In 1907, Savage released a handgun that was well ahead of its time: the Savage Model 1907. Available in .32 ACP and later .380 ACP, it was one of the earliest examples of a double-stacked magazine in a semi-auto handgun with a striker-fired system. The gun held ten rounds and could fit in your pocket.
However, nearly a century later, Savage wasn’t known for its handguns. That changed in 2022 when they released the Stance. It made quite a splash.
The Stance has been knocking around for a few years, and we got our hands on one to find out if it lives up to the innovation Savage had nearly a century ago.
Into The Savage Stance
The Savage M1907 pushed firearms forward with a novel design, but the Stance takes a more conservative approach. Rather than creating something entirely new, the Savage Stance is a slightly modernized version of the Honor Guard, a pistol originally produced by the small American company Honor Defense. While the Honor Guard has since faded away, Savage revived the design and made some changes.
The Stance sticks with the tried-and-true single-stack 9mm platform. In 2024, which admittedly feels a bit dated in the wake of guns like the SIG P365 and their stack-and-a-half magazine. The gun comes with two magazines: a seven-round flush-fitting magazine and a slightly extended eight-round magazine.
The Stance also still uses the removable fire control group that came with the Honor Guard handgun. This lets you theoretically remove the fire control unit and swap grip modules. It doesn’t seem like Savage has produced any additional grips modules, though, and neither has the aftermarket.
The Stance is available in three colors: black, FDE, and grey. It also has three different sight options: three-dot white sights, night sights, and a laser option. It uses a fairly standard striker-fired design that’s partially cocked.
Ergonomics and Controls
In the ergonomic department, the Stance shines. First, all the controls are ambidextrous. I don’t mean reversible, but completely ambidextrous. The magazine release, the slide lock, and, in my case, the manual safety are all replicated on both sides of the gun. This makes it a natural selection for lefties. The safety is an optional choice.
The safety and slide lock are both very small, sitting flush with the gun’s frame. I get the idea that it helps with concealment and keeping width slim, but the downside is ease of use. The safety itself isn’t bad, but I admittedly have to remember to use it since I don’t typically engage with safeties on handguns, and it stopped me on my first draw.
The slide lock is just that, a lock and not much more. The super small design is not easy to use. For reloads, it proved to be much easier just to slingshot the slide. Trying to engage the slide lock just wasn’t working for me.
The Stance magazine release works fine, but like most ambidextrous releases, it has a bit of mush. You’ll need a firm press to drop the magazine. It’s easy enough to use, but you’ll definitely notice that slight mushiness when you feel it.
Getting a Grip
Where the gun really shines is in the mix of grip texture and slide serrations. Savage went above and beyond with the grip texture — it’s aggressive, much like a pitbull in a bad neighborhood. It digs into your hand and provides a firm grip on the gun.
Shooting this gun in the Florida heat — about 100 degrees with 60% humidity at the hottest part of the day — was a real test. I was pouring sweat, my hands were drenched, but the gun never slipped around in my hand or tried to get away from me. That grip texture works like an absolute charm, providing an excellent grip not just for my sweaty paws but also for controlling recoil and keeping the gun on target.
One of the big benefits of a single-stack 9mm is just how lithe it can be. It’s thinner than the competition in most cases. A thin grip welcomes petite hands and allows for a good, full grip on the gun.
The slide on this gun is fairly chunky with some intense slide serrations. The front serrations double as lightening cuts that go through the entirety of the slide. The rear serrations are deep and easy to grip. It’s a smart design because the slide is quite heavy.
At the Range With the Savage Stance
The Savage Stance has a nice set of large sights that are easy to see and use. Coming from a draw to the target was easy. The gun’s sights are easy to align, and this makes it quick to establish a good sight picture for that rapid first shot. From a cold draw with a 578 GLS, I had a 1.22-second draw. I trimmed that time down by fractions of a second as the day wore on.
While Safariland hasn’t yet tested the 578-283 holster (for the G19) with the Stance, the holster’s adjustable design accommodates hundreds of guns. This setup performed well for me at the range.
The Stance provided impressive accuracy, making it easy to put 9mm rounds right where I wanted them. At 25 yards, I could land the entire magazine on a paper plate. At that same range, I could knock down poppers quickly and ring gongs consistently. When we got up close, the gun performed admirably — allowing me to put round after round into two-inch circles at seven yards.
I like the trigger a lot. It’s somewhat stiff but very short and feels a bit like a Kahr trigger, but not quite as long. It’s a good mix of weight and trigger pull length. It’s certainly suitable for a subcompact, self-defense firearm. I don’t think triggers affect accuracy much, and even if they did, the Stance trigger wouldn’t kill your accuracy. What helps my accuracy more than anything is the eight-round magazine that slightly extends the grip.
Going Fast
Once we amped up the speed we saw one of the downsides to the hefty Stance. At 22 ounces, the Stance weighs a good bit more than a Glock 26, a Glock 43X, and similar handguns. Weight can help reduce recoil, but when the slide is the hefty part of the gun, you feel it.
Namely, as the slide reciprocates, it can feel a little snappy. The recoil is focused has more upward muzzle rise than rearward force. It doesn’t beat up your hand or cause fatigue, but you come up and off target. It’s not a flat shooting gun. Try as I might, my times with the Stance and something like the Bill Drill were never impressive.
Where the Stance Fits
The Savage Stance does lack a lot of modern features. It has no rail, it is not optics-ready, and it is still a single-stack design. The Stance shows its age, but it can still be a capable defensive weapon. It’s accurate, reliable, and easy enough to shoot. Online the price of the Stance jumps around a bit, but if you can score one for less than $300, the Stance is an excellent budget option.
