Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Cody Museum Visit - with talk with archivists

Here it is.

https://codyfirearmsexperience.com/

Calhoun, very interesting post thank you.

I am interested in Savage production during 1940/44, At one point an order was place by Britain for .22 Automatic Rifles. In the end this order was cancelled. I believe these may have been Model 6 rifles. Would the records for these be in a separate ledger and did you notice if Cody has the records for any Savage .22 rifles during the period 1940/44. Finally, did the rimfire rifles have their own serial number range compared to center fire rifles. Many thanks.

Regards

Alan

Alan, There are no known records of 22 caliber rifle production after about 1933 and the Model 6's were not serial numbered. Here is a link to what models and serial numbers are available - centerofthewest.org/SerialNumberRanges_Sav

I've come to the conclusion that the Savage Model 6 and many other models were made at the Steven's plant and few records from that plant seem to exist. Some Savage 22's had serial numbers and I think these are the models that were made at the Savage plant and the ones without serial numbers were made at the Stevens plant. Stevens did not serial number their lower priced rimfire rifles even before Savage acquired the company. The Savage Model 29-A's were serial numbered until the move of all production to the Steven's plant, the last 29-A's & all 29-B's are not serial numbered. I don't know the reason for this, it might just have been the different management or possibly some state requirement for guns made in New York.

Yeah... what he said.

We actually discussed World War 2 production a bit while I was there, and most of what they have for the war years are just shipping invoices. So even if there is a ledger for models with serial numbers, they don't have who a gun was sold to or where it was shipped. Just a ship date.

Thanks Guys

This helps clarify things for me.

Regards

AlanD

The Savage auto was #6 (tube feed) and #7 (box mag...clip)
The Steven's auto was #87 (tube feed) and #58 (box mag...clip)

Not many of the #7's made and even fewer #58's.

You might Google the Steven's Springfield 87M. It was military in looks but I'm not sure if it was within your dates.

Never say never on whether there may be sales numbers out there for 22 models.

Just.. don't rule it out.

I’m at the museum this morning. Went through the firearms part yesterday…doing the Wm. F. Cody and Western Art parts today.
I’ll have to say that I was a bit disappointed in the firearms part…they have plenty of nice and interesting guns to see but there’s not much rhyme or reason to how they have them displayed…they’re just there. But…worth seeing, just could be presented better. And, yes, the Savages are in the basement but there’s also several scattered out on the main floor. Glad I went…but except for seeing guns owned by famous people…I’ve seen more and better guns at a big gun show.

We took a paid tour, and there is a logic to the layout if you follow a specific route through the displays.. but it wasn't obvious to me as I just walked through. Even after taking the tour, I'd get turned around inside of the maze when walking through by myself. They need to print a map, or put up better signs.

I agree that I think it's worthwhile. Just not what it could be, imho. If you are a Winchester fan, your opinion of it will be better.

I visited Cody and the museum last November, great town and museum!

I had a trip to Cody and the McCracken center a few years ago to look at the Winchester archive in connection with my research into small arms and ammunition supplied by US company's to the United Kingdom in the two World Wars. Since my visit the Ithaca and Savage shipping ledgers have arrived at Cody, so I will need to go back and look into these shipments.

My visit was prior to the refurbishment of the museum but I was impressed by the way they had as many guns available downstairs in the custom made rack or draws system. So many museums have 90% of their gun collection unavailable for viewing.

The highlight of the trip for me, other than spending 3 days in the McCracken center was staying in the Irma Hotel and enjoying the $2 a beer happy hour and talking guns with Cody locals. Also the trip I made in a rental car to Cook City in Montana where I enjoyed a sloppy Joe and fries. On my return to Cody i just avoided colliding with a White Tail deer who wanted to use the bridge I was about to drive over, luckily the deer had quicker reactions than me.

Regards

Alan

thanks Calhoun for all the info,, I dearly wish i had gotten letters years ago.

norm