Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Savage 23AA

I first thought it was a 23A when I saw the picture, the bolt looks like a 23A bolt (and I still think it might be) but I noticed the magazine catch and it's position - it's for the curved magazine. In the picture Chip posted you can see the difference in the magazines clearer, also it looks like the bolts are different - look at the rear knobs.

Does the older 23A bolt interchange with the newer 23AA?

Gene

I tried swapping bolts...no can do. The parts in the bolt look similar but are different. It might be that the end of the early 23AA firing pin might have been machined to accept the knob on the back of the bolt. The knob is just pinned to the bolt. The 23AA has a lug on the bottom rear that the 23A does not.

Let me be the one to throw the wrench in this:

Where is the difference in the 1922 model to the 23A?

Just the flat backed bolt knob?

Encyclopedic!

Folks:

I'm not getting into the discussion about what's a 23A and what's a 23AA and all that but I would like to show you one of the neatest 23AA's you'll ever see. This gun was owned by a gentleman that worked for Colt many years ago and he had it customized a little. He added a two leaf folding rear sight and inlaid sling swivels...and had it drilled and tapped. The finish on the wood is really nice. And this gun really does shoot. I have a Kimber Model 82 and it doesn't do a thing that this gun won't do. The Kimber does have a better trigger. Anyway...here's a really nice 23AA.

Elwood

And sorry...I didn't mean to "high jack" njretcop's thread with my 23AA. Just saying...

???

The 1922 and the first version of the 1919 had a duel firing pin bolt. Serials stopped at around 25000 on both models. The rear sight on the 1922 was the same used on the Model 1904. It attached with one screw where the 23A's was dovetailed. Those are the thing that stand out to me.

Nice rifle, Elwood.

I'm impressed with the quantity and quality of information
in your posts. Thanks.

All I know is what is pictured in the Savage catalogs. There was never an aa pictured with a knob bottom magazine or schnabel. Stocks and other parts are easily changed. I'll stick with what the company said it was selling.

The 1922 is easily identified as it had the first and second 1919 variation rectangular ejection port w/o the relief cuts to ease single loading. In the 100s of these guns I handled and owned over the years I only saw one 1922.

Since I lived most of my life in upstate NY, I got to see far many more than most folks elsewhere. My interest in them also coincided with a period when they were a "who cares" rifle, common and affordable.

As for std velocity ammo, it's just prudent and more accurate.
The 80 gr jacketed 25-20s were too hot for an old Colt revolver or 73', okay in a 92/53 but the Savage was not that strong and besides the heavier bullets in both the 25-20 and 32-20 were easier on the barrel and more accurate.

All this talks makes me miss them!

Here's a not too good picture of my Savage display at the Rochester NY show back in 95.
Top is an early 23 B in 25-20, next a late 23C in 32-20 (stock just like an AA 22 RF) and bottom the factory experimental 23X (early style) in 44-40 (one of one)
Top one has Wollensak scope mounted using existing holes, next was factory D&T with Weaver J4, 44-40 has Brownell rig I spoke of earlier with a jap something in tip off 1" mount.
Actually won first prize! (Was my hair ever that dark?)

Oldman, those are extra cool! I'd love to have a close-range squint at that .44-40--How dey DO dat???

Don't agree about the st. velocity being more accurate in general; depends on the individual rifle. Some like 'em hot, some not. You can shoot ground squirrels with standard velocity solids all day long, tho. They probably die of lead poisoning sometime. But not today.

I've never found a 23 or "Sporter" that was "shot loose" by factory ammo of any caliber. I did own a late 23D that had been converted to K-Hornet and was stretching cases unduly. Fixed it with a steel "washer" between the bolt parts. I have also heard of stock .22 Hornets developing excessive headspace with hot handloads. A friend of mine in NYS had an old 23D that he had converted to .218 by swapping in .25-20 bolt parts and rechambering (it was a single shot). It was accurate, but I don't know how long it held its headspace.

I miss 'em, too. Have only a late 23B left. The nearest thing I've found recently is an early 1960s Savage Model 4M .22WRM, a nice gun. And the present 93M "Classic" isn't chopped liver, either, altho a bit pricey, IMO. Savage has still "got it"!

Oldman1942, thanks for the photo. The 1919/23 family is an intersting group with lots of variations. I would like to have had a chance to look that 44-40 over! Do you remember if the barrel diameter was the same as on the B & C? Was the serial a three didgit number or "23X" as in 23 experimental?

The 23AA had a schnobel end but the later B,C and D did not.

As for the 1922's...if you look in the parts manual it states that the 23A stated at serial 25000. Sales records indicate that Savage sold around 16000 Model 1922's. All of the 1922's that I have found have had the duel firing pin (early bolt), non-dovetailed rear sight but have had the larger ejection port. I have assumed that part of the 1922's (low serials) had the early small ejection port but have not seen or found anyone who owns one. Thanks for verifing that they were made. I'll keep looking.

I did find a nice 19-H this fall at a fair price...and it was not drilled full of extra scope mount holes!

Still looking for a 19-33 with condition and at a fair price. I have five of the target versions from early to late. Have not seen a 19-M yet so will probably have to stumble on to a collection that is being sold to own one.

The later 23AA that are factory D&T'ed are a sweet little rifle. Add a Weaver 29-S in T mounts...I have a hard time passing up a nice one and seldom do.

44-40 had NSN and a special one off magazine. Took me five years to track it down and buy it, now some other collector has it.

Getting harder to find a 19 H or M than an 1895!

Oh, I see...you meant the model was "23X".

Experimental is the word. Like the 30-40 Krag 99s.

All of the 23-AA's pictured here take the curved magazine - you can see the magazine catch in the first one pictured. All Savage catalogs show the 23-AA stock with the schnabel. Here is the first catalog to list the 23-AA No68 -

Here is the last catalog to have the 23-AA No75, catalog No76 does not picture the 23-AA and the price list dated Jan 2, 1942 does not have it listed, checkered stocks had become standard -


Catalog No62 is the first(? and only?)catalog to have the 1922 sporter and the picture shows the larger ejection port(still smaller than a 23-A). Here is a picture showing a 23-A Sporter top, a 1922 middle and an early 1919 NRA bottom. I have seen 4 1922's sell on line in the last year but only one was sold as a 1922 - all had the same ejection port. The action pictured is also a 1922 and you can see the trigger adjustment screw.


Gene

This thread makes me want to go reclaim my grandfathers 23AA. I'll just drive up to WA state and break into my bro's gunsafe....Oh, no! Now I remember, he sleeps with a Kimber Compact Carry and a Rem 870 Marine....maybe I'll just ask if I can shoot it when I see him next time.

And at a gun show today in Allentown, PA, I found a Savage #15 (made by Lyman) peep sight for my "new" 23AA.