Found this little beauty at Cabela's in Hamburg, PA yesterday. Almost pristine condition, including original magazine.

I thought the 23AA's had checkering. Sure looks nice.

I had my grandfather's 23AA for many years (brother has it now); no checkering.

Will Stevens 416 clips fit a 23AA?

The butt plate and the butt stock both have only four digits and they are the first four digits of the six digit serial number on the receiver.........

I believe it came with checkering on the deluxe model.

I have a 23A & I thought the 23AA IS the deluxe model. Guess
I'd better do some reading. Sorry

I am far from being a Savage expert, or on any rifle for that matter, so don't go by me!!!

I collected 1919s, 1921s, 23A, 23AA and 19s for years. You have a 23 A not AA. The AA had a speedlock, was checkered and a win/rem style magazine.

The 23 A, if the bore is mint, is a great shooter. The only thing to be VERY careful of is taking it afield with a loaded magazine in the rifle. They are easy to knock loose and lose and are virtually irreplacable.

Std velocity ammo only. Don't drill any holes in it!

I could tell you about my one off factory experimental 44-40 23.
A real tack driver. Sold the whole collection when I left NY, really nice rifles with many variations.

Strange, the receiver is very clearly marked "Model 23AA".

BTW: The magazine is marked Savage and underneath that it says Mod 23AA and Mod 1933NRA.

My limited experience with Savage rifles is that nothing is written in stone.

I had a 23 and a 23AA(so marked), neither had checkering on the stocks.

Nothing is ever simple when collecting Savage.

1)the 23A changed to the 23AA in 1933 at around 127,000.
2)in 1933 the magazine was changed to the new style.
3)in 1934 the speed bolt was added.
4)the 23AA was not checkered as a standard, though a few years after introduction checkering was offered as an option.
5)around 1936 an extra rear sight hole was added for use of the new #15.
6)around 1936 they were D&T'ed for the Weaver "S" (later "T") side mount. (Edit: this is two holes, only. If it has four holes it is for the Weaver "N" and added after WWII).
7)I don't think any were D&T'ed as a standard for a receiver sight (Lyman 42 or 56).

...and I'm still learning.

Njretcop, what is the serial range of your rifle? If a low number (close to 127,000) it is probably correct. If a later number the bolt might have been replaced.

Yes, the 416 magazine is the same.

I think that any of the Savage box magazines that look like the one used in the 23AA will work. The style was used for a long time.

So there!

128356

The rifle pictured is a 23A. The AA had no snabel (spelled wrong) foreend, no button on the bottom of the magazine and no big "springfield 03" type striker knob.

Here is some good pics of a 23AA to illustrate the differences:

http://www.gunsamerica.com/95209474...Model_23AA_22_cal_bolt_action_Rifle.htm#

(sadly butchered with weaver mounts)

On the 1919, 1922 and 23A, B & C the serial # may be found stamped on the rear of the receiver where the bolt is inserted (around the hole where the bolt is inserted) or on the receiver side.

The model 19 target rifle made in 22 LR share the same components as the 23AA. The 19 Hornet and 23 D (hornet) also share components.

There was a 19 L 22 RF target that came with a Lyman 48 sight
There was also a 19 M heavy bbl 22 RF target model (very rare)

The rarest was the 1922 sporter only made one year.

The most variations exist in the 1919 NRA which had at least 4 variants including a 22 short only model. Bought one NIB (wood crate) at the Syracuse gun show 30 years ago for the then huge sum of $400.

Can't own em' all and sold off that collection and all the original catalogs from 1919 to the end of 23s/19s, when I got the 03' bug (pre WW I military and R.F. Sedgley sporters).

If anyone cares, Brownells makes an undrilled rail for a tip off rings that fits the Savage receiver contour. It can be drilled to allow mounting a scope using the factory holes (the small one in the back is a weird 44 thread as I recall). Except for the 19s and 23AAs no rifles were factory drilled for scopes unless you have a factory letter to support them. Although a "cheap" rifle there were many special order ones done. I had a 23 B 25-20 made for a local official that had a blue job on it that blinded you and a piece of 4X walnut to die for.

