Picked up a savage 340A

Status
Not open for further replies.
troy fairweather

troy fairweather

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2018
Messages
13,840
Location
Up State New York
Today I picked up a few guns, one a fairly nice savage 340A in 30-30win. Has a side mount that is higher for use of the sights, no name on the mount tho. Nice wood for a 340, metal Finnish looks fine some light spots by the muzzle and some on the trigger guard. Bore looks great.

Have to see how it shoots, all the ones I've had shot great. Been a while since I've owned one tho. To bad it wasn't a 222. I've not looked up the year, should be pre 68 since no serial number. Dads code looks like sp.

figured to share anyone still use theres, I know for a few hunters there's were there first rifle.

sorry for the bad pictures.


IMG_20201014_220419_hdr.jpg IMG_20201014_220429_hdr.jpg IMG_20201014_220504_hdr.jpg IMG_20201014_220515_hdr.jpg
 
Cool! The epitome of mid-century working man's rifle.

How's the wood? I have a 340, no suffix, and while quite plain, it's actually decent Walnut. I recall that photography is not among your many skills :p so it's hard to see: does the bolt have the little shroud or knob on the end ? Wasn't there in the original 340. Also curious about the side mount. As far as I was aware, they didn't start D&Ting receivers for the 30-30 until at least the B suffix, so I wonder whether yours was factory or later. My E suffix in 222 has the side mount and some fairly pedestrian beech.

Anyway, cool acquisition. The trigger is nothing special in mine, indeed, the unkind might call it heavy. I fooled around trying different spitzers with it, but the mag is definitely spec'ed for levergun 30-30 length. 36.5 grains of LVR and the Hornady 160 FTX give me a shade over 2500 fps and all of a sudden the 30-30 has a little kick.I put a Redfield receiver sight on it and it's minute o' coyote at 100 yards.

It is one of my favorite rifles for no particular reason. Enjoy.
 
I was amazed when a friend told me he had a 30-30 Savage bolt gun for deer hunting. I had only seen 30-30’s in lever actions and had no idea about the bolt guns. Ignorance is bliss. Ahh, to be 12 years old again.
 
DocRock said:
Cool! The epitome of mid-century working man's rifle.

How's the wood? I have a 340, no suffix, and while quite plain, it's actually decent Walnut. I recall that photography is not among your many skills :p so it's hard to see: does the bolt have the little shroud or knob on the end ? Wasn't there in the original 340. Also curious about the side mount. As far as I was aware, they didn't start D&Ting receivers for the 30-30 until at least the B suffix, so I wonder whether yours was factory or later. My E suffix in 222 has the side mount and some fairly pedestrian beech.

Anyway, cool acquisition. The trigger is nothing special in mine, indeed, the unkind might call it heavy. I fooled around trying different spitzers with it, but the mag is definitely spec'ed for levergun 30-30 length. 36.5 grains of LVR and the Hornady 160 FTX give me a shade over 2500 fps and all of a sudden the 30-30 has a little kick.I put a Redfield receiver sight on it and it's minute o' coyote at 100 yards.

It is one of my favorite rifles for no particular reason. Enjoy.
Click to expand...
The wood has some nice grain tho my crap camera does not even show any lol. This is a older one I believe, I think the egg corn bolthead came later.
I think this mount it's a b square copy, it is also drilled for the weaver type with the two big nuts like on the krags. This has the wheel adjustable rear sight, I think the later ones were just stamped or the department store guns were.
 
adcoch1 said:
Always wanted to get one of those and try it out. Only seen 3 in person, not common over here. Looks like a fun little rifle, get a scope on there and show us some groups!
Click to expand...
There very common here most fun shops with older guns will have them often. Wish I had a scope from when it was made, I got a older bushnell light bright 3-9 I may put on it.
 
