Steyr-Hahn M1911, Steyr Hahn Model 1912 (N.B. 1911 was Steyr’s commercial designation, whilst 1912 was the Army designation.)
04. Chamberings
9mm Steyr (9×22.7mm) Following the German takeover of Austria in 1938, 60,000 pistols captured from storage were re-barrelled in 9x19mm Parabellum
05. Designed by
Karel Krnka
06. Design date
1911 (patent)
07. In service date(s)
1912 – 1918
08. Adopted by
The Austro-Hungarian Army from 1914, and the Bavarian Army from 1916. Exported to the governments of Chile (1912) and Romania (1913)
09. Production quantities
250,000 Manufacture ceased in 1919
10. Mechanism
On firing, the barrel is locked to the slide for the first 8mm of recoil movement, and is then rotated on its axis through 20 degrees to unlock, permitting the slide to continue rearwards, extracting and ejecting the spent cartridge case, and cocking the external hammer. A thumb safety locks the hammer and slide. The fixed magazine in the butt holds eight rounds, and is loaded through the top of the action by means of a charger clip
11. Weight
963g empty
12. Mountings
13. Practicality in action
A robust and powerful pistol, hindered by the lack of a detachable magazine
14. Comments / Other information
The title, “Hahn” meaning “cock, tap or hammer”, distinguishes this pistol from the Model 1907 Roth-Steyr which is striker-fired. The sear of the 1912 is formed on the end of a flat steel spring that tends to produce a variable trigger pull