Steyr Roth M1907
 

My casual interest in these has finally escalated to "must have" status and I have begun the earnest hunt for a nice example. My fascination with the Great War combined with its absurd Nerf-gun looks really floats my boat.

Are there any signs I should look for of parts prone to breakage? Sourcing replacement parts is probably a headache, so I want to avoid any possible surprises.

Should I focus on a pistol that comes with stripper clips? Are these difficult to find on their own?

Any quality differences between the FEG and Steyr manufactured pistols?

Experiences shooting them? Does the ammo made by Fiocchi cycle correctly or should I plan on reloading exclusively? I have had bad experiences in the past with some of their specialty ammo, like .455 and Nambu...

Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Apart from the disassembly videos, there doesn't seem to be much I can find on practical experience with them. Any leads to a good value piece are always welcome.

The Steyr Mannlicher 1905 is also on my radar. Your experiences with those are also of great interest to me.

Coincidentally, I just got a lead on a 1907 Dreyse. Let me know if that floats your boat...
dju

Aaron,
If you have not already done so, read the section on the M7 Roth Steyr in Still's Central Powers Pistols.
KFS

I will probably pick one up eventually, but right now I am fixated on the Steyr-Roth 1907 and Mannlicher 1905.

Thanks for the tip!
I didn't even realize they had a section dedicated to them.
Honestly I do not frequent that forum as much as I should. Some posts about the Fiocchi ammo sold by Grafs were very helpful. I also saw a beautiful one that sold there this year for $650 that makes me green with envy...

:burnout:Most people agree on what classical beauty looks like, but sometimes you get a hankering for that freakily curvaceous exotic look... wait, what are we talking about here? :burnout:

Form following function. There is too much emphasis put on 'style' than on function. The Wolverine .22 auto is just such an example. It was 'styled' futuristically, and ended up appealing to nobody.

Pistols like the Mauser C96, Borchardt, Browning High Power, Beretta 1934, even the Luger follow function. No one has tried to pretty them up. They succeeded on their own merits.

The Roth-Steyr is ugly. But it is true to its design. :thumbup:

Honestly I don't even find Glocks ugly. Sure they don't have the sleekest lines like some Italian designs, but they do have their lego-like charm.

There are no ugly guns, just ugly rails.

I disagree! It certainly appealed to me. It was the first handgun I ever shot. A buddy of mine bought one of the first ones in 1956 (it was only made from 1956 to 1958). It would fire as fast as you could pull the trigger and we shot many boxes of ammo without a malfunction. The ergonomics were super (the grip angle is more severe than a Luger but conveys the same “extension of your arm” feeling). We shot it so much that shooting became instinctive and we could hit shotgun shells tossed into the air with some consistency. The steel barrel and bolt assembly road inside the aluminum frame. There was no part of the frame that was involved in the firing function of the barrel and bolt so there was no wear at all on the frame. I liked it and eventually got one of my own which I still have.

No you weren't. :evilgrin:

Compared to the Warner the Steyr-Roth is a paradigm of beauty. :D

I am fond of ugly. Danny Trejo is one of my favorite actors - I have three of his films on DVD. ;)

I like Danny Trejo too.
But than again. I' no beauty queen myself. :rolleyes:

And here I am... On the off topic road again. Don't mind me, I'm just leaving. :p

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baUTYMPsh9M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-G_WiK6J3o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xvCNEUnT4Y

--Dwight

Aaron,

The clips are hard to find. Try ePay or Gun Broker.

Mike:rockon:

I have one, it is an old battle horse, literally: the pistol is unit marked for the 15th Dragoon Regiment. It was made in 1909 and never had a disconector. The 15th Dragoons (offically called “kaiserlich und königlich Dragoner Regiment Erzherzog 15”) fought mostly on the Eastern Front, against the Russians and took part in one of the last big cavalry battle at Jarowslawice on August 21, 1914.

I really love this one and can tell you won't regret to add one to your collection.

Douglas

I was lucky to find a nice one before they became too expensive. I don't think it has been used much at all, no markings on the brass disc (unissued?), great condition and still has a dab of what appears to be factory grease on the barrel.

And regarding Rich's comment about the "styling": Once you take it apart, you'll find that the shape of the gun is mostly determined by the inner workings. There is not much excess steel at all, for example the section that covers the barrel is like a thin wall steel tube. It's so thin that it makes you wonder how they could even machine it without distorting or collapsing it. It's a fairly large gun and it looks like it would weigh a ton, but it's actually not heavy at all.

Oh wow!
Spectacular example!

Have you shot it or are you conserving that grease stain?

I am curious... how long ago did you get it and how much were they before they "became too expensive"?

I picked up a Benelli B76 about 4-5 years ago. They were several listed and relisted on gunbroker without any bids. I picked up a mint one without a box for $300. Now they are hovering around the $1000 mark and recently saw one NIB go for a truly absurd price: http://www.gunbroker.com/item/589550942

Truly truly regret not getting a sport version for $500...

Does it have that acceptance and date mark?

I wonder if the unit disks were always used or only if issued to certain types of units? Perhaps pistols for general staff officers went unmarked?

