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Austro-Hungarian Steyr Pieper Pistols |
Approx. 130500 were manufactured by OEWG Steyr 1909-1915 and 1919-1933?
Type: automatic pistol (blowback)
Chambering: 6.35mm Auto (.25acp)
Length overall: 125mm [4.92"]
Weight unloaded: 325g [11.5oz]
Barrel: 57mm [2.24"] rifled
Magazine: 6-round detachable box
Originally intended for commercial sale, this is the pocket version of the Steyr-Pieper M1908 pistol and was built to the patents of Nicolas Pieper of Liege, Belgium. This was an unusual
blowback pistol with a tip-down barrel. The barrel was retained with a pivoting bolt and it was held by a thumb-latch barrel-locking mechanism. The recoil-spring rod ended in a hook engaging a lug on the slide,
disengaging automatically when the breech was raised.
The Steyr pistol differed from the Pieper pattern in the following minor details: The angle of the pistol grip was increased, the grips were attached with 2 screws instead of 1, the barrel was lengthened, the rear sight was revised.
This was a favorite pocket pistol for Austro-Hungarian Military officers and Police departments.
Manufacture was suspended in 1915, resumed in 1919, and continued until 1933 (or until 1939 according to some sources), however, no post-1933 dates have been reported.
The grips have the 'OWG' logo and 'STEYR'.
The Legend on the left side of the frame: 'OESTERR. WAFFENFABRIKS-GES. STEYR' and on the left side of the barrel: 'PAT. No. 9379-05 No. 25025-06'.
The 2-digit manufacturing date, such as '14.' for 1914 appears on the left side of the barrel.
Pistol shown with the slide open. The Legend on the right side of the frame: 'N. PIEPER PATENT' and on the right side of the barrel (not all pistols):
'NPv' (Nitro-Proof mark) and further forward on the barrel: 'PAT. ENGL. No. 16715-08 + No. 40335'.
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Post-War pocket pistol with the new Austrian round 'STEYR' logo grips. The left and right side legends were similar to the pre-war version until about 1928, when 'MADE IN AUSTRIA' was added after 'STEYR' on
the left side of the receiver as shown below:  |
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1930's Austrian State Security Police issued pistols were marked with 'SW' (Sicherheitswache Waffen) [Bundespolizei] on the rear grip strap. So far only one SW number was reported on these M1909 pistols: S.W. 175 |
Year Estimated Actual serials reported 1909: 1 - 24500 3704 - 21692 1910: 24501 - 40000 24569 - 31465 1913: 40001 - 42000 41394 1914: 42001 - 51000 43225 - 48910 1915: 51001 - 54000 51365 - 53388 1919: 54001 - 74000 59777 - 86510 (overlapping range) 1920: 74001 - 85000 75025 - 89093 (overlapping range) 1921: 85001 - 103000 85500 - 102070 1922: 103001 - 110000 104399 - 109393 1924: 110001 - 120100 120022 (overlapping range) 1926: 120101 - 122000 118719 - 121300 1927: 122000 - 124000 122028 1928: 124001 - 128000 124241 - 127800 1929: 128001 - 129000 126784 - 126980 (out of range) 1931: 129001 - 129650 129513 1932: 129651 - 130000 129732 ????: 130001 - 130500 130428 (year unmarked) 1933: -------------- 68161 (out of range, probably assembled from old parts)Please submit your serial number(s) and dates to the author to update this data.
SW 175