Can anyone give me some info about this Savage I recently acquired?

[wcnones]

I recently acquired this rifle from a friend. His grandfather got the rifle, brand new, as a child.

I know the obvious - it is a Savage Sporter .22lr with a Weaver scope. It fires beautifully and the bolt cycles very smoothly. I am quite impressed with the scope's accuracy, considering neither I nor my friend made any andjustments and we have no idea when the scope was last zeroed.

At Burro Canyon, I was hitting a small melon-sized rock at 100 yrds in a standing position without any problems at all.

Anyone got any good info about the rifle? I'd like to know the age and any historical information about the model, if any exists.

My camera's flash has a nasty habit of slightly altering colors, so the rust on the barrell is more camera-oddity than real rust. It takes color-accurate photos without a flash, but I don't have a tripod and can't take clear photos without it.

Pics:

[nobs11]

If I were to guess I'd say it is a Model 23A sporter. It is not a Model 19 since the ones I've seen have a groove running along the fore end. Any markings on the receiver/barrel?

Savage doesn't make rifles like they used to. Not that they are inaccurate or crappy, but old style wood and metal savages are hard to find. Beautiful gun. Keep it.

The color of the metal is "patina." Happens to old things.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patina

Edit: Noticed that you wanted to know the age. The 23As were introduced in the early 1920s. They were an "upgraded" version of the model 19 NRA.

If you go to rimfirecentral.com and give them your serial number range, one of the nuts there will be able to look it up I'm sure.

[wcnones]

Awesome - exactly the kind of info I was looking for - thanks a ton!

I took a pic of the barrel engravings, but it didn't come out well enough to read. Here's what the top of the barrel, roughly 8 inches from the chamber, reads:

"Manufactured by Savage Arms Corp Utica. NY. U.S.A.
Patented Nov. 28. 1905. Sep. 7. 1915. Sep. 4. 1917. Nov. 20. 1917."

To the right of this is:

"SAVAGE
SPORTER"

Inbetween the bolt handle and the chamber (right side of rifle) is the serial number, which is 92XXX (adding the x place holder only because it appears as though that's standard online?), and on the exact opposite side of the barrel is: "22 Long Rifle".

I took my wife out to shoot today, and she had a blast with the Savage. She'd never shot anything before, and within a couple of minutes she was plinking through 5 round mag after mag and operating the bolt action like a natural.

I really like this rifle, and I don't see myself getting rid of it ever. I'm not too terribly interested in older rifles, but something about this thing just sings to me.

Thanks again for your help!

[nobs11]

Go to rimfirecentral and ask them just to be sure. Those guys know everything about rimfires. They will also probably have more info. Good luck. Those little 22 rimfires are awesome. I have a little 1906 Winchester pump that always puts a smile on my face.

[CRTguns]

how much you pay?
My dad collects them. They camei n 32-20 and 25-20 as well in the "savage sporter" config. They can get up to around $600 for a cherry one, most sell for 3-4 hun.
ALWAYS good shooters they are. Neat how the whole gun is one peice of steel- no receiver- just a barrel cut out to recieve a bolt.