Please help with info on Savage Arms and Westernfield

[Jedman7]

To All,

I have two firearms that I received when I was a boy. The first is a Savage Arms .22 caliber rifle, which was my grandfathers, then handed down to my father, then handed down to me. I have absolutely no idea how old it is.

The other is a Westernfield which my dad and I bought brand new for me when I was about 13.

I am trying to find out as much information as I can about these. I will list every last bit of info I can find on them.

Savage Arms: It is a bolt-action .22 with a five shot clip. On the barrel is stamped, "Manufactured by Savage Arms Corp. Utica, N.Y. U.S.A. Patented Nov. 28, 1905, Sep. 7, 1915, Sep. 4, 1917, Nov. 20, 1917". on one side of the clip is stamped, "22 S. L. & L.R. Savage Arms Corp. Pat. April 28, 1908". On the very end of the barrel, by the bolt, on the small round opening, is stamped, "2397". On the butt-plate is an oval with an Indian head and the words "Savage Quality" and "Trade Mark" stamped in. The rifle has always shot very true. As a matter of fact, I just had it out at the range with my 12 year old son and hit many bullseyes from 50 yards. The barrel is brown instead of blue, and bare metal near the end, where the brown has worn off. Does anyone know what model this is, what year it is, etc?

The Westernfield: Is a 20 GA. pump shotgun with a six shell chamber and a wooden rod inside that only allows 3 shells to be loaded. On the barrel is stamped, "Chambered for 2-3/4 and 3 in. shells. 20 GA. C-Lect Choke, Made in U.S.A." On the bottom is reads, "Western Field made in the U.S.A. Montgomery Ward, M550CD, 20GA". On the left-hand side near the trigger is stamped, "H439423". Who actually made this shotgun? What year?

Any and all information regarding these would be most appreciated. I can be emailed at [email protected]

Thanks for all your help,

Frank

 

[Ohen Cepel]

I don't see that model Western Field listed in the Blue Book (assuming the M550CD is the model #). Confirm the model number and someone should be able to give you more info on it.

I'll leave the Steven question to a person who knows those. Lots of them out there and I'm not up on them.

 

[Jedman7]

Thanks for your reply on the Western Field. I double-checked the numbers and the only ones listed are those in my first post.

Frank

 

[Jim Watson]

Your Western Field pump shotgun was made for them by Mossberg and is a Mossberg 550 in all but trademarks. I don't know when made, but the department stores like Monkey Ward have not sold guns for 40 years or so.

I cannot pin down your Savage .22; pictures would help.

 

[Jedman7]

This is my first time here. How do I send pics? I'll gladly take some and send them if it will help.

I want to know if it's worth taking this .22 apart and re-sanding/re-finishing the stock, and sanding down and re-finishing the metal parts.

Thanks so far. This is a very informative website.

Frank

 

[Jedman7]

Jim,

Was the Mossberg 550 a decent shotgun? I must confess that from the time my father and I first bought it, and he took me to the range, I never got very many hits on clay targets or real birds. Don't know if it was simply me or the gun.

I have a 12 year old and would like to maybe pass these two down to him.

Frank

 

[Jedman7]

Jim,

I'm going to try attaching pictures. Let me know if you get them.

Frank

 

[Jim Watson]

Pictures are fine.
The rifle is something of a mystery to me. I am not a Savage collector and don't have much literature, but from what I do have, your rifle has characteristics of the Model 19 and the Model 23A. I'd call it a very early 23A with the cocking piece and barrel band of the 19. Low serial number agrees, probably made in the early 1920s. But that is a GUESS.

A handsome piece, nonetheless. Don't know that I'd do any refinishing other than rubbing the steel down hard with oil and a coarse cloth or VERY fine steel wool IF there is any rust freckling. Maybe a little Tru-oil on the stock, rubbed out to where it is not shiny. I would not subject it to a hardware store hot blue and varnish job, it is in too good shape as is.
I have a Savage magazine laying around somewhere. If it turns up, I will see how close it matches and if the same, let you have it. Karma, they call it on the boards.

The Mossberg 550 - actual maker of your Western Field - is still in production, selling by the barge load. It is one of the most popular shotguns on the market. Your lack of hits was probably due to a stock too long for you in your youth and a lack of appreciation of lead; maybe the wrong setting on the C-Lect Choke for the ranges.

 

[JohnBT]

I agree about the Savage, but it's driving me nuts. I couldn't recall seeing one of them with a schnabel tip and a band, and after looking through some books and poking around on the web for 30 minutes I still haven't seen one. Grrrr.

I recall seeing a magazine like that, but don't remember if it was factory or just had the loop installed to replace the thumbscrew (like this one for sale on e-bay.)

Dinner time.

John

 

[Jedman7]

Thank you to all for your help.

Regarding the Westernfield, I am going to take my son out to the trap range. This will be the first time I've shot that shotgun since I was a child. We'll see if I get more hits now that I'm a bit older. I did always remember that the gun seemed very LONG to me as a child.

Regarding the Savage, my dad couldn't tell me much about it except that it had been handed down to him, by his father, when he was 12, and my dad was born in 1929. That would mean he got it from his dad in about 1941. However, I don't know how long my grandfather had it before giving it to my dad. I know that my dad gave it to me when I was 12, and I was born in 1967.

I'll follow your advise on cleaning it. I have never seen any rust on it, but had always thought it was "rusty" because it does not have the typical black-blue color of most firearms. Instead, it is brown. That was one thing that always bothered me, even as a child. It made this rifle "different" from all my siblings' and friends' rifles. However, it has always shot true, and even as a boy I remember picking off shotgun shells at 50 yards with the iron sights. Better than any of my brothers could.

Thanks to everyone for your help in this. If you have any other information to share please do. I'll continue to check this post, or you can email me at [email protected]

All the BEST,

Frank

PS Do you think it is worth trying to sell such an old gun and buy a newer one for my son? I remember when my dad gave me this Savage and bought himself a Ruger. I was glad to have my own rifle, but jealous that he had such a fine new gun. I don't know if my son will go through the same. To this day I still admire that Ruger. Now, it is in my brother's possession.

 

[Jim Watson]

Your son will have the same problem as you with a shotgun too long for him. See if the trap club has a stock worker who will cut it off for him. The length can be made back up with a spacer as he grows. It is a common gun and there is no reason to handicap an enthusiastic kid with a gun too big for him.

I think selling the family Savage for something more modern would be nuts.
You say it is functional and accurate, what more could you buy?
If you want to get your son a rifle of his own, .22s are not expensive. Keep the Savage, you and he would regret selling it.

 

[dfaugh]

A bit of info on the shotgun. Its pretty much the same as a Mossberg 500 still sold today. Many parts may be interchangable. Before I chopped off the stock, I would see if I can find a "youth" stock available. I grew up shooting a Mossberg 20 gauge (full length) and eventualy could shoot 98-99% on trap with it. My father also had a 16 gauge "Revelation"---same gun but sold by Sears (IIRC). I could do as well with that, but only when a bit older, as the stock was just a bit longer.

Check the auction sites, or gunparts.com, and see if you can find a (shorter) youth stock for it. Keep the original for when your son gets bigger.

P.S. That's a really nice field gun...Lightweight, minimal recoil...NOTHING I every shot with mine got away. Stupid kid that I was, I traded it away for a "man's gun (12 gauge) years ago...wish I still had it today.

 

[Jedman7]

Thanks everyone for your help and advice. It has been greatly appreciated.

We went to the range but did not shoot the shotgun. Only the .22. My son really likes shooting. He did a great job staying relaxed and "squeezing" the trigger.

Frank