Savage Sporter 32-20

99bob · #1 09-25-2018, 11:41 PM

Is there any interest in these old rifles? This one is in great shape except the previous owner said he had a peep sight on it. He sold it and silver solder the holes? Any ideas what sight he had based on the holes. I'm missing one of the plugs. I understand the plugged holes were factory made, but not sure for what. I've seen some vintage scopes attached to them, but I imagine they are pricey. I've looked for mounts or rings over the years, but nothing seems to fit. My eyes aren't what they use to be. I'm thinking I need to scope it or sell it. Any info would be appreciated.

DWalt · #2 09-26-2018, 12:09 AM

I can't tell you anything about a correct scope mount (a good gunsmith could probably come up with something that would work), but the rifles are fairly desirable and not often seen. If you want to sell it you will have no problems moving it.

99bob · #3 09-26-2018, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWalt

I can't tell you anything about a correct scope mount (a good gunsmith could probably come up with something that would work), but the rifles are fairly desirable and not often seen. If you want to sell it you will have no problems moving it.

Really? I've had it for years. Never thought it was worth paying a smith to add a scope mount to it. I've looked around at every gun show and gun shop I've been to. Everyone acted like it was just a beater and they never offered to help. Maybe I need to find another Gun Smith.

Wyo · #4 09-26-2018, 01:11 AM

I have a Savage 23AA. It’s a .22 but looks very similar to what you have. Mine has a Weaver side mount base on it with Weaver rings. It’s a very nice setup. Weaver still makes top bases and sidemounts for the 23 series and these might work on yours also. They also make them for quite a few other older Savages. See Weaver - Scope Mount Charts - Detachable Top & Side Mounts. You could probably call Weaver to find out.

Bakebfr480 · #5 09-26-2018, 07:35 AM

Nice old Savage.........I'm looking for one in 22 hornet.

Drm50 · #6 09-26-2018, 09:24 AM

Most of the old Savages in 23 series have the Weaver N mount
on them. It's a simple stamped steel side mount. They were used on a lot of rifles in the day. Very common to see them on rifles with tubular recievers. Also very common to see rifle actions that look like flutes from various scope mounts over the years. I does kill the value of the rifle.

weatherby · #7 09-26-2018, 09:33 AM

To me it is a neat gun IIRC the magazines are hard to come by.

kcwheel · #8 09-26-2018, 09:45 AM

My Savage 23 has the same (factory?) screw holes on the reciever as yours. Mine also has the reciever peep sight with the base on the left side. The stock is inlet for it. I don't know if that is factory or not. Mine also has weaver bases holding a Weaver J4 scope. I've had a couple of these in 25-20 and they are both nice shooters.

2152hq · #9 09-26-2018, 09:48 AM

Those two factory D&T holes on the top of the 23C (one is larger than the other) are for the Savage No 10 Peep sight.

There is also a Savage No15 Peep sight that looks nearly the same,,but the screw holes and screws in the #15 use the same size.

Screw sizes...Common 8-40 I think they are for the #15.
The #10 uses a 5-? and a 10-? for screws. So if you get a #10 sight for the rifle in need,,try and get the correct screws with it.

Looks like your rifle takes that #10 sight.

The front sight usually needs to changed out for a higher blade to compensate for the increased height of the new rear assembly.

These sights are kind of rare and usually very pricey. But they can be spotted occasionaly on Ebay. The Savage collectors usually circle the area well looking for these prizes.

I don't know what the two filled holes could have been for. Perhaps a small rear scope base,,the front base being inserted into the bbl dovetail for the rear sight. Just a guess. Maybe for a home made peep sight of some sort.
Some of these rifles were factory D&T on the left side wall of the rec'vr for a Lyman rec'vr sight,,there's the odd looking assembly with the elevation scale sticking straight up can't recall the #. Same idea as the #10 & #15 does.
Also the Lyman #42 will fit

added
The aftermarket holes look plugged with common soft solder, maybe the newer silver bearing soft solder,,they stay bright that way.

99bob · #10 09-26-2018, 12:12 PM

I'll have to take a closer look at the side. Thanks everyone for the information. I'll check with Weaver as well. I like shooting it. I wish I had some acreage. It would make a sweet Coyote gun to have laying around.

David LaPell · #11 09-26-2018, 06:33 PM

My local gun shop has one, in about the shape yours is in, and I think they want $349 for it, and it's been there maybe a year. I know spare mags are very hard to come by, usually one of the auction sites. I have seen scopes on them before but usually it's something rigged up to make a correct mount.