Great rifles that still hold their own today!

this a picture of the two sAvage 23's I have. The bottom one is the 23 AA with the newer type mag, both have snabole for end's. Top one is a 23 with old type mage with button on it. Sorry I got them mixed up.Top one is the 23AA. I sold both of them at the Boise gun show last month. [img:center][/img]

My rifle looks exactly like the one you posted from Guns America............

The top of my rifle is factory drilled/tapped for a Lyman sight.

128356...Savage was selling 2000-3000 of the 23A/23AA at that time so I would say your rifle is a 1933 production and totally correct.

This is from a 1934 parts catalog, the 23AA is not in the 1933 catalog.

oldman1942.. this is a learning moment. The receiver is stamped with 23AA, and yet you say it isn't. Rick99 and GeneB both agree it's a 23AA..


Time to revise some of what you thought you knew. I have to do it all the time with 99's.

Can't remember my grandfather's 23AA serial number (have to ask my bro) but it has a schnabel forend, the "new" style flush magazine with no grasping knob, and the speedlock action with no cocking knob, and no checkering. When last seen, my bro had all three of the original mags for it.

Why "standard velocity ammo only" in any of the "Sporter" or 23 series? These guns with essentially the same action handled the hottest .32-20 and .25-20 factory loads that were marked "Not for Revolvers or Winchester 1873 Rifles" just fine. And later, they could handle .22 Hornet OK, if you stuck to factory pressures. My brother's has et Win High Speed hollow points all its long life with no ill effects (except to ground squirrels and jackrabbits....). It came with a Lyman peep sight, but the stock had to be cut a little to fit it, so I don't think it was factory.

I first thought it was a 23A when I saw the picture, the bolt looks like a 23A bolt (and I still think it might be) but I noticed the magazine catch and it's position - it's for the curved magazine. In the picture Chip posted you can see the difference in the magazines clearer, also it looks like the bolts are different - look at the rear knobs.

Does the older 23A bolt interchange with the newer 23AA?

Gene

I tried swapping bolts...no can do. The parts in the bolt look similar but are different. It might be that the end of the early 23AA firing pin might have been machined to accept the knob on the back of the bolt. The knob is just pinned to the bolt. The 23AA has a lug on the bottom rear that the 23A does not.

Let me be the one to throw the wrench in this:

Where is the difference in the 1922 model to the 23A?

Just the flat backed bolt knob?

Encyclopedic!

Folks:

I'm not getting into the discussion about what's a 23A and what's a 23AA and all that but I would like to show you one of the neatest 23AA's you'll ever see. This gun was owned by a gentleman that worked for Colt many years ago and he had it customized a little. He added a two leaf folding rear sight and inlaid sling swivels...and had it drilled and tapped. The finish on the wood is really nice. And this gun really does shoot. I have a Kimber Model 82 and it doesn't do a thing that this gun won't do. The Kimber does have a better trigger. Anyway...here's a really nice 23AA.

Elwood

And sorry...I didn't mean to "high jack" njretcop's thread with my 23AA. Just saying...

???

The 1922 and the first version of the 1919 had a duel firing pin bolt. Serials stopped at around 25000 on both models. The rear sight on the 1922 was the same used on the Model 1904. It attached with one screw where the 23A's was dovetailed. Those are the thing that stand out to me.

Nice rifle, Elwood.

I'm impressed with the quantity and quality of information
in your posts. Thanks.

All I know is what is pictured in the Savage catalogs. There was never an aa pictured with a knob bottom magazine or schnabel. Stocks and other parts are easily changed. I'll stick with what the company said it was selling.

The 1922 is easily identified as it had the first and second 1919 variation rectangular ejection port w/o the relief cuts to ease single loading. In the 100s of these guns I handled and owned over the years I only saw one 1922.

