Savage Arms is an American gunmaker based in Westfield, Massachusetts, with operations in both the United States and Canada. Savage makes a variety of rimfire and centerfire rifles, as well as handguns and Stevens single-shot rifles and shotguns. The company is best known for the Model 99 lever-action rifle, no longer in production, and the .300 Savage. Savage was a subsidiary of Vista Outdoor until 2019 when it was spun off.
History
Savage Arms was founded in 1894 by Arthur Savage in Utica, New York. Within 20 years, the company manufactured rifles, handguns, and ammunition. Savage introduced the first hammerless lever-action rifle, the Model 1895, derived from Arthur Savage's Model 1892 rifle that he had designed for Colt in a failed bid for a US Army rifle contract that instead was won by the Krag–Jørgensen design. The Model 1895 won a New York National Guard contract, but the contract was cancelled due to political controversy.
Savage was one of six companies to participate in the United States Army trials for a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and was named one of the two finalists before losing out to Colt's design, which would become the M1911 pistol. Savage marketed a series of .32 and .380 caliber pocket pistols, the Models 1907, 1915, and 1917 based on the same patents as their .45 caliber prototype.
In 1915-1916 company chief designer Charles A. Nelson directed the design of new bolt-action rifles for the US military to supplement M1903 Springfield, but in the run-up of the US entrance in WWI US Army decided to adopt Pattern 1914 Enfield which was already in the serial production for the British, and Savage was tasked with machine gun production instead. Savage merged with the Driggs-Seabury Ordnance Company during World War I and produced Lewis machine guns at Driggs-Seabury's former plant in Sharon, Pennsylvania. Savage also produced Model 1899 muskets for the Montreal Home Guard during World War I.
A 1979 Savage Arms catalogue claimed that in 1919, Arthur Savage was approached by Chief Lame Deer to buy rifles for his tribe in New York. Lame Deer offered to allow Savage to use his image as its logo in exchange for discounted rifles and an annual fee. As of 2018, Savage Arms was still paying the annual fee. However, the Savage Model 1907 already bore the logo (including those made prior to 1919), and a catalog from 1903 shows Savage Arms using a similar illustration as well.
Interwar In 1920 Savage restarted the production of Model 1899 as Model 99, introduced new Model 1920 bolt-action rifle based on Nelson's WWI prototypes modified for cartridges shorter than military rifle ones that would fit in Model 99 magazine, and introduced a new cartridge of that type: .300 Savage .
Also in the same year, Savage bought Stevens Arms of Chicopee, Massachusetts. In July 1921, a mortgage securing five promissory notes, each for $21,416, was 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 increasing 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 a capacity of 100,000 gallons. The notes were due in 1927. In 1929 Savage acquired the A.H. Fox Gun company of Philadelphia and moved production to Utica.
In 1939, Savage introduced the Model 24 combination gun (a configuration uncommon in the U.S.), which sold over a million copies.Harold Murtz. Gun Digest Treasury (DBI Books, 1994), p.197 Savage was one of the few American makers of affordable double-barrel shotguns including the Fox Sterlingworth, Fox Model B, and Stevens Model 311 and produced rifles and shotguns under house brand names for large store chains.
Second World War
During World War II, Savage turned again to military production, making heavy munitions. Savage made most of the Thompson submachine guns used in World War II. Savage also produced the British No. 4 Lee–Enfield bolt-action rifle; though marked "U.S. PROPERTY," these rifles were never used by the US military and were instead sent to Britain and other allied armies under the Lend-Lease program. As quality wood was reserved 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.
Post-war After the war, it produced the model 67 and model 69 pump shotguns, including the model 69N stainless steel tactical pump shotgun. A variety of owners ran the company from the 1960s to the 1980s. Savage eventually ran into financial trouble in 1988 and filed for bankruptcy protection.
In addition to firearms, Savage Arms Corporation also sold power lawn mowers during this period. https://www.tias.com/3943/PictPage/1923081128.html
21st century In 2002, the company started selling a factory-installed, safe, user-adjustable trigger, called the AccuTrigger. The AccuStock, an aluminum stock embedded rail system to further enhance action stability and accuracy, was introduced by Savage in 2009."AccuStock, Big News from Savage Arms for 2009" Randy Wakeman, chuckhawk.com
Savage was named the Manufacturer of the Year by the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence in 2003.
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, then 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". On February 5, 2013, Coburn announced that he was stepping down after a 25-year tenure as chairman and CEO of Savage Sports Corporation. On February 6, 2013, Savage Sports announced the appointment of Ron Johnson as its new Chief Executive Officer. Johnson most recently served as President of the Sporting Group within Alliant Techsystems ("ATK").
Vista Outdoor markets firearm accessories and ammunition under brands that include Weaver Optics, Federal Premium, Speer Ammo, and Blazer. ATK, the predecessor of Vista Outdoor, announced the purchase of Savage for $315 million on May 13, 2013. With the purchase, Johnson remained with Bowtech Archery, who was not part of the sale, and Al Kasper began tenure as CEO.