99bob · #12 09-26-2018, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wyo

I have a Savage 23AA. It’s a .22 but looks very similar to what you have. Mine has a Weaver side mount base on it with Weaver rings. It’s a very nice setup. Weaver still makes top bases and sidemounts for the 23 series and these might work on yours also. They also make them for quite a few other older Savages. See Weaver - Scope Mount Charts - Detachable Top & Side Mounts. You could probably call Weaver to find out.

Well, I called Weaver. The kept asking me if it was a 23. I said as far as I know it's a pre 23. It has nothing on it, other than "Savage Sporter" and the usual .....made in Utica NY with the Pat. dates. BTW the last date is Nov. 20th, 1917 (or Nov. 27th, can't remember and to tired to dig it back out). Serial number is a 113XXX. It has no side screws or D/T holes on the side. Stock is not relieved for it. Weaver said if it's a 23 then you need a #15 and #16. Both of those have two holes, so I'm not following......He also said on goes on the receiver and one on the barrel. Um, it's a barreled receiver and both factory holes are behind the action, which to me means they both are on the receiver or reciever area. Any thoughts?

Thanks for everybody's input. I appreciate it.

tndrfttom · #13 09-27-2018, 12:48 AM

I've got a Savage 23B in 25-20 with plain barrel-mounted sights. As was mentioned earlier, the sight that fits the factory tapped holes in the top of the receiver was the same peep sight used on the .22 LR target version.

If you can find a copy of "Bolt Action Rifles, 3rd Edition" the author goes into some detail on the evolution of the Sporter of 1923 and infers that there are two models with about 1933 being the approx. cut off between the earlier version (like the one in the original photos) and the later version with an improved striker and magazine. The popularity of of the Model 23 D (Hornet) version resulted in later receivers being factory drilled and tapped for scope mounts. The author indicates that the shape of the bolt handle makes scope mounting easier.

Don't loose the magazine. The early "waffle" mags are very expensive, seem to fall out and don't feed well. I found an after-market magazine (Triple K, I believe) and it works fine.

bob1956 · #14 09-27-2018, 07:04 AM

I have the same gun you described, it has been drilled and tapped for a side mount weaver mount and scope. I know it was drilled and tapped by a gunsmith cause when I removed the scope to clean the gun the tapped holes had huge burrs on them. If you want me to take it apart again and tell you the weaver part numbers I can. But as previously stated the value is reduced when you tap the receiver. My rifle is in 25-20 and is a tack driver. Pm me for more info

2152hq · #15 09-28-2018, 08:38 AM

23A &23AA is ,22RF
23B is.25-20
23C is .32-20
23D is .22 Hornet

The Savage 23 (A,B,C,D) takes a Weaver 'N2' side mount. That's the formed sheet metal side mount for the left side of the recv'r installation on round recv's.
(There's a T1/T2 also but that style seems to mimic the 'N' series.
U1/U2 series Weaver side mts of the same era were for 1" scopes and I don't know if they made any for the Savage Sporters. You don't see these mts all that often anyway.)

Savage supplied their own side mount for a time on factory D&T'd rifles. But I think it was just the Weaver N or T series maybe with their logo on it.
Also was a Savage/Stevens scope (#468) available for top mounting in narrow target style blocks that required D&T.
This may be what was on the OP rifle in the 2 plugged holes. The front block would have been mounted (D&T'd)into a filler in the rear bbl sight dovetail slot I believe, or maybe just dovetailed right into it directly.

Those Weaver N & T mounts requires 4 holes IIRC to be drilled and tapped if not already Factory or aftermarket completed.,

The N & the T mt is for a 3/4"d scope, the U is for 1" scope

An older Weaver list that listed top mount base numbers shows standard Weaver bases #'s 15 & 16 for the 23C .
I'm assuming they are 2 screw attachment each and would require D&T'g the rifle. Those would take standard Weaver 1" detachable rings.

Lot's of scope options, these older rifles weren't designed with them in mind generally and the idea of mounting them came along as they were in production. People still stuck to their iron sights but as better and cheaper optics came to be, the need for scope mt options began to be added both by the factory and for aftermarket install.

99bob · #16 09-28-2018, 11:08 PM

Thank you for the great information. Sounds like D/T it is unavoidable. I was hoping to use the factory holes. I hate to add more holes making it look like a flute(credit to Drm50's comment). I have an interested party and I may just have to let this go to a new home. Sounds like this gentleman will shoot it and take care of it. Beats sitting in my safe getting bed sores.