Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Huge disappointment with 1920/26

Just received a rifle advertised as a 1920/26 in 250-3000 that I was really looking forward to. I should have edumacated myself more on these before taking the plunge. Turns out it is a 1920 receiver and stock - although the stock and butt plate are numbered about 9000 numbers higher than the receiver - mated to a 24-inch Chicopee Falls barrel. That makes the barrel post 1946, correct? Its a beautiful dang thing with a Lyman 54 peep but not original. Now I have to deal with the seller. Not how I wanted to spend the holiday weekend.

That is not the original barrel.

Should have an integrated front sight and a Utica address. And a 20/26 would not have dovetail for a rear sight.

That is a pieces parts gun.

Edit: If memory serves me I seem to recall that Jeff had mentioned that at the very end of production there may may been some barrels with the raised ramp front sight produced. I have never seen one or heard tell of one, but I certainly would not question his expertise on any matter concerning a 1920 or 20/26.

I am a bottom feeder, and I no longer own a 250/3000.

I want one of these rifles.

Let minnow if it is 4 sale!

I’d wait to hear what some of the more we’ll healed members here have to say before you let your weekend get ruined. I’m not sure what to make of the serial numbers but I’d say that guns made with the 54 probably were not dovetailed for a rear sight on the barrel. That could be a 99 barrel, which as far as I can tell were the same barrels used for the 1920 and 20/26, but just machined differently to fit their respective rifles. But regardless, let some of the other guys jump in before you make a final decision on what you have.

Thanks guys. I'll wait. I am wondering if this rifle could have been sent to Savage to be repaired and they installed the barrel? Serial number is 1474 and number on the stock and butt plate is 10715. I paid not insignificant money for it so if it is something someone frakensteined together then I don't know.........? However, whoever did the work was very very good. More photos.

Even if not all original, that is a sweet little rifle

I doubt a Chicopee Falls EG or R barrel profile would fit in a 1920 barrel channel, so I’d guess a factory replacement.

It’s not uncommon for stock serial numbers to differ from the receiver, in fact it’s probably the norm. But not off by 9,000.

Wait for 260Remguy, but it’s definitely not standard factory issue.

I'd say it has a 1920 stock and bolt. But I'd also say what Mr. Billu said above!

The serial number on the receiver is very early, as the serial numbers started at 1000.

The serial numbers on the stock and buttplate SHOULD be from a 20/26, as the change from 1920 to 20/26 occurred around 10500, but the stock and buttplate are 1920 style, not 20/26 style. I would guess that they were production over-runs that were already on the warehouse shelf before the 20/26 redesign was adopted.

The barrel is a replacement. Production of the 1920s and 20/26s ended long before Savage left Utica for Chicopee Falls in 1947. The original barrel installed on that receiver would have been a 22" featherweight barrel with a short integral base for a pinned front sight blade.

Bottom line is that this is a non-original parts gun, a shooter, not a collector.

I appreciate the replies. It is a potentially sweet little shooter. What would a WAG of value be if I wanted to make an offer to the seller? I know this is hard without handling the rifle in person. I paid a grand for it when I thought it was original. Might just be best to get my money back and look for an unmolested example. Thanks again.

$600 if I wanted a shooter.

If the seller represented it as being in its original/factory configuration, he/she was wrong.

IIRC, there is a picture of a rifle that looks a lot like your's in Frank DeHaas's Bolt Action Rifle Book in the chapter on the 1920.

260Remguy - Given the rifle in question, could it have been built at the factory with the mix of parts you mentioned and then sent back to the factory at a later date for a new barrel, even possibly a change in caliber? Of course on the other end of the spectrum I guess it could have been a total parts build that was executed by someone with good skill and taste. It is a nice looking bolt gun and, if it were me, I’d be inclined to get a factory letter in it just to help solve some of the mystery.

Never say never when it comes to Savages, but the three primary components of your rifle are way out of sync.

The receiver is very early, so probably made in 1919 or early 1920.

The stock and buttplate are in the 1920 configuration, but the serial number is in the 20/26 range that starts at approximately 10500. That suggests to me that they were made in anticipation of sales that never materialized and were already in the components warehouse when the decision to reconfigure the 1920 into the 20/26 happened in late 1925 or early 1926. The change went into effect in mid-1926.

The barrel is obviously at least 25 years newer than the action, as the entire 1920 and 20/26 series were made in Utica.

The serial number make it too early to be a 300 Savage, so if must have originally been a 250-3000 with a 22" featherweight barrel.

A factory letter should tell you when it was accepted for shipping to the original buyer and it might tell you that it had been shipped back for a stock replacement and a barrel replacement, but probably not.

The barrel looks like a post-WW2 99EG or 99R configuration to me.

I don't think that there is any mystery involving this rifle other than who put it together, why it was put together, and when it was put together. Heck, I have enough parts to put together a few myself if the mood moved me.

If it was represented to you as being correct and original, it just isn't either of those things.

Yes, it was sold to me as a genuine 1920/26. I think the seller was seeing the 24-inch barrel and Lyman sight and not looking at the serial number, bolt, or stock. I should have seen these things as well. He has agreed to take it back and refund my money. The question is should I offer him (a-lot) less and keep it as a shooter? The rifle is a nice bit of kit; shoulders very well, it has the Lyman sight, and, as pointed out by a forum member in a PM, the newer barrel will probably stabilize longer, larger, modern bullets.

A Chicopee Falls barrel will have the same 1 in 14” twist as the original barrel. Change to 1 in 10” twist didn’t happen until 1960.

Jaaack,

Thanks. That does help with the decision.

John

I would offer the seller $600 and ask for a refund of the difference between that and what you paid for it. If he wants more than $600, I'd ask for a full refund and keep looking for an original/correct 20/26.

Savage kept making 250-3000s with a 1-14" ROT until they moved to Westfield, MA., and changed the 99s from a lever safety to tang safety style with "V" threaded barrels replacing square threaded barrels. Savage may have made 250-3000 barrels in that configuration with a faster ROT, but if they did, they were never cataloged as such. If you measure the ROT will the quick/easy cleaning rod method I think that you'll find that the ROT is closer to 1-14" than 1-10"

EDIT: AFAIK, the only Savage 99s chambered in 250-3000 with 24" barrels that were made and cataloged with a 1-10" ROT were the nearly impossible to find Westfield built 99DLs. Those barrels had a light contour and featured a barrel boss dovetailed for an open rear sight, During the decades that I've been interested in Savage 99s I can only recall seeing two 99DL chambered in 250-3000.

What 260Remguy said above about offering $600.00 and asking for a full refund if the seller isn’t interested sounds like good advice to me. And, on the lighter side of things, if you end up keeping it I would refer to the rifle as your “custom” 1920 as it is a cut above what most guys refer to as shooters and it appears to reflect someone’s effort to build a nice rifle. If you do keep it be sure to get a letter and to follow up on this thread with a new post on what you found out.


PS - what the heck, I’ll throw this out there. I don’t know how this could be verified but wouldn’t it be a hoot if the rifle turned out to be “lunch box build” by some Savage employee. I’ve seen pictures of nicely built Winchester 94s that had parts from different time periods that turned out to be “lunch box” guns.

Quite likely the seller believed it to be original and did not misrepresent the gun purposely.

He probably doesn't have the same resources of information that you do JohnL.

I have no doubt it was an honest mistake. I will get a letter if he accepts my offer. Thanks guys!