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Steyr Hahn M1912 9mm Conversion

I can't see the HV stamps being just pure repair/overhaul stamps. All the newly produced firearms of the Bundesheer had them - the M.Pi. M.34 SMGs, the M.30 S machine guns, they all had them, as did various other pieces of army equipment - lamps, instruments etc. My understanding is that the HV was an acceptance stamp that has been added to the items once they became army property, or once they have undergone some sort of a conversion or transformation (such as an M.95 Stutzen becoming an M.95/30).

Regarding the deliveries to Czechoslovakia, they were regular commercial orders. They came even before the Treaty of St. Germain has been signed.

Regarding the "hidden" weapons, I find that hard to believe given the case of the "+" series of M12 pistols. They really were produced clandestinely, but they still got acceptance stamps. Just the obsolete ones. The only newly made guns without acceptance stamps were either the commercial ones (they still would have had commercial Nitro proofs) and the Gendarmerie contract from the 1930's - but these were not army guns.
 
HV is owner property marking that was needed to add by Bundesheer property commision. Rifles or pistol wout the new austrian eagle acceptance were not declared as army property. but could be hidden anywhere in secret depots before visit of the allied commisions.
That is incorrect. For example long M95 rifles in 8x56R caliber converted in Austria to S caliber have the HV designation, yet they were all used exclusively by Police, but the conversion was outcarried by Military, therefore the HV stamp. The HV stamp therefore is a stamp when it was reworked.
 
Regarding the "hidden" weapons, I find that hard to believe given the case of the "+" series of M12 pistols. They really were produced clandestinely, but they still got acceptance stamps. Just the obsolete ones.
The M1912 with the serial number followed by the + as suffix are (formerly) rejected parts that nevertheless got assembled in 1918. Note you can find them with different slide dates, the only uniform thing they have is the Wn18 acceptance as well as the +.
Maybe you also refer to the pistols with the Steyr logo after the serial number? Those are an own serial block and are indeed interwar period made. Those are attributed to the Police. It seems Steyr started those at serial 1000, to make sure they all have a four digit serial number.
 
Is there some source for the information on the "+" series? I've only seen them with either 1915 or 1918 dated slides, which agrees with the info in Mötz/Schuy. What happened with the rejected parts from the other years then?

The Gendarmerie contract was indeed the logo-series. But you've made an interesting point with the serial number. The literature suggests that they are all in the 1XXX range, so probably 1000 pieces maximum. But indeed, why begin at 1000?
 
Is there some source for the information on the "+" series? I've only seen them with either 1915 or 1918 dated slides, which agrees with the info in Mötz/Schuy. What happened with the rejected parts from the other years then?
You may have not seen them all, attached 1914 slide. I think I recall a 1916 one, but don't have pictures at hand. I would not be surprised to one day come across a 1917 too.

Edit, here a 1917 slide date with + serial (unfortunately only mentioned in description, no picture of other side) -> https://auctions.springer-vienna.com/de/l/19908/pistols/steyr_m12_9_mm_steyr_1017_b_w_785-18
 

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I stand corrected there. However, is there some literature or other source that mention this?

Regarding the HV stamp, how to explain its presence on all the newly made weapons and other equipment? Also, why are the HV stamps on M.12 pistols almost exclusively from the 1930's? Were there no repairs being performed on them in the 1920's as opposed to the M.7 pistols that can be found more frequently with HV stamps from the 1920's?

To me, it makes sense that the HV stamp has been put on firearms entering the army's supply system (being accepted) after they have been proofed, or on firearms requiring renewed acceptance/proofing (after a conversion or large scale repair). Concerning the police rifles, they were converted by the Staatsfabrik and proofed there. Therefore, they received the military proof stamp.
 
I dont believe is correct as some unconverted weapons with no links to police have the HV stamp (1927-29), its from nature of the stamping, Heeres Verwaltung is not a rework stamp, its a property stamp of BH, the rifles should be fireproofed after change of caliber to M30 which are with the new austrian eagles on right side of receiver. The Police weapon were diverted from BH weaponry. HV means when it was reattached into BH. Even bayonets assigned for BH were reproofed with new austrian eagles side by side with old ones.
 
