Welcome, if you’re a newcomer to this enjoyable bi-weekly section of AllOutdoor.com! The final time round I coated the history and variations of the Savage Mannequin 101, a pistol that was marketed in the direction of outdoorsmen and their children. On this article, we’re sleuthing out the Savage 101 and all of its catfishing single-shot trickery. Giving it a righteous dissection with relationship. I went a bit nuts on this one nevertheless it was a type of issues the place there have been breadcrumbs too good to cross up. Let’s dive proper into the rabbit gap!
Current Content material in Curious Relics:
- Curious Relics #083: 10 Shots Quick! – The Savage 1907
- Curious Relics #084: Original US Double Stack – The Savage 1907 Part II
- Curious Relics #085: 10 Shots on Paper! – The Savage 1907 Part III
- Curious Relics #086: Love at First Sight – The Savage 101
- Curious Relics #087: A Pistol Full of Mysteries – The Savage 101 Part II
Welcome to our recurring collection of “Curious Relics.” Right here, we wish to share all of our experiences, data, misadventures, and keenness for older firearms that one may categorize as a Curio & Relic – any firearm that’s not less than 50 years previous in keeping with the ATF. Hopefully alongside the way in which you’ll be able to garner a higher appreciation for older firearms like we do, and concurrently you’ll be able to train us issues as effectively via sharing your personal experience and ideas within the Feedback. Understanding the firearms of previous, their significance, and their improvement which result in most of the arms we now cherish as we speak is extremely fascinating and we hope you take pleasure in what we now have to share, too!
Relationship: Savage Mannequin 101
Alas, relationship particular person Savage Mannequin 101 revolvers stays an train in deductive reasoning and educated guesses as a result of producer’s lack of complete data. As we’ve mentioned, there are not any definitive serial quantity ranges or date codes to depend on (ones that make any sense anyway), leaving us to scour commercials, catalog listings, and delicate markings for clues.
Whereas not etched in stone, the proof suggests the Savage Mannequin 101 rolled off the traces someday in late 1959 or early 1960, primarily based on an commercial mentioning visiting Savage’s sales space on the NSGA present which passed off in the summertime of 1960. The earliest month-dated advert that I might discover appeared in July 1960. On the opposite finish, its inclusion within the January 1968 Savage Arms catalog signifies manufacturing seemingly continued all through 1968 earlier than being discontinued. It could possibly be argued that it was manufactured all through 1967 and previous inventory was tried to be offered off in 1968.
Numbers Sport
The very best recorded serial sits at 54,816 in keeping with Brower’s e book which I discussed in my last article, and all indicators level to the numbers beginning at 1 and rising sequentially. Unfold throughout the approximate 8-year manufacturing window from 1960 via 1968, a yearly common of round 6,000 models might be calculated primarily based on the entire manufacturing quantity (allegedly round 54,000). Nevertheless, it’s seemingly that the precise output ebbed and flowed slightly than remaining at a constant common annually.
Simply purely going off of the numbers and assuming manufacturing began in 1960 and ended on the finish of 1968 we are able to common issues out. That common involves round 6000 made per 12 months. That being mentioned in the event you have been questioning the date of your gun you might attempt to go off of that quantity. 6000 doubtlessly made in 1960, one other 6000 made in 1961 (serial now doubtlessly as much as 12000), and so forth.
- My private 101 has an 8### serial quantity If we use the typical math we are able to in all probability guess my gun was made in 1961 from the serial quantity alone.
Cylinder Notch Switcheroo
One of many few confirmed engineering tweaks is the cylinder notching carried out after serial 30,999, seemingly hitting round 1964, 1965, or 1966 – the midpoint of the run. Something under 32,000 typically lacks the notch, whereas increased serials received the modification. This all was touched on within the variations from the last article. There may be an alleged hole of serial numbers between 30999 and 32000 in an effort to denote the change. I’ve not discovered any proof of a gun having a 31### serial quantity.
- I discovered a Savage 101 with its field marked “Feb 1962” and its cylinder was not notched. Which means that the serial quantity had not but reached 32000 by 1962 which provides up with our math.
