I have a Savage 24 in .22LR/20 gauge. My dad built a deck for our pastor when I was a kid in exchange for the gun. He wanted it because his FIL had a Model 24 in the same caliber/gauge and he loved it. Only difference is mine has the release on the tang and my grandfathers has it on the side.
Seems nearly impossible to find another one with a release on the side of the action in a .22LR/20 gauge around here. The phrase "scarce as hen's teeth" has been used a few times. Most guys I talk to don't even know that they were made with a release on the side instead of tang.
SS
The side-release 24s were a less expensive style than the top release and since they were all pretty inexpensive, more people opted to pay a little more for the top-release styles that often had pressed checkering too. Late in the production run that was also a 24 with a barrel latch release in the front of the trigger guard.