Since I lived most of my life in upstate NY, I got to see far many more than most folks elsewhere. My interest in them also coincided with a period when they were a "who cares" rifle, common and affordable.

As for std velocity ammo, it's just prudent and more accurate.
The 80 gr jacketed 25-20s were too hot for an old Colt revolver or 73', okay in a 92/53 but the Savage was not that strong and besides the heavier bullets in both the 25-20 and 32-20 were easier on the barrel and more accurate.

All this talks makes me miss them!

Here's a not too good picture of my Savage display at the Rochester NY show back in 95.
Top is an early 23 B in 25-20, next a late 23C in 32-20 (stock just like an AA 22 RF) and bottom the factory experimental 23X (early style) in 44-40 (one of one)
Top one has Wollensak scope mounted using existing holes, next was factory D&T with Weaver J4, 44-40 has Brownell rig I spoke of earlier with a jap something in tip off 1" mount.
Actually won first prize! (Was my hair ever that dark?)

Oldman, those are extra cool! I'd love to have a close-range squint at that .44-40--How dey DO dat???

Don't agree about the st. velocity being more accurate in general; depends on the individual rifle. Some like 'em hot, some not. You can shoot ground squirrels with standard velocity solids all day long, tho. They probably die of lead poisoning sometime. But not today.

I've never found a 23 or "Sporter" that was "shot loose" by factory ammo of any caliber. I did own a late 23D that had been converted to K-Hornet and was stretching cases unduly. Fixed it with a steel "washer" between the bolt parts. I have also heard of stock .22 Hornets developing excessive headspace with hot handloads. A friend of mine in NYS had an old 23D that he had converted to .218 by swapping in .25-20 bolt parts and rechambering (it was a single shot). It was accurate, but I don't know how long it held its headspace.

I miss 'em, too. Have only a late 23B left. The nearest thing I've found recently is an early 1960s Savage Model 4M .22WRM, a nice gun. And the present 93M "Classic" isn't chopped liver, either, altho a bit pricey, IMO. Savage has still "got it"!

Oldman1942, thanks for the photo. The 1919/23 family is an intersting group with lots of variations. I would like to have had a chance to look that 44-40 over! Do you remember if the barrel diameter was the same as on the B & C? Was the serial a three didgit number or "23X" as in 23 experimental?

The 23AA had a schnobel end but the later B,C and D did not.

As for the 1922's...if you look in the parts manual it states that the 23A stated at serial 25000. Sales records indicate that Savage sold around 16000 Model 1922's. All of the 1922's that I have found have had the duel firing pin (early bolt), non-dovetailed rear sight but have had the larger ejection port. I have assumed that part of the 1922's (low serials) had the early small ejection port but have not seen or found anyone who owns one. Thanks for verifing that they were made. I'll keep looking.

I did find a nice 19-H this fall at a fair price...and it was not drilled full of extra scope mount holes!

Still looking for a 19-33 with condition and at a fair price. I have five of the target versions from early to late. Have not seen a 19-M yet so will probably have to stumble on to a collection that is being sold to own one.

The later 23AA that are factory D&T'ed are a sweet little rifle. Add a Weaver 29-S in T mounts...I have a hard time passing up a nice one and seldom do.

44-40 had NSN and a special one off magazine. Took me five years to track it down and buy it, now some other collector has it.

Getting harder to find a 19 H or M than an 1895!

Oh, I see...you meant the model was "23X".

Experimental is the word. Like the 30-40 Krag 99s.

