Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Savage 330 made by Valmet

Here is a link to a reproduction hang tag and manual for the 330. Hope this helps.

http://www.rediscovered-shooting-treasures.com/savage330.htm

Had a 20 gauge like new. Sucker doubled on me quite often and finally after multiple trips to a gunsmith it was somewhat repaired. I no longer have it and very likely will never buy another.

NEVER had one double (actually, I've never had ANY double "double," although I was next to a guy in a duck blind when his AyA Matador 10-bore doubled. LANGUAGE!!!!). In fact the only mechanical problem I've had with any of these is with the 333 Skeet I have presently--guy that had it before me, in addition to breaking the stock, deliberately disabled the safety and the ejectors. He just removed parts from the ejectors and I had to put them back, but he cut off part of the safety. Fortunately I found a new safety. I guess it's fashionable for clay shooters to do this (?), but I wanted the gun for quail....

This is great information. I plan to take it out and break some clays on Monday. The wood and checkering on mine is very nice. Looks like walnut with clean sharp checkering. It is stamped but some of the best stamped I have seen. I bought it to be a shooter and so far I have not seen any reason to doubt it's abilities. The lock up and release works very fluid and the gun is tight when locked. I do not think it has seen many rounds. . . Yet.

I found the parts diagram on line a couple of places now and the Valmet 412 manual is very close and on point for function. I am very pleased with all of the contributions and help thus far. Thanks!

Now I want to find a few more to add to my collection (at least a 20 Gauge). This could be a new habit.

Ron

I've got a 20 gauge skeet model in great condition. My son loves it.

The 20s are nice; I had an "almost matched" pair of 330s for a while; both had very pretty wood and one was 26" IC/M, the other 28" F/M. They were both excellent for upland hunting; light enough to carry all day. Lost both (and most of the rest of my guns) in the "recession" of the early '80s (My WIFE got me my Valmet "Lion" when we began our "recovery"--love 'em both).

One negative of the Savage/Valmet series, and, I think, all Valmets, is that the 12s are HEAVY. I still carry my 333 or my "Lion" for the morning of a two-part hunt, but if we're going to be away from the truck all day long, I take my Gold Label or my Red Label 28, depending on what the game is. At 69, I just can't hump that big iron all day any more.

ROMAC, I also always liked the simple big single scroll on the 333s like your 20. But I don't recall ever looking at it under magnification to see if it's "real" (chiseled) engraving, or was done by a machine. Think I'll take a look at mine tomorrow. Can you tell?

The borders on the other Savage/Valmets (330s, 2400s) is obviously stamped by a machine, as are the borders on my "Lion."

That 20 Gauge looks sweet. I want to find one. A twenty gauge o/u was my objective when I found this 12 and I could not pass it up.

The 20 shown has much more fancy engraving than my 12. My 12 has the simple linear boxes. More great information and input.

Thanks,

Ron

ROMAC's 20 is the "deluxe model" 333; it has auto ejectors and a ventilated rib, plus that tasteful (IMO; not everyone agrees) scroll.

I took out my 333 and examined the scroll thru a 10x loupe. And I CAN'T decide how it was done. It is identical on both sides to the millimeter on all dimensions, including the interior dimensions of some of the sub-scrolls. That sounds like a machine's, not a hand's work, not at this price point.

There are no faint tiny "feathers" on the ends of lines which are common on hand-cut engraving at the end of a cut. But those are often removed by the final flat polish before case hardening or bluing.

There is no visible displacement of metal--slight bumps or raises at the edges of a cut which is often present when a roll die is used to "press" a design into metal.

But the uniformity of depth and dimensions of the design still say "machine" to me. I would guess that this was a very sophisticated roll die design that was "cleaned up" by a VERY careful flat polishing job. Edges are too sharp for a 1960s-technology acid etch, I think.

Does anybody really KNOW how this design was applied? I can't remember if Savage advertising claimed it was hand-engraved.

Your Savage 330 is in fact a Valmet and it is a perfectly fine O/U
Enjoy it.

I just ordered the Hang Tag/4 page owners manual. Thanks for the input and help it all has been helpful.

Ron

Update:

I took the butt stock off and cleaned and oiled/greased the internals all appear to be very low miles and functioning properly. I also relieved a bit of wood where it appeared to be making contact with the action from oil swell.

I shot about 35 rounds through it yesterday without a flaw. Broke several clay pigeons roughly 22/25 and double tapped several. Used my ground thrower out in the desert. It is a great shotgun.

Thanks again for all the help.

Ron

IIRC one barrel patterned about 18 inches high (center of pattern 18" above the point of aim, that is) and the 2nd was centered about a foot lower.