Savage Model 1903 .22

Posted by Global_Theme864@reddit | ForgottenWeapons | View on Reddit | 11 comments

Just picked up this Savage 1903 .22 pump action - the only pump action .22 made in an appreciate quantity using a detachable magazine. About 150000 made between 1903 and 1916 and briefly in 1922.

It’s quite a neat gun, with an interesting mix of features - a last round hold open, tang safety and a really slick takedown, combined with an old style crescent butt plate and octagon barrel. Interestingly it’s designed to handle .22 Short, Long and Long Rifle - most tube fed guns do but it’s quite unusual in a mag fed gun. The heavy impressed ribs in the magazine keeps them in place regardless of length and the gun feeds both Shorts and LRs just fine. It’s a bonus it came with two mags, as the mags are like hens teeth and can sell for half the cost of the rifle.

I’ve seen warnings online about only shooting standard velocity LRs but that’s fine for me as it’s all I buy anyways.