Recently I saw a nice old slender light weight little bolt action on the used gun rack at a local gun store.

It was a Savage 1920 in .300 Savage. It was in decent condition considering it's probable age. Though it did have 4 screw holes on the left side of the reciever for some type of side mount scope base (which was now gone).

So my question to you guys is, do you have one? what do you think of them? what are they worth? any information would be appreciated.

I've got one, don't think it saw the actual forest much. Haven't even shot it but it looks nice, haha.

The 4 holes on the side of the receiver are probbly for a Weaver N2 or N3 scope mount, which means it's been D&T'd and not by the factory which means depending on condition it just came down to about $400-$500.

Got one in 250-3000, love the feel of it. Awesome early little featherweight bolt actions. Getting one in 300 Savage is on my list eventually.

Favourite 250 Savage in my meager collection.

Thanks for the feed back so far! Especially you Mad Dog, about the scope mount that may have been on it.

The price on this one is $490, + tax + background check fee, probably $550-560 out the door. If it had not been drilled and tapped maybe, but seems a tad high, maybe I'll see if they will take a bit less.

I would like to keep it a light weight hiking rifle with a peep sight or maybe....... a compact 4X Leupold scope at the max.

What make & model peep sights were made for the Savage 1920?

A Lyman 54 was fitted on the bolt on the later 1920/26 version. These sights can cost you the same as a Leupold.

Nice looking rifle.

There were a few peeps. Here is one I have (that is gathering dust here):

Here's a Marbles mounted on a 1920

I think thats the first time I've ever actually seen an S20 mounted on a 1920.

I've got one here as well, looks brand new.

I don't think $490 is to far off on the price, $450 would be better.

They are great rifles, and if the price is right I wouldn't mind finding one that had been drilled and tapped. Nice ones--even with extra holes--don't come along too often.

Rod

me too

I believe Ralph has a beauty on up Gunbroker:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=271815663

That is a nice one. I often get hung up on my memories of being able to buy nice ones like that for far less. I get sticker shock easy ("what, a candy bar isn't a nickel anymore"? )

Ralph's has a peep and a standard rear sight....I was lead to believe one or the other...not both. Interesting...I would love to find out the situation on his rifle. I have a 1920 with rear iron sight and the holes for the lyman...but as I have whined about before, no lyman. I am selling that 1920 but I first need to find out what a decent price would be....regardless, I would love to hear Ralph's story!

Ralph is a salesman... he will tell you whatever story will get you to drop the $2000 or whatever he wants for it... he likely found the peep at a gun show for $15 and put in the rifle...

Back when that gun was made, they would have groused about a candy bar costing a nickel!

That is about the most honest 1920 I've seen come down the pike in a while. When you consider what Lyman 54's are fetching these days, the price looks better.

As an aside, does anybody have an idea why Savage discontinued the 1920 when they did? That model was on its way out as the Winchester 54 was revving up, and I always thought it should have been a strong competitor to the 54. The success of the 54, and the 70 which followed it points out to me that Savage missed the boat on that one. A capital investment in the late 20's to beef up the Mauser-style product line (ie: the 1920 and whatever its progeny would have been), to enable them to compete strongly side-by-side with their lever action line, would have been doable during that brief era of easy capital (prior to 10/25/29).

Instead, they put their bolt action apples in the Model 40/45 Sporter basket. What a dumb decision. It threw them into a distant runner-up position against Winchester (and Remington) that took them about three decades to close. Even then the 110 had an uphill battle against the other two that took another couple of decades to put to rights (if it ever truly did).

Just some thoughts to throw out there.

Jack, those early 1920's didn't come standard with the Lyman 54. That one was added after the fact (a really common practice), hence the barrel sight being present. (Although you would have to remove one or the other to shoot the rifle, and probably add a taller front sight to accommodate the 54 which would crap out the barrel sight's usefulness.)

I'm trying to remember the ins and outs of Mauser suing Savage for patent infringement regarding the fine shortened, "Mauser style" action found on the rifle. I'm thinking that was an outcome of being sued - they discontinued the rifle, but can't recall for sure. Gary - feeling a bit lonely this weekend? Saying you have one you want to sell should get you some PM attention

Not me! Not selling my 1920!! (Although I am feeling a bit bluesy today. )

Wait a minute, I never heard of Mauser suing Savage over patent infringement. I was under the impression that the First World War negated any such shenanigans, but maybe I'm thinking of the famous M1903 Springfield patent infringement case which forced Uncle Sam to pay a royalty to Mauser. If patent challenges were still being batted around, how did Winchester and Remington get around it?

Oops, sorry, it is fatjack who is selling his M1920. It sounds like if I inadvertantly caused some pm's to come your way, they won't be wasted I'll bet Gene will know about the patent infringement issue.

Whatever the reason it was phased out, in my opinion the 1920 was a brief shining star in Savage's covenant. The bolt guns that Savage followed it up with were poor contenders to the throne. Thank God they stood behind their 99!

Long live the 99!

As everyone has stated this is a great rifle. If it's already drilled and tapped I would still consider getting it for the price you mention (you can always try to get the price down). This will save you the problem when your eyes start going bad of having the option to mount a scope. If the bore is good and no other problems exist you will not be disappointed.

It's well balanced, really nice rifle to shoot off hand, fits like a glove. It has what I guess you call a controlled round feed system. I have the 300, I'm keeping my eyes out for the 250.

I am still trying to fully understand patent laws - I do know that US patents are only good for 17 years so there would have not have been any patent issues with the Mauser design unless they copied improvements that were patented later. There are some exceptions to the 17 year time frame but all seem to only reduce it.

Even if a patent were granted for something, if it can be proven that the design was used by someone earlier, or was patented earlier, then the patent, or that part of a patent, does not apply - this is what occured when Marlin sued Savage for patent infringment on the Savage 1903 pump. There were only a couple issues with the 1903 that Marlin though were covered by patents on their lever action 22's (take-down feature was one). Savage's lawyer found similar designs earlier than than Marlins and finally won the case on appleal in 1906. (Ever wonder why the patent for the 1903, applied for in 1901, was not issued until 1906???) (PS - the take-down feature was in an earlier patent by Bennett assigned to Winchester)

I'm kinda thinking the depression and a rifle that cost almost $60 at that time was the problem. The model 40 and 45's were quite a bit cheaper, in more ways then one !!! Don

Granted, Don. The Sporter/Super Sporter was kind of like the red headed step-child, but did fill a niche. My point though is that Winchester succeeded in keeping the 54, and then the 70, alive through the Depression, so there was obviously a market for quality Mauser-style bolt actions. Rifle loonies then as now would skimp and save so they could have what they perceived as the best rifle available. I know if I were alive back then I would've sold my daughters into a New Orleans cat house in order to have the money for a M54/70/99. (And they wonder why I never had kids!! )

Ralph Is the great guy. He stayed with me at Savage fest 2007 at Jed's. Yes he is a salesman, and that's ok. But he knows people, and is a real fun guy to hang with...!!! Just sayin'...!!!


Mike...!!!

Does anyone have a copy of the book, "The Bolt Action" by Stuart Otteson?
Does the author state any unusual information in the chapter on the M1920? Is the book worth picking up?
Also what's the going rate for Lyman #54 sights lately?