SGW Gunsmith said:
Those are very nice rifles that will allow the use of "spire point" .30-30 handloads. Years ago I bought a cigar box with 12 .30-30 magazines in it for the Savage 340 bolt rifle, at an auction. None of the bidders knew what those magazines were for so I got 'em fairly cheap. Sold 'em all on ebay for a good price per.
Click to expand...
The little guy on my shoulder is already saying Ackley it lol. A rebarrel in 7-30waters would be nice or rebore to 38-55 tho don't think there's enough meat on the barrel.
 
So reading some on the 340A the 340 and the A not many were made. Mine is made in Chipotle falls ma so that's before 1960. My A may be a transition gun. It also has the misspelled caliber on the barrel, spelling is
CALIBRE. Which is said to only be on a few until they repaired the roll stamp.
 
Last edited:
troy fairweather said:
So reading some on the 340A the 340 and the A not many were made. Mine is made in Chipotle falls ma so that's before 1960. My A may be a transition gun. It also has the misspelled caliber on the barrel, spelling is
CALIBRE. Which is said to only be on a few until they repaired the roll stamp.
Click to expand...
They are neat, Ive barely resisted getting several over the years only because I didnt want to keep another cartridge in stock, lol.

I think extractors are a common wear/ breakage item. Might want to source a spare just in case.

However.......IIRC, only .22s and smoothbores were exempt from serial numbers. :confused:
 
NIGHTLORD40K said:
They are neat, Ive barely resisted getting several over the years only because I didnt want to keep another cartridge in stock, lol.

I think extractors are a common wear/ breakage item. Might want to source a spare just in case.

However.......IIRC, only .22s and smoothbores were exempt from serial numbers. :confused:
Click to expand...
ya I should look and see if extractors are available, my dad's all ready saying he will trade me a rem 700 sps varmint 22-250 for it lol.

the pre 68 serial number thing is weird, some guns had them even some 22s maybe if they were made in small numbers they didn't need it.I don't know would make a interesting thread tho.
 
They show up around here off and on. The .222 get snagged quickly.

Seems as though a few nostalgic farmers around ( back door critter poppers ).

I started chucking w a triple deuce as a kid ( Rem 660 ).

Like that little round a lot.

Bolt .30-30.
See a few 788s now and then.

The .44s they think are made of gold.
 
I remember when one of the big box stores (early’70’s) were selling the 340 with a scope package. The scopes were Japanese “unbranded” scopes, so I suggest the mount came with the rifle. Advertised price was $69.95!
I had one circa 1981-84. It had been abused so I touched up the metal and refinished the stock. With a decent scope and handloads it approached moa accurate. I also got nearly as good as accuracy with a cast bullet. Made my first deer kill with a cast bullet with it.
Not pretty, but decent rifles. I always wanted one in .22Hornet or .222.
 
Last edited:
troy fairweather said:
I just put that lite site Bushnell on, and with the mounts height I'm not liking it plus the tube of the scope is long. I should see what peep sights are going for. Or the lower weaver mount.
Click to expand...

In upstate NY? I’ve lived and hunted in upstate NY. I’d peep sight that rifle in a heart beat. You loose about a half hour of shooting light in the eve compared to a scope, however, as you probably know.
 
Barbaroja said:
Well done! I’ve been eyeing one myself. Mag fed bolt action 30-30 is unique which I enjoy. You can use a wider variety of 30cal projectiles.
Click to expand...
Ya I got a few bullets to try out, I'll load up some cast plinking loads to don't know if I'll use it for deer but I got a old box of Winchester silver tips I may use. See how they work compared to all the story's I've heard lol.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

MacAR
  • Locked
Tale of Two Savages
2
Replies
26
Views
813
LoonWulf
LoonWulf
M
  • Locked
Picked Up a Used Savage 12BVSS
Replies
9
Views
478
jbkebert
J
JeffDilla
  • Locked
Finally picked up a 45-70 (Guide Gun)
Replies
17
Views
728
Abel
A
DeadFlies
  • Locked
Bolt-Action 30-30
2
Replies
32
Views
5K
entropy
entropy
H
  • Locked
Picked up an m44
Replies
3
Views
366
hcker2000
H
Back
Top