I have say I appreciate Fireball2's perspective on late production 99s and the 110. This got me thinking that there are other models made by Savage (meaning pre-mil guns) that are languishing as topics of discussion.

As prices of 99s go up, and the 1920 rapidly becoming unobtainium, I find myself looking at Savage's other offerings. For instance, I have always appreciated the 40/45 Super Sporter series and find my .30-06 a solid little package. I too keep my eye open for the 19/22/23A/23AA rifles and hope to score a Model 22 soon. I guess it's their one piece construction that fascinates me.

Having said the above, there certainly has to be other Savages that Forum members find interesting which could stand a little more attention. If you got the time it would be great hearing what other Savage you find interesting and worth shooting.

At one time I had the full set of Model 40/45s but all but the 30/30 have gone down the road. I kind of wish I still had them, old Savage's are increasing in value these days.

One of my favorite Savage's these days are the 1905/1917 pistols. I bought a few of them years back and they are fun to drag out of the cabinet.

The other favorite is one many do not think of. An SMLE No 4 MKI is probably my current favorite "Savage". I shoot it pretty regularly at the range and am seriously thinking of taking it to a vintage military rifle shoot.

These are my favorite "other" Savages- at least at this moment.

I had a really cool Savage sawed off 12 gauge pump that would slam fire on closing, that was exciting.

that would get your attention !

The 101's are the "next big thing".

The Savage made Enfield is interesting. Not totally Savage but real close, the Stevens 414 is another one that may come home with me some day. That is if I can find one at the right price.

I always thought I would like to find an old Savage over,and under in 12 gauge-222. It would make a fine turkey buster ..

I have to add Savage's over under shotguns of the pre-war period. I'd like to find a 20-guage. I've never seen one show up at a local gun show, but on occasion they get listed on auction sites. As long as I'm rambling on I'm still kicking myself for passing on the 175 - buck 340 in .222. In that case it was the cartridge that caught my interest first, being chambered in a Savage rifle was just a plus.

Those Finnish Savage o/u shotguns aren't really Savages though are they? Very light guns.

It's the model 420 I'm referring to. I think they were made between the late 20s and WWII. At least I know the 420 didn't make it back into the Savage catalog after the war.

This is a Savagestein:

Never really been all that "turned on" by the "other than 99* Savage offerings, but some of them are a bit interesting.

At the top of the list is the Savage 45 rifles. I obtained one of these (in .30-06 chambering) in a trade more than 30 years ago and my brother claimed it for his main deer rifle. he still uses that rifle to this day. It is a good looking rifle with a very nice stock design, It is not as strong an action as the offerings from Winchester (Model 54)/Remington (Model 30S) of that time, but in the 1920's it was a worthy competitor.

I always kind of like the Savage pistols (Model 1907, 15 and 17) and if you could find one of the .45 ACP models of the 1907 that were tested along with the 1911....you would have a rare piece of history.

The O/U Model 24 combo guns were always unique among American firearms and very useful and interesting. I can not think of a better "meat" gun than the Model 24.

The Model 340 bolt guns were a fine example of a low-cost way to get a deer (.30-30) of varmit (.222) rifle with the least output of cash.

I always liked another Savage model that is so often overlooked.....the pump-action Model 170. Chambered in .30-30 and .35 Remington, these rifles offered a fast action, close range option to the finer finished, but much more expensive Remington pump guns.

Perhaps the most used and overlooked offering from Savage/Stevens is the Model 311 shotgun. This gun had several model numbers over the years, but all were basically the same. While not as finely finished or balanced as the Parker, L.C Smith or A.H. Fox, it was a very strong action and allowed many to shoot an American-made double shotgun at a reasonable price. There is no way to know how many train-loads of game were taken with inexpensive Savage/Stevens doubles.

Generally speaking, you will not find really fine made firearms produced with the Savage name (other that 99's), but these firearms are a snap-shot of the guns used by the "average" shooter to put meat on the table......and are thus interesting in their own right.

I went to a small show today, and my father sold a like new 16 gauge Fox model B there. I think that was actually part of the Savage lineup at the time it was produced. It was a very nice shotgun, but not my cup of tea, or I'd have bought it.

It seemed to command a lot of interest.

I consider the Savage imported guns, O/U double shotguns and combination guns "all Savage." Savage just realized that they could find guns that had all the Savage virtues (value, reliability, interesting innovations) made by another manufacturer of equal repute, and commissioned them. I wouldn't kick my Canadian-made Savage Model 93 "Classic" .22 WRM out of the safe, either, for the same reasons.

In the same way that the Brits found Savage an ideal manufacturer for one of their needed weapons that they didn't have the capacity to produce in sufficient quantity, so they commissioned the SMLE's from Savage.

About the only Savage cited in this I don't much like is the 101. However, it HAS all the Savage virtues I mentioned above.

Frankly I think the so called "average shooter" guns, such as made by Savage, to be very interesting and much more relevant to my personal history. While I appreciate the upper end firearms such as highly engraved 99s and their contemporaries, they really do not represent me nor the folks I came from and therefore have only an abstract appeal. But maybe more so than that the "other than 99" Savages provide opportunities to collect and shoot firearms from one of our Country's finest firearms maker that simply don't break the bank. Having said that I appreciate my Super Sporter (now thinking I may also need a .30-30 and .250-3000) and the 19/23/1933 series far more than a "Super Grade" anything else.

Hmmm, having read the above I might need to find a 170 in 35 Remington too...