Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Scoped model 20s

Does anyone have a scoped Model 20? I had one a long time ago that had a cheap side mount and a 2 3/4X scope. The bolt was slightly bent and the scope was off set just a little to make it work. I am thinking of getting a non collector .250-3000 and maybe scoping it. Maybe a G&H side mount, 3x Leupold and a custom stock. I know it is not the best bolt gun to customize but for some reason it is something I have wanted to do for a long time. Let’s see some pics if you have them

I once had a 1920 that someone had welded up the clip slot in the receiver bridge and mounted a Redfield Jr. one-piece base on it. The bolt handle was modified to clear the scope's ocular bell.

I have 6 1920s and 20/26s with side-mounts from G&H, Jaeger, and Weaver. The one that Larry Koller owned has a Weaver N mount with a Lyman Alaskan and has a replacement bolt handle.

If I had a donor I wouldn't mind d/t'ing, I often thought of mounting a Winchester A5 or Lyman 5A onto one (with Unertl-style scope blocks on the receiver ring and out on the barrel). It looks like the bolt handle would just barely clear the scope, a la the USMC Springfield M1941 Sniper with 8x Unertl scope I have. Biggest drawback I can see is that the scope would sit pretty high and necessitate a lace-on cheek rest to get the eyeball comfortably behind the ocular ring. Those two scopes were quite popular on M1903 NRA Sporters back in the 20's-early 30's because they didn't necessitate altering the bolt handle on that rifle.

I once had a 1920, #1699, that has a heavy contour Niedner barrel and blocks on the barrel for a target scope.

That's not a bad idea and it would be "period" to the gun. More so than a Weaver if that is something important to you. Also, you could substitute a modern made Malcolm scope or something made by MVA for a "period" scope. But a Lyman 5A would be very classy. So too would a Fecker small game scope. I better stop now or else I'll talk myself into scoping my 20/26!

https://hi-luxoptics.com/products/m334151

I had a Malcolm 3x on a Shiloh Sharps .40-50 Bottle Neck and the scope is pretty good but the mounts suck. They are definitely set it and forget it and don’t make repeatable adjustments. That should be fine for a hunting rifle. The MVA scopes are great but they are not sealed

Would think a Stith no drill could be adapted.

They made them for about every bolt. lever. pump and semi back when.

I own them for M14s, M81s, 99s, M70s, Rem 7XX.

Can be found on Ebay.

If you can find a complete Miller Kodiak mount, you wouldn't have to d&t any new holes in the receiver.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/16128888/scoped-1920

Here is my 1920 wearing a Leupold 2-7x33.

Joe

Certainly not a no-drill, but a Weaver K-4 with a Stith mount

Keystone, is that you rifle? Do you know what the mount is meant to fit? Model 70? I don't remember seeing one for the Savage 20.

Is it offset? How is the bolt handle clearance?

I've never seen a Stith mount advertised in a Stith catalog for the Savage 20.

My hunch is that the Savage 20 was a long gonner by the time Stith came out with his mounts. If anyone is interested in giving it a try, I may have the parts for a Model 70 rear Stith mount.

Rick- Yes, it is mine and it came to me that way. The scope is centered and the bolt clearance is fine, I have no info on the mount other than "M L Stith" on the side of the rear mount.

As I said earlier, I figgered a Stith could be adapted.

That's an early Weaver K 4 with the exposed lock nut adjustments that i would kill for as I have a 8X Litscherts adapter for it that only fits that K4.

I'll look thru my piles of Stiths and see what I have.

Thoughts... If an original Model 20 in decent shape, might want to consider retaining it as such! Not exactly common! Saying the one under consideration, isn't! Frankly, they were great little era guns! First post Great War commercial bolt gun! (Newton by then 'in between models'.) Stamped solid bottom metal but good design and really the "featherweight of the era! I'm surprised the Stith will fit! I do note that the receiver reflecting several holes are not factory! The "Stith no-drill" advantage thus lost. I have one 20 with clunky side mount and scope set high. The receiver sidewall beneath isn't pretty as ground flat to accommodate. Bought cheap and decent gun.
Unless possessing a decent scope & mount, the costs to add such would hardly seem worth the effort. Also these were 'svelte' little guns. Unless the 3/4" scope, maybe out of proportion? I do like that illustrated Stith, but again... I wouldn't do it! But then I'm not into scoping vintage Model 94 rifles even if not original. Just me - Just my opinion. These were great guns for what they were! I'm with several Model 20 genre and one nice 20/26 in .300 Savage, which had the heavier barrel and mine with the nifty bolt aperture sight. That rifle pix below.
Good luck; whatever!
Best!
John

Well the Stith kinda fits. The rear ring is supposed to go where the rear sight, say a Lyman 48, would attach on a Model 70. So you can see that the rear mount of the gun above has been moved forward of that so as not to interfere with the ejector. And as far as the front tube, that would be a creative solution for a 20/26 as they don't have a front sight dovetail. I suspect something like what Stith used for the Remington 8/81 would be in order for that.

I think you would need the spacers for the high mount option to have a chance to clear the bolt handle. I have not seen the spacers for the front of a Miller-Kodiak but the spacers are required on the rear only when mounting on a 99 due to the rear of the receiver being so low. I held a standard height Miller-Kodiak mount on a 20/26 to see if it would work on the earlier guns with a dovetail but the bolt would not clear. For some applications Miller-Kodiak made sleeves with dovetails that slid on to the barrel and were held by two set screws on the bottom, I thought this along with a long eye relief scope would be an option for a 20/26. The sleeve could be mounted if front of the stock with a long eye relief scope, normally they were mounted farther back and had to be inletted into the stock. The sleeves were mainly intended for sporterising military rifles.

Top shows the spacers used in the rear, middle a standard low mount using the rear sight dovetail and the lower a slip on sleeve with a dovetail -


Spacers needed for the rear on a 99, I assume front spacers would just be longer -

They are advertised as being able to use fixed scopes but with the adjustment screws at angle I think adjustments would not be very easy.

Bottom corner shows a high mount with the spacers -

I have never seen a Suprlo version.

Possible set up for a 20/26 for a long eye relief scope using a sleeve with a dovetail -


If a sleeve could be mounted in front of the stock it could be made to clamp on instead of being held by set screws that will mark the barrel.


The files below are the same ones inserted above.

My main interest is to use it for hunting and it is definitely not a pristine example. I am thinking a new higher comb stock would be in order. I know there are cheaper ways to obtain a custom but the little Model 20 has always fascinated me. I blame it on reading “Shots At Whitetails” over and over in my youth

An Evans with a scope?