All of the 23-AA's pictured here take the curved magazine - you can see the magazine catch in the first one pictured. All Savage catalogs show the 23-AA stock with the schnabel. Here is the first catalog to list the 23-AA No68 -

Here is the last catalog to have the 23-AA No75, catalog No76 does not picture the 23-AA and the price list dated Jan 2, 1942 does not have it listed, checkered stocks had become standard -


Catalog No62 is the first(? and only?)catalog to have the 1922 sporter and the picture shows the larger ejection port(still smaller than a 23-A). Here is a picture showing a 23-A Sporter top, a 1922 middle and an early 1919 NRA bottom. I have seen 4 1922's sell on line in the last year but only one was sold as a 1922 - all had the same ejection port. The action pictured is also a 1922 and you can see the trigger adjustment screw.


Gene

This thread makes me want to go reclaim my grandfathers 23AA. I'll just drive up to WA state and break into my bro's gunsafe....Oh, no! Now I remember, he sleeps with a Kimber Compact Carry and a Rem 870 Marine....maybe I'll just ask if I can shoot it when I see him next time.

And at a gun show today in Allentown, PA, I found a Savage #15 (made by Lyman) peep sight for my "new" 23AA.

I kind of hate to start on this but here goes...

The #15 was made by/for Savage and requires the third hole on the top rear of the receiver for mounting which I don't think yours has. If your sight is marked Lyman it would not be a #15. Does it mount on top of the receiver?

Rick,

My bad, it is not a #15. Yes, it does mount on the top of the receiver and yes, I will need another hole drilled.

Sorry for the confusion.

What was the s/n range on the 1922's? Also, do you have any closeups of the 44-40 rifle?

Parts mauals show 25,000. This was the switch to the single firing pin and the dovetailed rear sight. Distributors catalog and sales records indicates that the Model 1922 was being closed out in 1923 and that the model 23A didn't ship till 1924. The majority of the 1922's had the larger port and are common. I think the early version with the small ejector port (if made) is the hard one to find.

Just for illustration this is a Lyman 42SS on my 23A. The wood is inletted on the inside of the stock.

Weagle

that does not look like its centerline of the gun? Maybe an optical illusion...

It's just the angle of the pic. It's over the centerline.

Weagle

Rick, what was the lower range of the s/n on the 1922's?

Do you have any pictures (close up) of the savage in 44-40?

Tal, I don't know where they started. My quess would be 1000. WesJ had 17xx. I never found out if it has a large or small port.

So, how many 1922's were made? 20-25k?

1610 of them in 1922 but Rick and I have both proven those numbers wrong a couple times now, ccan't really rely on those sheets, not sure if their factory or not.

MD, that was just the first years sales. The 23A didn't hit the market till 1924 (per sales records and Distributors catalogs). Total sales of the 1922 was close to 16,000 units. This is why most that you see have the larger post.

I would still like to see an early production rifle to verify that there is a "small port" version.

Ya, I just had another look, 12500 in 1923 and didn't start making the 23's till 24. Still don't think those numbers are right though.

The parts catalogs list the early 1919NRA and 1922 Sporter parts for guns under serial 25,000. I would assume the with that number it would not be a total of the two and that they did not combine the 1922 serial number with the 1919 NRA, anyone know for sure? I have two 1922's one is 11,4xx and the other is 18,0xx. I think the 1922's just don't get recognized and are not that uncommon. I mentioned earlier seeing four last year with only one listed as a 1922. Here are three more I found a few days ago, I have been waiting to post them - I think the auctions all should be closed by now. I don't know if any are just a relist of ones I had already seen.
Look at the cocking knob on the bolt and the ejection port, also you can see the trigger adjustment access hole in the bottom of the stock on one; one picture also shows the ejector that has a relief cut in the stock for it. All three still have the original standard rear sights.
1922 -1
1922-2
1922-3

If I count up all the 1919's from 1919-1923 I get almost 25000 without the 1922's but don't take this to definitely, these are sales numbers not production numbers and like I said earlier we have found mistakes in these pages before.

I've seen serials on Model 1922's in the 17xx and 37xx ranges which would be too early to be part of the Model 1919 serial range. I feel pretty sure that they are seperate. Also, just because the serial range changed at 25,000 doesn't mean that all 25,000 were produced. It is common to find voids in the range, also.