I recently bought a Savage Sporter 25-20 with a long "unmarked,unstamped" clip that came with it.
Thinking it wasn't the right clip, I bought another clip on line that is stamped on the bottom: 23 B-C 25-20 or 35-20. But the clip that is stamped with two calibers will not fit into the gun. My gun will only take a clip no longer than the 25-20 round. Hoping someone can tell me which model Savage Sporter I have.

Thank you,
Savage99F358

I'm not an expert on much of anything, but have a couple of 23s. There may be variations I don't know about, but the main two I DO know about are the earlier one with a manual cocking piece on the bolt like a Krag or an '03, and the later one with the "speedlock action" that has no manual cocking piece. There are other differences, but those are the easy ways to distinguish between the two models.

As far as I know, the first model uses a clip that has no external clip release; you grip the bottom of the clip at the stamped-in serrations and push forward and pull down. Mine all have the dual caliber stamping you mention on your second clip, too, tho, and are marked "Sporter".

The later models have a clip that is closer to being flush with the floorplate (shorter top-to-bottom) and releases with an external release that you pull back like many .22 clip repeaters. Those clips also have the two-caliber stamping, or at least mine do.

Your unmarked first clip seems to me likely to be aftermarket. The ones I've seen for the first model Sporter don't have the gripping serrations ("checkering"? "bumps"?); you just grab the bottom and push and pull 'em out. Sounds like that is your first clip. Some feed. Some don't.

If the second clip is longer front-to-back than the first, I'm not sure I can identify it, unless it is a 23D clip for the .22 Hornet (longer than the "20 Twins"). In that case I don't know how it got marked the way it is. Maybe somebody mixed and matched a 23B-C floorplate onto the 23D clip body??? Not sure that could be done, but there is a lot of "experimenting" on these old guns by "Bubba the Scientist."

Pictures would help, and maybe somebody more experienced can chime in.

The only thing I would add to what Mesa has said is the early magazine with the chesse grater appearance, serrations, piercings, whatever they are, has a round nose profile on the front. The later ones are rectangular. The magazine opening in the bottom of the rifle is profiled accordingly so you can tell by that what shape your rifle will take.

Here is a photo to show what I have..............

So how about a picture of the bottom of the rifle?

Will these pictures of the Savage Sporter help?????????






Savage99F358

The mag you purchased is for a later rifle the mag that came with your rifle is an aftermarket.

ctw

So do I need to buy a clip with the "checkering" or "bumps" at the bottom to fit my gun?
Is my gun a Savage 23B?

Savage99F358

Yes the B&C clips are interchangeable.

The checkering (or bumps) only makes the clip easier to grab; no other function that I can see. So your aftermarket clip is for the rifle you have. Does it fit in and seat? Will it feed cartridges into the chamber? As I said, some do, some don't.

Your "Sporter" looks to be in very nice condition!!!!

Yes, a 23B. Nice looking rifle.