Savage 219 and 220 Single Shot Rifles & Shotguns

I reloaded my Savage 219 30-30 with Hornady FTX 165 grain bullets, and Leverevolution powder and got great results, one inch groups all day long. I do not think there is any load data from Hornady for 25-20 or 32-20 as those calibers are not popular anymore and the powder/bullet companies do not test them with their products.

The older reloading books will have suggestions for loads that work though using powders that were around back then and still available now. It is always a lot of fun to try out loads that were developed by the experts using their proper monitoring for pressures etc., and see which ones work for you!

Thanks Garnett,

I look forward to tinkering with it and shooting it.

I managed to pick up 150 cases for it. 50 Winchester and 100 Bertram. Although I am still waiting on dies to load, I think the Bertram brass (Aussie made) looks better than the Winchester. It may be that the Winchester was in the shop for a while as the necks are a bit banged around. Visually, the Bertram looks better. To pick up this brass was just over $270. To me that is SUPER expensive, but all I read is that brass is hard to get, so I bought it while I saw it. There is more available, but I just can't justify the cost until I know it shoots.

I'd love to cast my own bullets too, but for the moment, there is another Aussie buisiness that makes them. It costs me $87 to my door for 500 bullets.

Steve

QUESTIONS

1) Can I remove the ejector trigger hook and turn this gun into an extractor. The 25-20 cases are so hard to come by that I don't want them shooting over my shoulder to be lost in the grass.  Yes, see above comment.

2) Does anyone still make stocks for these guns?  Yes, but again search the internet,  Boyd's makes a stock, but I have found it to be a little small over all.  Others are available on the internet.

3) Would it be a crime to refinish the metal work with a rust blue?  No, due to the poor condition of the metal now.

4) If I wanted to install a peep sight on the top of the barrel, what have others found worked?  Am I correct in assuming you mean a peep on the rear standard sight?  I have seem them on lots of rifles, but have no personal experience.  Or do you mean something like a Lyman or William frame mounted peep sight?  Both companies make one or more for this 219 Savage.

You can see in the previous image that the stock is cracked in two places. The same cracks are present on the other side of the stock also.  This is a common problem/factory defect on all models of this gun.  The wood is just too thin where it meets the metal.  I have even seen cracked stocks on the .22 Hornet calibers.  I strongly recommend to anyone who has one of these Savages, to repair the cracks and glass bed the inside of the wood and to be sure the stock bolt is securely tightened.  Most after market semi-inletted stocks are left with thicker wood at this point of wood metal contact.

The stock appears to be refinished at some point as there are some rounded corners where it meets the steel work and the plastic buttstock was removed when it was sanded as it now no longer meets flush.

The worst aspect of this timber is that a tang site was installed at some stage and some wood was sacrificed to do so. I wonder which came first, the tang sight or the scope?

There is also a little chip on the bottom of the grip. This would be an easy fix, but the other aspects make me think that I will just make another stock for it.

The trigger guard can also be seen here. It is pressed metal and requires the elusive 'shaftless' screw driver to remove for refinishing.  There are lots of original stocks for sale on Ebay and new semi-inletted stocks on the internet.  At some point in time Savage changed the outside dimensions to stocks, and while all will fit, the late stocks don't fit as well on guns like yours.  The early stocks have the very sharp, grooved comb, and the butt plates had flat head screws.  since your stock has been highly modified, you can't really see what the comb should be like.

I think I will need to re crown, or at least give a good clean to the muzzle if I am to try and determine a good load for this gun. The rifling is present but has seen better days too. Sometimes this matters, but I have also found that guns can still shoot well enough despite the wear they have.  I am not a machinist, but have two friends who are, and have read articles over the years, that the crown can affect accuracy.  But, again, I agree with you as I have some 1911 Colts with various condition original barrels, that still shoot better than I can hold them.



I wonder about the front sight. It seems to be missing a bead although maybe it never had one. The sight is not easy to see so testing will be a challenge. The rear sight is probably one of the tidiest features of this gun. It is so much better than the remainder that I wonder if it is original. Maybe it was removed when the scope was installed, and the owner was careful enough to store it and replace it when it was handed to the local gun shop. Everything about this rear sight is crisp, although it is just a little dirty.  I cannot tell from the picture of your front sight, whether or not it is correct.  The early front sights had a blade with a Gold bead and was secured with two screws.  That is the correct one for very early guns.  At some point in time Savage changed to just a plain blade with no gold bead.  I have found these intermittently during early production.  As to your rear sight, it is correct, an all milled heavy sight.  Later Savage changed to a cheap stamped sight for the balance of production.