We have another video to post today – this time about the Steyr 1912 handgun, aka the Steyr-Hahn. We have one in the Reference Collection that we are going to disassemble and discuss, so please join in:
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Thanks again for a very good (simple, short, well edited) video of this very interesting gun. So, the 9×19 para is more powerfull than the 9×23 Steyr? I would have thought that the extra 4 mm case lenght and extra powder would make it more powerful than the 9 mm para. I know the 9 para has gotten a lot more powerfull through the decades, but I presume you compare a 1912 9 mm para with a 1912 9 mm Steyr?
The potential of 9mm Luger has increased over time (+P, +P+, etc), but the standard has remained the same as original, to ensure that a round of generic 9×19 made today won’t blow up a hundred year old Luger pistol. The extra length of the 9mm Steyr could potentially allow it a greater muzzle velocity, if it were loaded with more powder. But it also allows the round to have the same velocity as 9mm Luger with lower pressure (greater case volume equals lower pressure, all else being equal), and lower pressure means less wear and tear on the gun.
When we take the 1912 out to the range, I’ll bring along a chronograph – it would be neat to check the exact MV of some original 9mm Steyr, compared to 9×19 and 9mm Largo. I see a range of numbers thrown around on the net when discussing these cartridges.
Glad you liked the video!
Excellent Video on a very interesting and rare gun !!!
I think it had a version with extended mag (also blind !?)…and one with a stock.
Yes, there was a full-auto variant made with a 16-round magazine and shoulder stock, and you could also get a stock to fit the standard pistol. It’s worth noting that the magazine is an integral part of the frame, so you can’t swap the extended magazine onto a normal 1912 pistol.
Sure! Only advantage you’ll have is a greater ammo fountain when unloading :):):)
It would be very interesting if you show full automatic version of this pistol,
I know it got more longer magazine plus stock..
Full auto version of Steyr pistol have selector plus 3 additional parts…
Well,
Funny to say we not even seen anything on Webley,Luger,Mauser and Walther yet those are also capable shoot full automaticly models like Luger Artillery ,Mauser 712 Schnellfeuer,dont know if walther made such of prototypes but it possible..
Science Walther facility was destroyed by Alied bombings not many details was left on every single firearm prototype and blueprints was reconstructed from existed models.
Heh – if I ever get my hands on one of the machine pistol variants, I will certainly post photos at the very least.
First off, nice video and sweet pistol there.
Val, I’ve never heard of a full-auto Luger. The Artillery Luger (Lange Pistole 08) was a semi-auto pistol carbine with the 32 round drum magazine (Trommelmagazin 08) of the MP18. Full-auto Webleys or Walthers I’ve never heard of either. The Soviets/Russians did have a few later machine pistols though, like the Stechkin APS and the APB featured on this site (sadly not much videos) and the OTs-33 “Pernach”. There are a few others like the Glock 18, but they aren’t Forgotten. Then there’s a whole bunch of guns blurring the line between a machine pistol and a submachine gun/PDW like the Micro-Uzi. Okay, end of rambling.
A disassembly and a firing video of the Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer (or the earlier Spanish ones) would be awesome!
I haven’t done a disassembly video of a Schnellfeuer, but I did have a chance to get video of one at the range:
https://www.forgottenweapons.com/mauser-showdown-at-the-range-c96-carbine-and-schnellfeuer/
Thanks for posting this…this makes me homesick for my Steyr 1917. I have found that with my 1912 it performs best with maximum loads for standard 9mm Luger and a 125 cast bullet. I would not recommend 9mm + loads. I am surprised that this pistole was not improved with a detachable magazine (or was it). I shoot better with this one than a Colt 1911. For me, the Steyr 1912 points better. Thanks again!
Something about this design always appealed to me, despite (or perhaps because of) it being a bit obsolete even at the time of its introduction.
I have a Steyr with 1916 stamped on the side. I would like to know if the Steyr 9mm is the only cartridge this pistol will shoot or are there any alternatives?
It’s the only cartridge it’ll shoot in standard configuration. Some of them were converted to 9mm Parabellum by the Nazis for police use, and I greatly regret that I lost the auction for the last one of those I saw for sale.
Or rather, I suppose the other 9x23mm rounds (9mm Largo, .38 ACP & Super, 9×23 Winchester) would probably chamber, but I have no idea about the safety of that. Well, .38 Super and 9×23 Winchester would definitely be unsafe, but I really don’t know how 9mm Steyr and 9mm Largo compare in terms of pressure.
I have 1912 Steyr handgun that is in really good condition. The serial number is 5491 o. My question is: can I use 9 mm Lugar rounds in this pistol in lieu of the Steyr 9 mm rounds. The video is very well done
B
There are some Steyrs that were converted to 9×19 by the Germans, but unless oyu have one of those you cannot use 9mm Luger. Sorry!
Wonderful video; been a fan of the website for about a year now because of all the wonderful work and diversity you put into your research. I do have one question, though (forgive me if it’s a weird one), but does the barrel of the Steyr-Hahn rotate in the same direction as the projectile, or does it rotate counter to the internal rifling (like in the Savage 45)?
I haven’t checked which direction the barrel rotates, but it’s immaterial. The barrel is locked in place until the slide travels backwards a short distance, which only takes place after the bullet has left the muzzle. So the force exerted between the bullet and rifling doesn’t have any impact on the operation of the action.
Great video! Is there any reason not to load one of these with 9 x 23 mm Largo (Spanish)? What loads could this Steyr handle?
I’ve tried Spanish 9mm Largo in my Steyr 1912, and it was a bad idea. Didn’t always want to chamber, and I got pierced primers. That was with Spanish surplus Largo ammo, which is definitely hotter than factory-spec 9mm Steyr.
New barrels for 9×19 and 9mm Steyr are available from IGB Austria (Europe):
http://www.igbaustria.com/shop/product_info.php?info=p50_igb-custom-barrel-for-steyr-m12—hahn.html
Reloaded ammunition with weak loads are recommended anyway.
I am looking for a firing pin for my 1912 Steyr. Anyone have one they want to sell?
Hey Paul – you could check Numrich Gun Parts – but the last time I looked they were sold out… good luck
I own currently 2 SteyrHahn 9mm steyr. Both dated 1914.they have import marks from Vega Arms. The issue is that the hammer will not fall upon pulling the trigger, but will de-cocked readily. could the sear notch need reworking? What else could cause this failure to fire?
I own a Styer Hahn 1914 pistol .The hammer go down ( fires) when gun empty . But when you load a round and pull release the slide . I pill the trigger and nothing happens ( no bang)
the trigger does not engage the hammer when gun is loaded .
Anyone knows why ?
If it’s true the Chilean government ordered the first five thousand of the original 1911 model, I have one of the first 650 original ever made, according to its’ serial number.
Hello, Ian and FW!
Any chance you could do a video of the complete breakdown of the Steyr M1912, and I do mean complete! Thanks for all that you all do regarding these wonderful old guns and for partnering with The Great War folks as well.
Aloha,
Loren