Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Newton Arms Co./ Savage connection

Just thought this would be interesting reading to some here.As we know Newton developed the 22hp and 250-3000 cartridge which savage produced.
I have a 256 Newton rifle and was doing some research on the Newton Arms company.As it turned outseveral of Newtons employees were from Savage arms company a couple hundred miles down the road.I notice the stock and checkering are very similar to the savage model 20.They even had an engraver that came from savage.
To read article, just google Newton armscompany.com
Doug

Yes, that generation of gun-makers, up and down the Connecticut and Mohawk river valleys must have all been borrowing from each other in some way (..they were probably all intermarried). Gun R&D must have been quite a lively arena to work in from 1870 to 1920!

I have a first version 256 Newton rifle too (rechambered for 270), and there are undeniable visual similarities to the model 20, which must have come onto the market just after Newton's efforts all went bust (1914,15,16).

There is at least one model 20 in 256 newton out there... it was for sale on GB not that long ago as I recall... Or local model 20 expert has not been around for a while but recall him mentioning these along with some others chambered for 7x57...

Thanks Doug for the info, any chance of you posting a pic of your Newton rifle?

no John; sorry, Im a meathead[dead from the shoulders up]when it comes to computers.It's funny though the three-point checkering looks the same as a savage 99 and the sleekness and narrow stock look like the model 20 savage.
What got my attention was that one of the engravers was from Savage and went back to Savage.Whether he engraved savages or not I do not know.

Drew;
I recall reading somewhere, that there were extra 256 newton barrels that were sold after Newton went bankrupt in Buffalo and sold out to another outfit.Can't remember the details.

There's 2 I Know Of in 256Newt. The one you mentioned and the other resides in Illinois.

here's my Newton rifle (now a 270). With the butt extension removed, and 1" pad replaced, gives a 13-1/4" LOP..very comfortable stock. I've never shouldered a savage model 20

Awhile back I handled a amatuer custom Springfield 03 and
the barrel was stamped 256, didnt see any other markings on it.

Nice looking rifle Jeff!

Let's not forget the Newton/Ross connection. Newton "borrowed" Sir Charles multi-lug front locking bolthead. Look at a Weatherby Mark V bolt head and look at a Ross bolt head - you will see a great deal of similarity. Ross was way ahead of his time and Newton capitalized on it.

Good point! And I believe winchester and savage learned from Newton [winchester- the model 54,70][savage-22hp,250-3000, and perhaps the model 20].
Alot of interrelated stuff went on between gun companies back in the late 1800's and early 1900's.Some in public,some in private, and some in other ways if you know what I mean.

For Newton's last project he was working with Marlin. The 'Lever Bolt' was a straight pull design and there was at least one prototype made. A picture of an original prototype and some short history is included in Brophy's book on Marlin. Newton died March 9, 1932 in New Haven, Connecticut so this was possibly his last project.

This last design of his seems to have been revived from what I can gather here - Lever Bolt

There was aleast one catalog put out and copies are avalable catalog

I think Bruce Jennings had the leverbolt rifle in his collection and then his daughter had it up for sale (for a very high price) after his death.