Estimated year of mfr for M219?

[garthgus]

Hello Garnett, your 2024 book on the M219 & M220 is an excellent resource, very informative. I'd like to ask you and your audience for opinions pinning down the estimated year of manufacture for my -219- in .22 Hornet. It appears to be either a "First Model" or "Second Model" Utica gun, all the numbers match, the rifle is unmolested and appears to be all original.

What it Has                                   What it Doesn't Have
-219- bottom right side of action.    "3" in circle upper right side of action
Flanged barrel
Utica stamp
Slim Trigger
Alloy Trigger Guard
Blued receiver and trigger guard

And it has a stamp with 3 equally spaced lines radiating out from the outside of the circle The stamp is on the lower left side of the action. The image is hard to see in the photo but imagine the Mercedes logo except the lines are on the outside of the circle, not the inside.

I going to take it out to the indoor range next week to see how she shoots. Thanks for your comments.  Cheers!

[Garnett]

I have never seen the “Mercedes” mark that you pictured.  I believe it to be an inspector’s personal mark.  Years ago when I was researching for my book, I had asked Mr. Callahan, a retired Savage employee, who had all the R&D records, if he would interpret a list of marks that I had recorded.  He just said they were inspector’s marks and would not help me on that subject.  I agree with you that it is a 2nd Model Utica.  For those who have not read my book, these two designations of 1st and 2nd Model Utica are in no way factory designations.  I made them to easily distinguish between the two models rather than saying “the gun has a steel, gracefully curved and tapered to the rear trigger guard with a slim trigger”, or “the gun has a slim trigger with a black painted alloy trigger guard”.  As to dating, these early models had no dating symbols or dates stamped on them.  One source said the alloy guard did not appear until 1940, but I saw a picture of a 2nd Model Utica that the owner said his father purchased in 1939.  Mr. Callahan said there was an early dating system, but it only lasted a few months.  I mention it in my very early books, but later deleted it because it was unreliable.  I would say it is safe to say your gun is Pre-War, or made in the early years of the war.  I hope this helps some.  Let us know how it shoots please!  Best wishes, Garnett

[garthgus]

Best I could manage with these 70 yr old eyes at 40' and open sights . Very sad. But the rifle shoots where it's aimed.
I could really improve my accuracy with a peep sight but this 219 Hornet is in great condition, all original and I hesitate to drill holes in the barrel. Ok, so woodchucks are out of the question but a close up shot at wiley coyote is another story. Cheers!

[Garnett]

I agree, I personally do not like to drill & tap an original firearm.  Your group is much better than I could do.  At 87, I wear bi-focals. I can either see the sights or the target, but not both. :-).  I can still hit a clay bird with my pre-war Browning Superposed.  Thanks for sending the target! 

[garthgus]

Yep, my shotgun accuracy with clays is still fair, but rifle accuracy with open sights is in the toilet. Just for kicks I also brought along my New England Firearms single shot 22" barrel Handi Rifle in .22 Hornet to the range for comparison. The Handi-Rifle has a big advantage with a Williams peep and a firesight front sight setup. What a huge difference being able to see that bright front bead makes!