We had the chance to dig into a Roth Steyr 1907 selfloading pistol recently, and put together a video on it. The pistol is quite unusual, with a fixed internal magazine, rotating barrel locking system, and quasi-double action trigger mechanism (actually quite similar to modern striker-fire pistol trigger mechanisms). Have a look:
The successor to the 1907 was the Steyr 1912 (aka Steyr-Hahn), which shares its rotating barrel system, but uses a conventional hammer-fired trigger mechanism. Other rotating-barrel pistols have been tried, but none of them have been particularly successful.
* Glock trigger evolving the mechanism from the Roth-Steyr M1907
* You Could Found the French MAB P8 & P15 of in 60’s but the Steyr TMP/ Steyr SPP /B&T MP9 is more near to the Roth-Steyr M1907
Thanks for another neat video. Will you have any photos? I’d like a look at the sights, and sight picture, if you can post them.
Great video. Thanks a lot. Forerunner of current pre-loading striker fire pistols.
Its disconnecting system was also interesting which kicked the trigger finger forward
for next shot to permit the initial load on main spring. Striker actuator lever was
also a reminiscent of double action revolver lockwork. A masterpiece of old days
design and workmanship.
This video just made my day ! Thanks!
Wow! That’s a spring driven thing! I can usually figure out how something is machined but I confess that I can’t think of how to machine the cam grooves in the barrel bushing.
What a fantastic, not so little pistol!
I’ve just checked out the wikipedia entry for the 8mm round, it’s certainly a lot hotter than a .32ACP, and with a 113gr – 116gr bullet too, so the locked breech was likely necessary – unlike some of the other Austro-Hungarian semi autos, like the Frommers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8mm_Roth-Steyr
I’ve taken a look at the comments to the Obregon post, for the link to the 1901 Roth and Krnka patent for a rotating barrel pistol. Interestingly, while the patent illustrations have a fully enveloping tubular receiver, they show an exposed hammer.
Link to the Obregon post
https://www.forgottenweapons.com/obregon-automatic-pistol-video/
Looks like the Roth-Krnka 1899
re. machining the front a broach like that used for rifling perhaps?
You can’t do it with a broach like rifling because the grooves don’t go all the way through.
Is it a sleeve? As it’s not taking the locking forces there’s no need to do that out of full material.
a blind broach, or a succession of them, last one almost like a bottom tap?
This is very good to see from design development point of view. This gun as a pioneer; complex and rather clumsy in comparison to its almost immediate and lot more practical successor Mod.1912. Then, if we look at Obregon (Nickel’s design offshot) we can see huge progress. And last in the line, Beretta…. still the same idea. Same line of thought brought up to perfection. Thanks to FW for obviating this path of development!
Here is book on the early Austrian pistols.
http://www.gunandswordcollector.com/Templates/book%20pages/motz_schuy.html
We have a copy in the Reference Library – it’s an awesome book, although it’s only in German.
That it is – unfortunately, it seems work on part 2 has stalled…
On a sligthly absurd but not entirely unrelated note:
Do you have a copy of the Kaisertreu book, too?
Here is a .45 caliber Roth, among others: http://www.adamsguns.com/pictures.htm Pity what happened to Bob.
I noticed that Ian’s eyes aren’t leaving the guy’s 2nd and 4th law breaking hand.
Your cameraman deserves a medal for bravery.