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I stand corrected there. However, is there some literature or other source that mention this?
There is no literature on this. Mötz and Schuy in their book also only quote the hearsay that the + series are "plant guards" and clearly name it as an assumption. Having discussed this in person with the authors and due to the fact that there are slide dates from basically as early as the production for the KuK Army started (pictured 1914 pistol) they agreed that it is another very likely possibility that these were just "out of spec" parts that earlier were put aside and in desperate need in 1918 nevertheless assembled. Since those are more likely to have problems it clearly is much better to not put them into normal and regular military production serial range, but make an own serial range for those that clearly separates them from regular production (like if a + series pistol has a problem - scrap it; if a regular production pistol has a problem - repair it, and if there are more within close serial range to have the same problem, then we are likely to have a series problem).

The Police weapon were diverted from BH weaponry.
This is wrong. The Police requested Army to convert the guns for them. Go get yourself the period documentation on those, then you'll see. They did it on behalf.
 
About Police weapon i dont known exactly but austrian police/gendarmery normally used smaller caliber pistols prior end of 30ies, with some exception. Steyr M12 was primarily constructed as a army pistol. Some exception offcoarse existed mainly post 1918, but majority of the pistol came to Exekutive from BH reserve.
To HV marking i would recommend looking at the Heeres Dienstvorschrift vor Kennzeichnung des Heeresgerätes durch einheitliche Abstempelung von 19.11. 1925 , i had this discussed some years ago with Rupert Reis. as a expert of first austrian republic, the marking was used already since 1925 and offcoarse has nothing to do with reworks to M30, anyway post the reworks were offcoarse the reworked weapons too marked with the property stamp of BH. Personally i couldnt add here the Vorschrift as i dont have permission from R.R.
 
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The M1912 pistol was developed by Steyr and sold for export. It was not really intended to be introduced in KuK Army, but due to the war they seized the "to be exported" Romanian pistols (and the other rifles), for the lack of M1907 production by 1914 then changed over to the M1912 pistol. I know the person you mention personally very well and speak a few times a week with thim, as well as meet him a dozen times a year.
 
You may have not seen them all, attached 1914 slide. I think I recall a 1916 one, but don't have pictures at hand. I would not be surprised to one day come across a 1917 too.

Edit, here a 1917 slide date with + serial (unfortunately only mentioned in description, no picture of other side) -> https://auctions.springer-vienna.com/de/l/19908/pistols/steyr_m12_9_mm_steyr_1017_b_w_785-18
I have a 08 rework that is + stamped and is also a 1917 I will get some pictures when I can anything in particular you want to see?
 
About Police weapon i dont known exactly but austrian police/gendarmery normally used smaller caliber pistols prior end of 30ies, with some exception. Steyr M12 was primarily constructed as a army pistol. Some exception offcoarse existed mainly post 1918, but majority of the pistol came to Exekutive from BH reserve.
To HV marking i would recommend looking at the Heeres Dienstvorschrift vor Kennzeichnung des Heeresgerätes durch einheitliche Abstempelung von 19.11. 1925 , i had this discussed some years ago with Rupert Reis. as a expert of first austrian republic, the marking was used already since 1925 and offcoarse has nothing to do with reworks to M30, anyway post the reworks were offcoarse the reworked weapons too marked with the property stamp of BH. Personally i couldnt add here the Vorschrift as i dont have permission from R.R.
The M.12 was in the inventory of both the Gendarmerie and the Sicherheitswache. The photos however show the officers in regular service with the Steyr 1909/34 pistols. Should I hazard a guess, I would say that the M.12 pistols as well as the MPi M.30 SMGs were used by the special sections of the Exekutive - Alarmabteilungen of the Sicherheitswache as well as some Gendarmerie units.
 
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