Steyr Roth M1907

[Angus Magnus]

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.

[DavidJayUden]

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

[Karl]

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

[Angus Magnus]

Originally Posted by DavidJayUden

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

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

[Angus Magnus]

Originally Posted by Karl

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

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...

[Angus Magnus]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

I thought my Warner was the ugliest pistol I had ever seen...I was wrong...

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?

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Angus Magnus

...wait, what are we talking about here?

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.

[Angus Magnus]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

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.

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.

[Ron Wood]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

...The Wolverine .22 auto is just such an example. It was 'styled' futuristically, and ended up appealing to nobody...

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.

[kurusu]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

I thought my Warner was the ugliest pistol I had ever seen...I was wrong...

No you weren't.

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

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by kurusu

No you weren't.

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

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

[kurusu]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

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.

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

[Dwight Gruber]

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

--Dwight

[BogeyB]

Aaron,

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

Mike

[Douglas Jr.]

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

[Olle]

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.

[Angus Magnus]

Originally Posted by Olle

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...

[Angus Magnus]

Originally Posted by Olle

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?).

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?

[Olle]

Originally Posted by Angus Magnus

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...

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

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.

Originally Posted by Angus Magnus

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?

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.

[Angus Magnus]

Originally Posted by Olle

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.

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!