Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Savage lever rifles made for Canada?

1) No longer cartridges for 1895 or 1899. 1895's were all 303 Savage, 1899's were 303 Savage, 30-30, 25-35, 32-40, 38-55, 22HP, 250-3000.

2) The Montreal Home Guard muskets were all 303 Savage.

3) Didn't happen. Savage did do a single transition 1899 musket that's believed to be in 30-40 Krag, the receiver is longer, the breech and bolt are longer, the receiver is wider, etc. Never commercially sold, to the best of anybody's knowledge.

Most of this is in David Royal's book, with great pictures of the guns to go along with it.

The Canadians wanted the Montreal Home Guard musket chambered in .303 British but it would have taken longer to get into production and because of the exigencies of war they couldn't wait. The revisions would have cost more also. I don't think the 1899 action would have accomodated the British cartridge without making the receiver longer. The MHG musket is covered in detail in my book. I handled and photographed the factory's 1892 prototype also. The factory people didn't know much about it but it is probably chambered in 30/40 Krag. It is also included in my book. David

I think there were 2 or 3 longer actions produced in .30-06. I think they surfaced when the R&D's were sold off in the 70's. I don't know when they were actually made.

To clarify, the Canadian rifles were not purchased by the Canadian Gov.

Were they purchased individually by The Montreal Home Guard, or did the outfit buy them and issue them to the guys?

By a forum member a while ago...
http://www.savageshooters.com/content.php?111-The-Montreal-Home-Guard

Thanks, Rick. Mad Dog really is good for more than spreading blacktop, isn't he?!

I don't think the bayonets were numbered to the rifle. I don't remember mine being numbered at all. Will have to check.

Also, I have rack numbers 1002 and 1015 in my data. The rack/customer number was assigned when they joined so rack numbers would not indicate how many Savage muskets were produced. The total production falls within about a 9000 serial number spread. The stated aprox 800 rifles is probably about right. I was told by Joe Salter (US/Canadian arms dealer) that rifles by other manufactures had turned up with these rack numbers on them and were suspected of being part of the MHG guns..

Many thanks, guys, for the clarity of your replies.

I believe the 1892-93 muskets were built in 30-40 (the one Row Clark was in 30-40 he though) at lease one was in 32-20

The Montreal Home Guard muskets were paid for by the individuals them self. The total # as counted from the records by Bob Greenleaf a long time employee at Savage (he also ran the bluing department at Savage for many years) was 850 some were embellish by a jeweler in Canada.

The 1895 musket and rifle came in 303 Savage but could be special ordered in 30-30 W.C.F so say the factory records.

At least two 99's were built in 30-06 as R&D guns and were in single shot I have held the two different guns.

Fug, Here is some information that I have from Roe in regards to his 1892.






Blair

The artical states that there were two 1892's. Roe had the partial rifle. Was the other rifle the one that went through the Julia action? If one sold, where is the other?

Thanks for posting, Blair.

There is one 1892 at the Savage factory. Charlotte photographed it for my book. The March 2013 Julia auction had Savage #1, a Martini that Arthur Savage converted into a repeater with a 4? shot magazine. I was lucky enough to be there and photograph it for my book. I don't know who bought it. An 1892 may have sold at another Julia auction. Ron Coburn told me that he worked really hard to bring the prototypes back to the factory while he was CEO. David

Pretty sure i have seen the martini number 1 in a collection not to far from N.H.