Author Topic: New Member  (Read 2626 times)

hoosiershooter

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New Member
« on: December 15, 2019, 05:50:17 PM »
Hello everyone.  I was gifted my uncle's 1945 era 219 with 22 hornet barrel and matching 16ga barrel.  Hornet has slim fore stock and shotgun has the thicker round fore stock.  Great for ground hogs, rabbits and single shot sporting clays.  I reload hand guns and look forward to reloading the hornet.

hoosiershooter

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Re: New Member
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2019, 06:37:39 PM »
And photos



































Garnett

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Re: New Member
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2019, 09:41:51 AM »
Your set is definitely a factory original and hard to find "Utility" gun.  Also, you have an even harder to find, what I believe to be a factory original, side tapped barrel for a scope base.  Normally the barrel writing is on the left side, but when tapped at the factory, the writing was placed on top of the barrel.  One other odd thing is the two circles inside the forearms.  I have not seen this before.  Your set is also what I call a "Second Model Utica", that is that it has the slim trigger and alloy guard.  The "First Model Utica's" had a steel shotgun style trigger guard.  If you don't already know the Savage assigned Model number for your Utility set, tell me the length of the shotgun barrel and I will advise you.  Thanks for joining our forum and sharing your really nice gun with us!  Merry Christmas!

hoosiershooter

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Re: New Member
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2019, 11:31:03 AM »
Thanks for the additional info for my 219.  The shotgun barrel is 28 inch and hornet is 26 inch.  The 2 circles in the forearms show faint B in one and a very faint F same as barrel marking.  I will experiment with lighting to see if I can get a photo to show more clearly.

Garnett

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Re: New Member
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2019, 11:41:25 AM »
Your "Utility"set is officially a Model 228.  While Savage never marked these on the guns, they did assign a different model number for each shotgun gauge and barrel length and rifle caliber.  The boxes were marked on the outside with the actual model number and were made in different length according to the shot gun barrel length.  I don't suppose you have the original box?  They are ultra rare.  I have two and a friend has one in an as new set.  These are the only 3 I have seen. One of my 3 utility sets has the matching assembly numbers in both forearms, but are not inside a circle.  As I mentioned earlier, I have never seen this before.  Thanks again for sharing your info with us!

Exchipy

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Re: New Member
« Reply #5 on: December 26, 2019, 07:38:45 PM »
Approximately when was the change made from the steel shotgun style trigger guard to the cast alloy trigger guard on the Savage  219?

Garnett

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Re: New Member
« Reply #6 on: December 26, 2019, 08:13:28 PM »
As a "Rule of Thumb" it is thought that the 'Alloy' guards were installed as "standard" after WWII when the factory moved to Chicopee Falls,Mass.  However,  I have seen pictures of one M220 that the owner says his father purchased in 1937, which would be a very early gun, and it came with an alloy guard.  I have not observed any guns made starting in 1947 when the factory moved to Chicopee Falls, Mass., with steel guards.  But.....if a steel guard was bent badly, it could have been changed out with an alloy guard after the plant moved.   I have not been able to determine when the Utica guns began using the alloy guards.  For ease of identifying, I call the Utica guns with the steel guard and slim trigger a "First Model Utica".  Utica guns with an alloy guard and slim trigger I call a "Second Model Utica"  I have found M220's with Utica barrels that have color case hardened frames, which did not start until Chicopee Falls.  Most likely these were parts already made and marked Utica and moved to the new plant. The more I research these guns, the more "variables" I find.  I hope this helps.  Happy New Year!
« Last Edit: December 27, 2019, 08:16:13 PM by Garnett »

Sentry44

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Re: New Member
« Reply #7 on: December 27, 2019, 06:14:28 PM »
Just FYI, Chicopee Falls is in Massachusetts, not NY.  Savage moved into Steven's Arms facility, effectively merging the two operations after two decades of operating independantly, in 1946 just after the war.

It is worth noting, that Stevens was a terrific arms company.  In fact they made one of the most important contributions to arms development...they created the 22 long rifle!!

Chris

Garnett

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Re: New Member
« Reply #8 on: December 27, 2019, 08:14:14 PM »
Chris, I had a "Senior Moment"!  Chicopee Falls is still in Mass. :)  I was not aware that Stevens developed the .22 LR.   Happy New Year!
« Last Edit: December 27, 2019, 08:17:18 PM by Garnett »

Mike Armstrong

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Re: New Member
« Reply #9 on: December 28, 2019, 09:52:57 AM »
hoosiershooter, you definitely got the "good stuff"--model, guage/caliber, and condition!

Have a great 2020 everyone!

Mike Armstrong