Code Crackers
Many Savage Mannequin 101 firearms bear alpha-numeric codes stamped into the body behind the set off guard. Whereas their actual that means has been misplaced to time, these markings are believed to be associated to relationship and inspection primarily based on different Savage firearms (just like the Savage 99 rifle) the place that is the truth is the case. Similar codes and all. The ever present “22L” code is broadly theorized to characterize 1960, with “L” because the 12 months code and “22” because the inspector’s quantity. I’ve discovered that the overwhelming majority have this code. On the very least many earlier than the cylinder notch change have it.
A distinct code, “27T”, has additionally been discovered stamped on some Savage Mannequin 101 pistols. Drawing parallels to the “22L” idea, it has been posited that “27T” might doubtlessly point out the 12 months 1966, with “T” representing the 12 months and “27” being the inspector’s quantity. So why have I been unable to seek out others with different date codes? Did they make a giant batch in 1960 and one other in 1966? Heck no that may be loopy. I imagine the 27T code could possibly be the 12 months they started notching the cylinders. It’s close to the center of the manufacturing run in each date and serial quantity math. Taking issues one step additional I discovered that the earliest commercial with a rise in value ($19.50 to $21.50) was from 1966. Was this to compensate for the blip in manufacturing? Under is a desk I whipped up primarily based on different Savage date code sources.
If we go off of my findings and assumptions we might to date say that when you have a serial quantity pre-32000 then it’s pre-1966. This clearly is solely conjecture and I like to recommend selecting for your self till extra data is on the market if ever.
So would the 22L marked ones purely be a primary model then? Possibly. I lean towards in all probability. It’s akin to S&W with their codes like a S&W Mannequin 29 having 29-1,29-2, 29-3, and on and on for various small modifications. Possibly there was one other important change to the 101 moreover the cylinder notch.
Lastly, some Mannequin 101s bear a “spade” image marking in the identical spot the place the date codes can be. Whereas the true significance continues to be unknown, my private idea would recommend these spade markings might denote the primary manufacturing 12 months, as I’ve been unable to seek out any with serials over 2,000. I apologize I wouldn’t have an image of this mark. Stancil does in his e book. It’s merely a hole spade form rather than the conventional oval and date code.
- This implies if solely roughly 2000 have been made the primary 12 months the adjusted yearly common after the actual fact can be nearer to 5700. It’s seemingly it ebbed and flowed greater or smaller relying on the 12 months, in all probability even getting much less and fewer as curiosity waned and overstock gained.
Location, Location, Location
Lastly, we now have the situation stamps on the barrels – both “Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts” or “Westfield, Massachusetts.” Chicopee Falls was the earliest location till Savage consolidated every part below one roof in Westfield in 1960-61, making that “Westfield, Massachusetts” marking an indication of later manufacturing. I ought to point out that I’ve discovered weapons with the “Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts” deal with within the increased serials. I don’t suppose that the deal with ought to be used for relationship due to this. That is seemingly as a result of barrel replacements or overstock after the transfer. It will make sense that they might churn out a bunch of barrels in Chicopee Falls in an effort to compensate for the lag in manufacturing after the tooling was moved to Westfield.
Finish of Half III: Savage Mannequin 101
So whereas the onerous info stay elusive, all these crumbs Savage left behind not less than permit us to slim the window and make educated guesses about sure Mannequin 101s. However nailing down exact start years? That riddle might by no means be definitively solved with out these coveted data or with out a big crowdsourcing occasion which not everyone seems to be into just because serial numbers are concerned. Hopefully, this deep dive was not too complicated. I tried to distill issues right down to an comprehensible stage and maintain the paranoid up late detective yarn-spun spiderweb to myself. See you all within the subsequent one!
- Bailey Brower, Jr’s E book: Savage Pistols
- Garnett Weldon Stancil, Jr’s E book: Savage Mannequin 101 Single Shot Pistol. Here and here.
In closing, I hope our Curious Relics section knowledgeable in addition to entertained. This all was written in hopes of continued firearm appreciation and preservation. We didn’t simply understand how guns have been imagined to look and performance. It was an extended and tedious course of that has formed the world we reside in. So, I put it to you! Is there a firearm on the market that you simply really feel doesn’t get a lot notoriety? What ought to our subsequent Curious Relics matter cowl? As all the time, tell us your entire ideas within the Feedback under! We all the time respect your suggestions.
The submit Curious Relics #088: Decidedly Difficult Dating – Savage Model 101 Part III appeared first on AllOutdoor.com.