As of July 2018, Vista Outdoor was attempting to sell Savage Arms as part of a larger restructuring. Vista Outdoor said that expanding Savage's offerings to include handguns was too expensive. As of 2018, Savage Arms' sales made up just 7% of Vista Outdoor's overall business.
As of May 2018, Savage Arms had 367 workers at its factory in Westfield, Massachusetts.
On July 9, 2019, Vista Outdoor completed the sale of Savage Arms and Stevens Arms for $170 million to a group of investors led by Savage's management. Vista received immediate gross proceeds of $158 million and a $12-million five-year note. Vista said it will use this money, after paying associated taxes, to reduce its debt.
Chris Bezzina became the CEO of Savage Arms in 2023.
Products
Shotguns The S1200 is the first semi-automatic shotgun sold under the Stevens brand. The S1200 uses an inertia-driven action that uses the recoil force of the gun to cycle shells. The S1200 weighs 6.8 pounds. Options for 26-inch and 28-inch barrels are available.
As of 2018, Savage sold the 212 (12 gauge) and 220 (20 gauge) model shotguns. These models can be fired accurately at ranges up to 200 yards. This accuracy is mostly due to their bolt-action design. These models use Savage's AccuTrigger system to customize trigger pull weight. These models are specifically designed for firing shotgun slugs in addition to bird shot. Both models come with two-round detachable magazines. In 2019, Savage released variants of the 212 and 220 shotguns designed specifically for hunting turkeys.
In 2020 Savage released the "Savage Renegauge" also intended for turkey hunting. It makes use of a "Dual Regulating Inline Valve" in order to reduce the recoil. The gun weighs 8lbs and was released at a suggested price of $1,550.
In 2023, Savage released the Stevens 560 Field 12-gauge semi-automatic hunting shotgun.
Handguns Savage also manufactures handguns, such as the Stance XR and Model 1911.
Stance XR In the front, the Stance XR has a Glock-sight-compatible threaded tenon, while in the rear, a dovetail is included.
Model 1911 Savage's 1911 handguns were released in 2023.
Rimfire rifles Model 64
The Model 64 series is a semi-automatic .22 LR rifle made in Lakefield, Ontario, Canada. It operates on a simple blowback action. It is targeted towards beginning shooters, small game hunters, and budget-minded plinking. It is one of the most popular plinkers in the United States due to high accuracy, being chambered in cheap, common, and readily available .22 Long Rifle, and the low price. It is unusual among semiautomatic 22s, and traditional (non-bullpup) semiautomatic rifles in general, in that it is available in a true left-handed version (left handed safety, charging handle, and ejector).
A Series The A Series is a new family of semi-automatic rimfire rifles aimed to replace/compete with the aging Model 64 series.
A17 The A17 is a semi-automatic rimfire rifle that uses .17 HMR ammunition. CCI, another Vista Outdoor subsidiary, specially engineered ammunition for the A17 in cooperation with Savage to overcome safety and functioning problems associated with more powerful small caliber rimfire ammunition being used in blowback semi-automatic weapons. This rifle also uses the unique Savage delayed blowback system. It uses Savage's unique user-adjustable AccuTrigger system that allows the pressure need to affect a trigger pull to be changed. The safety blocks both the hammer and trigger and locks the bolt open when depressed. In an American Rifleman review, Mark Keefe praised the A17, which Savage designed around the .17 HMR, rather than adapting a rifle to it, while also remaining competitively priced.
In early 2016, Savage released the A17 Sporter, A17 Target Sporter, and A17 Target Sporter Thumbhole variants. The Sporter and Target Sporter have heavy barrels and gray wood-laminate stocks. The Thumbhole has a heavy fluted barrel and a gray wood-laminate thumbhole stock. The A17 was named Rifle of the Year in the NRA Publications' 2016 Golden Bullseye Awards.
A22 The A22 is a semi-automatic rimfire rifle that uses the .22 Long Rifle ammunition. It comes with a 10-round rotary magazine and uses Savage's patented AccuTrigger. The standard model A22 comes with a 21" carbon steel barrel with iron sights, but also comes with sightless 22" stainless steel barrel (FSS) or 22" carbon steel varmint barrel (Pro Varmint or Target Thumbhole). It was created to compete with other popular .22 semi-automatic rifle models, including the Marlin 795, Remington 597 and Ruger 10/22.
A22 Magnum The A22 Magnum is a semi-automatic rimfire rifle with a design similar to the A17, but using .22 WMR ammunition. It comes with a 10-round rotary magazine, a steel receiver, and Savage's user-adjustable AccuTrigger for changing the trigger pull weight. This rifle also uses the unique Savage delayed blowback system.
Model 93 The Model 93 is a series of "magnum" bolt-action rimfire rifles chambered for the .22 WMR ammunition and its neck-down derivative caliber .17 HMR. Model 93 Model 93R17
Mark II Series
The Mark II Series is a family of bolt-action rimfire rifles chambered mainly for the .22 LR ammunition, as well as the .17 HM2 for its FV varmint model.
B Series