Savage Arms
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Firearms |
| Founded | 1894 |
| Headquarters | Westfield, MA |
| Products | Rifles, Shotguns |
| Website | Savage Arms |
The Savage Arms Company is a firearms manufacturing company based in Westfield, Massachusetts, with a division located in Canada. The company makes a variety of rimfire and centerfire rifles, as well as marketing the Stevens single-shot rifles and shotguns. They may be best-known for the Model 99 hammerless lever-action rifle, no longer in production, and the very popular .300 Savage sporting cartridge, which was the parent case for the .308 Winchester cartridge.
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[edit] History
Savage Arms was founded in 1894 by Arthur Savage in Utica, New York. Within 20 years they were producing rifles, handguns, and ammunition.[1] Savage merged with the Driggs-Seabury Ordnance Company during World War I and produced Lewis machine guns.[1] In 1920 Savage bought Stevens Arms. In 1939, Savage introduced the Model 24 combination gun (a configuration uncommon in the U.S.), which sold over a million copies.[2]
[edit] War years
In July 1921, a mortgage securing five promissory notes, each for $21,416 were filed in the County Clerk's office in Utica showing that the Savage Arms Corporation had purchased a "number of buildings erected by the government" during World War I for the purpose of enlarging the output of Lewis machine guns at the plant. The buildings included two large four-story brick structures, five large storage sheds and one office building, a concrete mill building, steel storage building, power extension plant, shooting gallery and steel water tank with capacity of 100,000 gallons. The notes were due in 1927.[3]
During World War II, Savage turned again to military production, making heavy munition. Savage made most of the Thompson submachine guns used in World War II. As quality wood was earmarked for military gun stock production, Savage produced some Model 24 .22/.410 combo guns and Model 94 single barrel shotguns with stocks molded from Tenite plastic. After the war it produced the first motorized lawnmower.[1]
[edit] Mid-century
The company was run by a variety of owners from the 1960s to the 1980s. Savage eventually ran into financial trouble in 1988 and filed for bankruptcy protection.[1] Production was then reduced to the basic Model 110 bolt-action rifle.
[edit] Recent years
A turn-around began in 1995 with the company returning to private ownership, led by Ronald Coburn, previously of Smith & Wesson. Today the company produces a wide variety of firearms and has a reputation for producing accurate, inexpensive rifles. Some of their recent success can be attributed to their development in 2002 of a factory-installed, safe, user-adjustable trigger, called the AccuTrigger. The company recently launched AccuStock an aluminum stock embedded rail system to further enhance action stability and accuracy. This new technology is now available on several of their models.
Savage was awarded the Manufacturer of the Year by the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence in 2003.[1]
The Savage 93R17 BTVS was awarded the "Best New Rifle" in the "Best of the Best" presentation by Shooting Times, Sporting Gun, and Shooting Gazette magazines May 15, 2007 at the E. J. Churchill Shooting School in the U.K.
Ron Coburn, chairman and CEO of Savage Sports Corporation was honored by SHOT Business Magazine and Time4Media outdoor media group as their "2007 Man of the Year". The award cites Mr. Coburn's dedication and contribution to the outdoor and firearm industry.
[edit] Locations
Savage maintains its headquarters in Westfield, Massachusetts in the United States. The company also manufactures .22LR rimfire rifles in Lakefield, Ontario, Canada. This began after Savage acquired Lakefield Arms Ltd. All their .22 rimfire rifles are simply re-branded Lakefield rifles.
[edit] Canadian Exports
According to company officials, the Canadian division of Savage Arms exports 97 percent of its rifles, mostly to the US.[4]
[edit] Arms Types
[edit] Current production
- Rimfire rifles
- Model 64
- Model MK II .22 and .17
- Model 93 .17 HMR
- Bolt-action rifles
- Axis (formerly 'Edge')
- Model 10
- Model 10 Precision Carbine [5]
- Model 10FCM Scout Rifle
- Model 10FP
- Model 110
- Model 110FP
- Model 14
- Model 114
- Model 12
- Model 25
- Model 112
- Weather Warrior Model 16
- Weather Warrior Model 116
- Model 11
- Model 111
- Combination gun - Model 24 O/U
- Muzzleloaders
- Stevens single-shot rifles
- Model 40 Single shot break action. AKA Pocket Pistol, Varmit Rifle, Bicycle Pistol
[edit] Discontinued Production
Since Savage is one of the older American arms companies still in commercial production, it would be exhaustive to list the number of models no longer in production made by Savage under its own name and under tradenames for retail outlets. Those most notable and still in wide use today include:
- Rifles
- Model 99 lever-action offered in .250-3000 Savage, .300 Savage and other calibers.
- Model 340 bolt action offered in .30-30 and .222 Remington.
- Shotguns
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e "Savage Arms: the definition of accuracy: from riches to rags to honors," by Carolee Anita Boyles, Shooting Industry, September 2003
- ^ Harold Murtz. Gun Digest Treasury (DBI Books, 1994), p.197
- ^ "Cradle of Syracuse Industries". Syracuse Journal (Syracuse, New York). July 23, 1921.
- ^ Testimony of Barrie King, Vice-President and General Manager, to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, November 24, 1997.
- ^ http://www.rifleshootermag.com/featured_rifles/RS_savagemod10pc_201008/index.html
