Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors What's the deal with the old Savage scopes?

I looked at a Savage 99 a few days ago, that had an old Savage Scope on it. It had a pretty neat post recticle.

In researching these scopes online, I was surprised to see that they go for as little as $25 Apparently there is no demand for them.

Were these scopes junk, or what?

Mannyrock

I have a 4X on my 170 in 35 Rem and a 3-8X on one of my R's. I've never had to adjust either of them since I sighted them in but they're definitely not a high end scope.

1960's vintage Japanese scopes, think along the lines of the Bushnell and Tasco products from that era.

Probably OK for a plinker, but not on a serious hunting rifle, as least not for me.

I like the fact that many of them have post-and-crosshair reticles. They seem to me to resemble contemporary Weaver K fixed power scopes, but as noted, made in Japan (like OUR contemporary Weavers....).

Unfortunately they don't get much respect. But dare I say their optics are probably as good as anything Weaver put out at the time. The one thing I think Weaver had going for it was the steel tube. I have an old K3 with a walnut size dent that still works. No aluminum body scope is going to survive that amount of abuse. So maybe the private labeled Savage scopes are one of the undiscovered little treasures. Keep that quite or else everyone will want one and they won't be 25-dollar wonders anymore.

I have 4 brands of scopes that I routinely mount on my rifles. Vintage Weaver, vintage Lyman, maybe not "vintage" but certainly older Leupolds and Redfields. I have NEVER had any issues with any of them and feel more than comfortable taking any one of them afield at any time.

Anyone know who made Savage scopes? I suspect it may have been several different manufacturers over the years.

Vintage scope, vintage rifle, vintage hunter.

Thanks for the compliment.

Suma made most of the scopes. They're marked "Savage-Suma" on the bottom. There were also some "Springfield" scopes sold by Savage for a year or two in the early 70's. Don't know who made them.

My Savage-marked 2.5X is marked "Made in Japan by Wuwa" and has an aluminum tube. Otherwise it's a copy of a Weaver K2.5, but with a bold post-and-crosshair reticle, which I think was originally also available for the Weaver K series. I believe it to be a very early '50s product. Came on a prewar Utica 219 .30-30, in Savage-marked copies of Weaver rings, on genyoowine Weaver barrel top mounts.

It should be Savage-SUWA They show up in the 1963 catalog and were dropped about 1974. Probably made by 'Light Optical Works LTD.' of Suwa City, Japan who started making scopes in 1958 and still do today.

It's right next to the 'Kentukey Fried Chicken' - stop by after eating your ¥ 601.00 fill up meal.
Location of Optiics plant
The KFC is in back on the next street over - Front of Plant

The KFC and with the rear of the plant office in the background - KFC

Thanks for the added info. I had thought my scope somewhat older than 1958. Wish that their script were a little more readable, but the "SAVAGE" part is clear enough!

Interesting to know that they are still in business!

would like to purchase a good vintage scope....with rings naturally..Any ideas where or who has one..Like Redfield or Lyman..

Welcome to the site Red. There are a lot of old scopes on EBay. I found a couple Redfields that looked New In Box, but passed on them. I still have two more scopes than I have rifles, so I need a couple Stith's and rifles to put under the scopes, Joe.

Thanks for the welcome Joe...I also don't mind having too much of anything as long as it relates to hunting, backpacking or fly fishing..I would seriously like to take a few deer with my anniversary 1895 before moving on to 99 that wouldn't mind showing some use..I would like to have an older scope punted on that rifle, but I don't know enough about those scopes and the years that they were in use because they were they were the only ones available..Just need a low powered 'older' model that still has a few shots left in it..by next October, if I don't have one", I'll be out there with open sites, just like my younger days..

For low power I think the Lyman All American 3x is a great scope. This will tick off some guys but it is a better scope that the Weaver K3, not that Weavers won't get the job done.

I checked out the scopes on eBay and found out they're bidding more than a simple man like me can afford..Are those scopes really worth the bucks people are bidding?..

2 x 7 Redfields and 3 x 9, similar Weavers should be able to be found < $150 lot of scope for the money. I just got a K6 Weaver from a CF member like new for < $100. Just have to look a bit.