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Oesterreichische Waffenfabrik Gesellschaft, Steyr, Austria. (Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG after 1934) (Steyr-werke AG after WW1) Josef Werndl set this company up in 1863, in the firearm producing town Steyr. The Model 1911 and Model 1912 Steyr-Hahns were the development of Oesterreichische Waffenfabriks Gesellschaft of Steyr, Austria, and since they were designed to be used as military pistols, they added the name “Hahn” which means “Hammer” to differentiate them from the 1907 Roth-Steyr, which they also manufactured, and which had no hammer. The first pistols made in early 1911 were strictly commercial. It differed from the military version in several aspects. First it was very finely finished, and had a milled front sight. The later military models which were introduced in late 1911 or early 1912 had a dovetailed front sight. Conversely, the original rear sight for the Model 1911 Commercial was dovetailed in place, while the later military version was milled in place. Some very early military pistols will also be found with commercial slides, so be aware to watch for markings to differentiate between commercial and military. Several hundred thousand of these guns were made, and many of them remained in arsenal stock at the beginning of World War II. Knowing they needed quite a few weapons for the war, the Germans converted many of these pistols to 9mm Parabellum calibre and they so indicated by stamping “P.08” designating the cartridge on the side of the slide. The Steyr 1911/1912 series of pistols were heavy, well build, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistols with an external hammer and an eight-shot fixed magazine, loaded via a stripper-clip from the top through guides. It had an unusual lock-up system for its recoil operation. Slide and barrel were locked together at battery via lugs front and rear. Upon firing, the slide and barrel moved together for about 6mm, until a section of the barrel lug hit a cam on the frame, rotating the barrel about 20 degrees, and unlocking it from the slide. At this point the barrel and slide moved back together again for a miniscule distance until a second lug on the barrel struck a projection on the frame, holding the barrel in place while the slide continued to move backwards, cycling the action and cocking the hammer. On the forward push it stripped a cartridge out of the fixed magazine, once again camming the barrel 20 degrees in the reverse direction to lock it in battery. The safety catch blocks the trigger and slide and the main spring is a leaf spring in the grip. The disconnector moves the trigger bar away from the sear when the slide moves. It was the Austro-Hungarian service arm. (Ref. ‘Firearms past and present’ by Luggs, ‘Price guide for collector handguns’ by R H Balderson, ‘Pistols of the world’ by Hogg and Weeks p233)

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