Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Savage model 4

Came across one of these today and am looking for any info. Looks clean in pics, the guy didn't know much about it but said he didn't see any extra holes drilled and I didn't see a rear peep site. Barrel address is style 7 in murrays book. He is asking 150,is that a decent price??? Is this considered a target gun?

I don't think it was considered a hard core target 22, but any old Savage in nice shape has got to be a cool gun. The 4 looks like it may have been built on a variation of a Stevens 416 action. Is it worth 150? I guess the best way to address this is to ask yourself how hard would it be getting your money back out of it if you had too. Now with that price point in mind go make the seller an offer as that may be where he is at.

Is the gun just stamped 'Model 4' with out a letter after it? The early Model 4's had a cocking piece on the bolt that was also part of the safety which was engaged by turning it. Later guns had a separate safety on the side of the receiver and a bolt with a faster lock time that did not have a cocking piece. I think the bolt was changed around 1937~1938 based on catalog pictures, which are not always correct.

The Steven's 416 was a variation of the later Model 4, the 416 had a heavier, larger diameter receiver and an adjustable trigger, but used the same improved Model 4 bolt design, I don't know if it was exactly the same, they interchange but there might be internal differences. Externally the 416 bolts were a blued finish and the Model 4 bolts of the same design were bright plated.

Here is my 4C. I've carried it since I was a kid. I think I would pay $150 for a nice one, especially if it was the earlier checkered version.
It is drilled and tapped for a peep....I actually bought mine (peep sight) from some guy in a fast food restaurant parking lot. Remember that, Gene?

"I actually bought mine (peep sight) from some guy in a fast food restaurant parking lot. Remember that, Gene?"

... what we won't do for a Savage fix. That brought to mind of few occasions from past years.

I'd say a nice condition late model 4 is equivalent to a Win 69 or Rem 511. And try to get one of those for $150!

If it isn't trashed its worth 150. Agree with Mesa. Mine gets used and it shoots well with the aftermarket scope.

The grip is checkered, bolt looks like it is plated ,not blued. Barrel is stamped 4 no letter behind it and the front sight is hooded, seller says he couldn't find a serial #. Is this an earlier one? Did these come with a peep sight or just the rear sight?

Sounds like an early one to me. There was a peep sight made for these and available from Savage at extra cost, a #150 I believe. Attached at the back of the receiver on the left hand side. A simple but effective peep. Nothing like the Lyman sights. Think more along the lines of the Mossberg peep sights. Most came from the factory with the rear barrel sight though.

If the hooded front sight is original then it would have had a peep sight, the hooded front sight was part of the set. Pre-war and post-war used different sights and will be drilled different. Pre-war had a manually adjusted sight and post-war used the micrometer adjusted W.F.C 150... and Brian, I do remember selling one of those in a fast food parking lot, I believe you were in the area for your son's sporting events, I also remember you got one of the folding rear barrel sights that go with the set from me at a Savage Fest.

If these were sent from the factory with a peep sight the rear of the receivers will have a relief milled on the right side of the channel for the bolt so it can be swung down and under the peep sight and removed with out taking the sight off. The 150 sight required a longer relief than was needed for the earlier peep sight.

Sounds like a nice little 22 that is worth the money if in good shape.

Here are some pictures I did a few years ago concerning the sights -

The first type peeps typically on pre-war guns -




Here's a Model 7S semi-auto, the action plug does not allow enough clearance for the larger three position aperture disk that was used with bolt actions, they were shipped with two of different sizes -


Here is a Steven's 416 top, Model 4S middle and a Model 5 tube fed bottom. The top two have the reliefs to allow the bolt to be swung down and brought out under the peep sights, you can see the difference required because of the different sights, the reilef for a W.F.C. 150 is somewhere between the two shown. On the 416 the safety stamp even had to be moved forward because of the length required -




The 150 & 175 -

Ever notice every #150 and #175 you find is always missing the aperture and backing plate?

- Many parts for the 175's for the center fires are available and apertures are a design that can be readily reproduced and are available, I believe some are NOS originals - 175PeepSight

The 150 is a different story, the aperture is a very complicated design and there never was more than one size available. It's uses a miniature rack & pinion gear set. The windage adjustment is accomplished by turning the eye piece left or right, it has small gear teeth on it that act a pinion gear and mesh with teeth cut in the aperture base that acts as the rack. There are some part for them available but not those parts, and they would be very hard and expensive to try and duplicate so they worked correctly - 150PeepSight

Numrichs isn't Canada friendly, ever if they will sell it to you there's a $30 charge for international orders. So a 30 cent part would cost me $30.30 plus shipping plus exchange rate so around $50 for a 30 cent part.

GeneB - thanks for all the great info!

Really enjoy your posts Gene!

Thanks for all the info, will be picking it up Friday, and will post again after I try it out.

Let us know. I had a 4M a few years ago and it shot really well with the right .22 WRM ammo, although not quite as well as the 93M "Sporter" I replaced it with.

What happened to your P.O. box on our side of the ditch?