I will not shoot it, and the grease will stay right where it's at. :thumbup:

I believe the guy was asking $800 (2011), but through some successful trading with him I ended up having maybe $300-$400 in it. I believe $700-$800 was the going rate at the time, at least I remember feeling very confident that I could get one for that price. Coincidentally, a friend bought one in similar condition for $800 at about the same time.

Yes, it was accepted in Vienna 1910. Not sure how the discs were supposed to be used, but it's certainly possible that some weren't marked. I can't recall seeing one without disc, so if the user didn't think the marking served a purpose it probably wasn't marked either.

What a bargain! Ah, the halcyon days...

Now my hunt begins. Hopefully I can come back here in the future to show off my find and make you guys drool!

Yeah, if I had only had that crystal ball I would have bought a bunch of them. Plus all the other cool guns that have gone through the roof, like the Steyr-Mannlicher pistols. However, I have learned not to dwell on missed opportunities, I'm perfectly content with the good deals I actually got.

Anyway, your gun is out there, you just have to wait until it surfaces. Patience you must have, my young padawan. ;)

yeah! I know that line.

Also have a prayer for it:

Mighty Lord give me patience... BUT, GIVE IT NOW!!!

Hahahaha
That's exactly the sentiment!

So far I have spotted two candidates at the extremes:

#1 Steyr - Must've been wrapped in something unsavory or stored in leather for years, no pitting but finish is browned and splotchy. Internals and bore VG+/EX. Grips have seen some abuse, but nothing too drastic. Unit marked "D.R." (anyone know?) $600

#2 Feg - Finish is 90-95% and gorgeous, hairline crack in left grip, with holster. No unit mark. $1800

Rescue the ugly stray or pay up for the showdog?

Cant take both... they will fight and eat me out of house and home...

Showdog...in the long run you won't regret it, and the holster is a bonus (they don't grow on trees either). Just my humble opinion.
Ron

Slept on it... and bought it!

Should be in my drool-covered hands on Monday.

Got the price down to $1675 and comes with a holster and spare barrel. Both barrels are supposedly mint condition.

https://goo.gl/photos/WbfMofsznkcKya5L8

Cant seem to get the insert picture deal to work from google anymore. Can you guys see it via that link?

The link works. I can see it. Looks great in the photo, with holster and extra barrel! Sounds like you got a darned good deal. Looking forward to more photos when you get it.
Ron

Yep, I can see it. It looks beautiful.....congrats!!

Looks great! At least from the right side.:rolleyes: Congratulations.
And you didn't spend much patience. :D


Edit: Do you plan to shoot it? Just asking. :p

Looks better than most Lugers here... :rolleyes:

Patience balanced with initiative... a bird in the hand gathers no moss? :p

I will most definitely shoot it. I cant bear to have something and not try it! I sold off my Vickers luger because the fear of shooting it and breaking something was greater than I could bear. The only unfired thing I own is one of the test CZ pistols that were meant for the army modular handgun trials, but its a plastic gun and doesn't give me that unwrapped Christmas present under the tree feeling (plus I have a regular one exactly like it anyway).

My little WWI herd is growing!

https://goo.gl/photos/RGVTVEoAvbGfsMs77

https://goo.gl/photos/RGVTVEoAvbGfsMs77

Well done! :cool: Just so you know, those holsters are expensive so you got a great bonus right there. I saw one sell on eBay just a couple of weeks ago, I believe it ended up at $300+ and it was not even in original condition (modified for belt carry, IIRC). I have seen people asking outrageous amounts (like $700-$800) for good holsters, probably very optimistic but a sign of the rarity. Now you just need the stripper clips, they are pretty affordable... :p http://www.gunauction.com/buy/8777189

Where do you plan on getting the 8mm Roth-Steyr ammunition??? :confused:

While looking for that writeup on the Roth-Steyr, I noticed this 7.65 Roth-Sauer...

Like a Baby Roth-Steyr! :D

Yes, the clips are a little detail I may choose to ignore... maybe sell the spare barrel to fund half a clip...

Seen a couple of sources, prices are about the same.

http://palmettostatearmory.com/fiocc...113gr-fmj.html

If you can find a 7.65 Roth-Sauer, expect to pay at least 5 times (and 10 times wouldn't surprise me) what the Roth Steyr would bring.

That's extremely cute!

Please don't forget to report back about your shooting experience.

You are still missing a 1911 in your herd.:rolleyes:

I most certainly will brief you on the shooting experience.

The seller told me that the pistol was brought back from E. Germany. The original owner never fired it, but he said that the reason for the 2 barrels was that there were 2 different loadings for it depending what region the pistol was issued. I have been looking online to confirm this, but nothing so far.

The seller says the barrel in the pistol mics at about .28 and the other about .30, but both are pristine and have original proof marks.

It is a Feg produced pistol. Apparently it does not disassemble exactly like the Steyr ones, so there could be some small differences. Could that mean anything? Maybe lead vs jacketed bullets?

I have a Colt O1918, does that count?

That's up to you. :D

What I know is that I wouldn't mind at all having one of those.:rolleyes: