Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors DeerHunter58: Model 20 -questions, what do I have?

[img]http://home.comcast.net/~123m1920/pic_files/DeerHunter3/LEFT.jpg[/img]

[img]http://home.comcast.net/~123m1920/pic_files/DeerHunter3/LOOP ON BARREL.jpg[/img]

[img]http://home.comcast.net/~123m1920/pic_files/DeerHunter3/RIGHT.jpg[/img]

[img]http://home.comcast.net/~123m1920/pic_files/DeerHunter3/SN ON SIDE.jpg[/img]

Thats a hell of a rear sight, any markings on the sight?

interesting sight and what appears to be some form of a sling mount.... someone really customized that thing up... too bad about the condition of the metal... really a neat gun!!

It does not have the top line of the address stamped on the barrel? Any out of country proof marks?

SAYS MANUFACTURED BY SAVAGE ARMS CORP. UTICA N.Y U.S.A.
MARCH 28 1916 DEC. 26 1916 JUNE 17 1919
NO MARKINGS ON REAR RAMP SIGHT
FRONT RING FOR SLING IS DOVETAILED INTO THE BARELL- DO YOU THINK SOMEONE WOULD GO TO THAT EXTENT TO CUSTOMIZE? WILL SEND PICS OF BUTT AND MAYBE CLEARER PICS WHEN I GET BACK FROM S.C. DEER HUNTING(NOT WITH THIS GUN)THANKS FOR THE HELP IM NOT REALLY A COLLECTOR I JUST CAME ACROSS THIS AND A 1890 WINCHESTER 22 SHORT FROM AN OLD GUY WHO PASSED. ALSO HAVE SAVAGE BULLETS 250-3000 AND 300

I would think that rifle could tell some good stories. I was struck by how deeply that front sling dovetail is cut into the barrel I have never seen a rear sight like that one.

Tell me the bore is mirror and the rifle shoot super groups at 500 yds. and I'll bite...

"What do I have?"

A truly interesting find!

That fancy "sling mount" looks familiar to me.

I had a .22 in the shop to line the barrel that had a similar thing, though not exactly the same. The rear mount was much like a modern tape measure. You pulled out as much as you wanted and attached it to the front "swivel". If you didn't want a sling, you unhooked it from the front and let it retract back into the butt.

Aftermarket. No manufacturer's name.

Doug

That makes since. When I blew the photo up it looked like the stock was hollowed out in that area. Good info, thanks!

I think that some one on this forum had one of those aftermarket slings that he either bought or sold on fleabay.

I've seen an ad for them somewhere. Can't remember if it was Shooter's Bible or Gun Digest or somewhere else. I'll have to do some research and try to find it. Don't hold your breath though as I'm a true procrastinator.

I have seen a couple 22's with retractable slings. My cousin had a very cheap old beater 22 with one, he wanted to sell me 2(?) years ago. Not a Savage and only thing interesting was the sling so I passed.

I remember the 22's and have owned a few neat idea on that rifle this looks much better made the screws are timed and the stock which looks factory to me has the most figure of any 1920 I have seen I would start with a factory letter before I did anything.

Mike
Rgr had one similar i believe.

Ive seen those slings on german made double shotguns ,and Drillings there actually pretty nice. I would go for a factory letter also its quite a unique model 20. Don

Those retractabel slings have been around for ions..That one is pretty fancy and appealing IMO..

The wood would be Deluxe grade on one of todays rifles, but was probably just good luck on the buyers part back then..

I always liked the Sav. M-20s and have lusted for one for years in 250 Savage caliber..I really like that gun, its nice, a bit different and has been monkied with a good deal, but well done. I could sure live with it if it shot well.

I wonder why the stock looks in such good condition but all the steel photos looked pitted and rusty?

I saw a Model 20 in a gun shop in Napa Ca about three years back. The metal looked good but someone had replaced the original stock with a monstrosity hacked out of poor grade lumber.

THE GUN IS IN MIAMI, FL. IN A CLOTH GUN CASE FOR MANY YEARS AND I GUESS THE HUMIDITY GOT TO IT. MOSTLY SURFACE RUST. SHOULD I TRY TO CLEAN IT WHEN I CLEAN THE BORE? I'M GOING TO TRY TO LOCATE SOME MODERN BULLETS AND SHOOT IT, I HAVE SOME OLD ONES IN ORIGINAL PKG BUT DONT WANT TO SHOOT THEM, AS BOTH OF MY EYES AND HANDS ARE WORKING FINE AT THIS TIME

Barkeater had a 99 at the NY fest this year with that type of sling arrangement. The butt was hollowed out and a slot cut through the stock with ebony inlays front and rear of the slot to dress it up. The sling had a closed loop on the end and the front of the rifle had a sling eye on it with a slot cut into the forward part of the eye. When you attatched the sling to the eye it would stay put. But when you wanted to return the sling to the stock, you'd lift up and pull forward and out it would come. Really slick. Maybe, just maybe, someone from NY could post a picture of it.