks very close to JohnL's above the grip, but differs on the slide with where the engraving is placed?

JohnL and Cody pistol are 1907-10-2. Bailey's is a 1913 to 1917 production. The only thing to go on is the cartridge indicator. Hammer is an option item.

We are talking pistols. We don't do this very often.

Southern WI Savage wanted to see a copy of the letter. All I have is a copy of the serial number search. Factory Letter has been ordered but takes 4 weeks. Working on the DM Johnson connection.

I appreciate the discussion between Rick99 and Calhoun regarding how the engraving on my pistol compares to other 1907s. Isn't there a collector out there that has a few or more of these who could address the variation in the engraving between them? With something like hand engraving, shouldn't there be some variability?

The Brower pistol is serial 883xx and is a 1907-13-2. Here is the other side. (click on picture , go to second photo and click to blow it up)
https://www.gunheritage.com/product-page/factory-engraved-savage-model-1907-pistol-32-acp

Given the info from Cody I don't think there is any question that it is A engraving. Also, comparing the JohnL and Cody pistols left sides, the location on the pistol and the three little lines at the left and right are identical. But I'm still surprised to see the variation in design in the interior pin wheels on pistols made in the same time period. Must just be me if no one else sees it.

As for someone that has engraved pistols... Brower maybe. I would compare photos on line of rifles and pistols with A engraving. You will see changes in details over time. Patters change in length, height, position but generally guns engraved in the same time frame look very similar in the details. I don't think it is known for sure that Tue didn't have helpers.

Congrat's on finding a factory A engraved pistol.

Your factory letter and serial number search will have the same information on them. The difference is the letter will be on stamped letterhead, and they’ll “certify” the contents. I presume that to mean that they’ll verify a letter’s authenticity down the road. But both just repeat what’s in the ledger.


Rick, I see the differences as well. Can’t explain it either, unless he was rushed on one or an understudy did it.

Does not appear to be the same engraver on those pistols.

First and foremost is that the OP has confirmation via factory letter that the pistol is A engraved.
Yes, there can and are subtle variations in patterns, styles and hand engraving. However, I've seen a number of Tue B engraved rifles whose patterns appear identical so he was capable duplicating simple patterns pretty much spot on.
The placement of the scrolling and detail work is all in the right places, the scrolling is noticeably different is all.
Why the variation in JohnL's pistol? Engraver discretion I guess. "Lunch box special"? Possibly requested? JTC sometimes found additional entries for special feature guns. A pic of the actual ledger page may help.
We may never know. At any rate a good example of a rare pistol.

p.s. Scrolling = whorls, pin wheels

That is a possibility.
In 1909 Enoch Tue's nephew William Henry Tue immigrated to the U.S., arrived in Utica and joined his Uncle Enoch working at Savage Arms.
William Henry along with his father William and his Uncles Enoch and James all worked for the Wolverton Rail Works in a variety of capacities including brass work.
Utica records indicate that William Henry was an engraver, checker and inspector while at Savage Arms.
So Pocono's theory may be correct.
Engravers typically were not allowed to sign or initial their works within the factory.
There have been exceptions so get a magnifying glass and go over the entire pistol inside and out looking for marks which may be clues. Low probability, but,...

Thank you all for the replies! To my very inexperienced eyes the engraving looked like that attributed to Gough. However, given the year made that’s just not possible. Maybe it was the nephew? Will give it a much closer look with a mag glass.

I don't want to beat a dead horse here but the photo comparison below between my pistol and an 1899 with Grade A engraving in David Royal's book page 33 looks pretty similar. Mine looks like, "man, do I have to engrave another pistol? Bring on the 1899s" - it is like Tue light but the scrolls and “leaf” outlines look spot on.

They may look similar, but to my eye it does not appear to be the same engraver. ymmv

To me, yours looks like Enoch Tue. Bailey's I would have guessed to maybe be Gough if it didn't letter as being from Enoch Tue.

Well, we probably will never know for sure unless there is more info in the factory letter. At least it is factory engraved A. Thanks for the replies!

Hold on... the rifle pictured above is actually a Model K from the 30's. Three things show in the full picture to verify that. The forearm is post 200,000 (post WWI), finish is not the high luster blue and the barrel has K engraving.

Poconojack and Calhoun get brownie points.

Rick is right. I accidentally used a photo of a 99K and called it an A engraved 1899. I corrected the problem in the second printing of my book.
top pic is the wrong pic in the first printing. lower pic is a Tue engraved 1899 in the second printing.


I think we discussed this here when I was revising the book about three years ago.

So would the 99K rifle have been engraved by Gough?

I guess I need the 2nd edition of your book?

Yes Gough or one of his people. There were small changes made to the K pattern about every time they had a batch engraved.

Approximate engraver timeline...

Gough or his people did almost all of the 99K's. I have a very early one that was done by Enock Tue and John Wright also had one of Tue's engraved 99K's. I did a post sometime late last year with pics of my Tue engraved 99K and one almost as early that was done by Gough or his people. LBK has the second one now.

You guys were right. The factory letter is only a more official version. No other information available but is an official confirmation the pistol was factory engraved. I am grateful to all who replied!

Cool! It's definitely a keeper.

Wow. That letter paid off.

Congratulations.