1953 Savage .22, bolt action, 5 shot clip

bgem41

Hello All,
I am new to this forum so I thank you in advance for all answers. My father, (deceased 15yrs now) told me that he bought this .22 Savage when he was 12 yrs old. It is a model 4C and the year is approximate (+/- 1 yr). A friend told me to remove the barrel and there will be a number stamped on the bottom side of the barrel, against the stock. I did, and the number is 3328.
I do not think that it is worth very much, except sentimental memories. It is from approx. 1953, the bluing has been gone on the barrel, he had the stock refinished when he was 30, (approximately 1971) and my brother and I used it to pop off many ground hogs, squirrels, opposums, etc.[:D] without much regard for the dents it might have acquired. It is a very accurate .22 even today. It has cross hatching where your palm rests as you put your hand at the grip to touch the trigger.


Please give me any background info possible on this gun, and my questions are:

Is it worth anything more than sentimentality?
What kind of wood is the stock made of?
What was the original color stain that was used on the stock? (I was thinking of redoing it to the original color since my brother and I beat it up pretty good.)
Since the bluing has been gone since I was 14, (I am 49 now), is bluing better than paint to preserve the barrel from rust?

Any other info is appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Britt

mark christian

The rifle is worth maybe forty of fifty dollars in the well worn condition you describe, which is typical as these were field guns and used hard. This model was produced for something like thirty five years so they are not rare, however excellent condition examples are very hard to find. Up until the 1940s the stocks on the Model 4 series were made of checkered walnut but after that the rifles came with plain hardwood stocks, usually brown and uninteresting in color. You can paint it or cold blue it, whatever is easier and cheaper.

bgem41

Thank you Mark for the info.
My brother and I have many memories of the rabbits, groundhogs etc. that we shot over the years with this gun. I will restore it for my son who is just 14 and tell him that it has been restored and to enjoy using it.
Can you tell me or how do I find the date of manufacture for this gun when it has the number 3328 stamped on the bottom of the barrel?

Once again, Thanks in advance.

Britt

Fatstrat

The Savage Model 4 .22 rifle was made from 1933 to 1965. There were several different letter designations along the way that denoted some change from the original or previous configuration. Sometimes it could mean a fancier stock, or peep sights, or added safety mechanism etc. I would suspect that a C designation would be of a later vintage.But have no idea how much later.
It's nearly, if not impossible to find dates of MFG on vintage Savage arms. The company changed ownership in the late 1960's. And the new owners destroyed most or all of the previous records in effort to distance themselves from any liability for guns made prior to their control.
I think the $50. quote might be a tad light. Book value in "good" condition is around $100. The difference might be the price you would pay, vs the price a dealer would pay you for it. Which is typically 75% or less of value.
I would suggest you check the auctions here to see what a rifle in similar condition to your might actually bring. Bear in mind that the buyer typically pay shipping and FFL receiver fees (approx $50 combined) on top of final auction price. Which can be added to the value he was willing to pay to obtain the rifle.