Anyone tell me about this rifle. I did search and there are a few threads on them. Saw one at the local GS. It is a latter one as it doesn't have the octagon barrel. It has been refinished but very nicely as to the barrel. The receiver has a different color to it almost like it was in the bluing to long but I kinda like the color. Stock is excellent. My old Blue book does not give much of a value to them. I don't know what a current one has for it.

Are these considered "gallery guns?"

Looks like a cool rifle but are they known trouble makers?

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

I been collecting these older 22cal pump rifles and the prices are all over the lot. The old winchester and remingtton's seem to be higher in price lately but the savage and stevens are still affordable and desireable too. I've seen them for $250 and less. I recently picked up two savage m29b's 22cal pumps that take 22 s/ l/lr bullets. But prices can vary. The win's and rem's i have seen are well over $500. The bottomline is how greedy the GS or seller is in some cases. I also realize there are guys who just collect these older 22's too. So there maybe a demand for them.

I would checkout gunsamerica or gun broker to get an idea.
JoeSalter.com has guns listed but he is at the top limit on some of his prices. He sells very quickly so a day to day watch for a price is needed.

Most of the gallery 22cal rifles are in 22 short. The only 22 pumps in 22 short i have seen are the winchester 1890's so far.

I also got into collecting the single shot, falling block and rolling block older 22's too. I been buying them for the new grandson so he will have the guns to start off with someday.

Nice thing about the Model 29 is that it will handle .22 shorts just fine as well as the LRs.

Myron

I found one at a show on Saturday and took the plunge, it was not overused, has checkered wood with a round barrel chambered for all the .22 cartridges. Nothing special as compared to the Winchesters or Remingtons. Simply a well made slide action rifle in great condition for its age, oh yea, there is no serial number either. The only thing I found was from the current Blue book as to its history but not very much.

__________________
Sam
S&WHF 333 S&WCA 2198

The Model '29' is a pre-war mfg .22 pump. The Model 29A and 29B are post WW2.
The '29A' and '29B' are esscentially the same rifle with some minor cosmetic differences.
The 29B was made to take a 'scope'. There were deluxe versions, ect.

The earlier Model 29 was a different gun altogether inside and parts will not interchange.

The off color (purple or reddish color) of the receiver on some of the rifles is usually from a reblue. The receivers were a casting and do not always take a hot-salt reblue well,,turning color after the job is done.

Model 29A and 29B rifles are very nice shooters. There are a couple weak points in them.
The manual slide lock is prone to break in two.
The slide lock and it's music wire spring inside can be worn and/or weak to the point of being able to unlock the action while cocked with out using the 'slide lock' at all. Just a bit of pressure on the handle and the action opens. Something to test for on a used 29A and 29B.

Pull the inner mag tube all the way out of the gun. Look into the cartridge loading port and make sure the small screw down in there to secure the outer tube is still there.
Many times it's been removed by a previous owner. They sometimes loosen and block the inner tube from entering. They get stripped or lost in an attempt to fix that problem and all sorts of rivits, solder or glue type fix-it's are done to replace it. None usually last very long and the entire unsecured tube assembly will come out of the rifle when you go to load it sometime.

Most parts are still available for the 29A & B from parts vendors. They are from older guns stripped for their parts, so you get what you get.

Parts for the earlier Model 29 and the other pre-war Savage and Stevens pumps are about non-existant. There are a few variations of the M29 itself to deal with.
Plus Ranger and even Meriden marked models of the same. I have both,,and neither is completely the same as the other.
Some are 22Standard vel only. Some are OK with HV. Depends on which version.

The 29A and B are both OK with HV ammo.

I have a 29B (drilled & tapped for a Weaver side mt--factory) and it is a favorite at the range. The B-4 scope that came on it was next to useless when I bought it, but for the $95 price tag,,I saw it as a neat open sight shooter. I'll fill the 4 holes sometime.
The later 29B's were grooved for tip-off mounts.
Some were cataloged as a 29-G,,but I don't think any were actually marked as such.

I don't remember which model variant mine equates to, but it is branded as "Premier Trail Blazer" for some hardware or department store chain.

Myron

I had to replace the elevator spring on mine when I first got it. No problems since. Accurate and fun.

Yes, I would guess that is the coloration of the receiver. It actually looks preety good. The bluing on the barrel is fine and the stock is VG. I only got a quick look at it today. It does have a serial number and will have to check the things you mentioned (I printed them) It is 22 and 22 lr. Have to check if A or B

Thanks all for the information. Probably can get it for less than $250 so that sounds OK to me?

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

I believe,,and I could be wrong,,that 'Premier' and 'Premier Trail Blazer' were house brand names used on Savage/Stevens guns made for Mongomery Wards.

If I have it right,,'Premier' was used on the pre-war made Model 29.
'Premier Trail Blazer' was marked on the post-war mfg model 29A
Both made for M/Wards for sale in their catalogs.

To add to the confusion,,Savage also made the Savage pre-war Model 29 as the Stevens Model 75.
Exact same rifle,,different name on it. Savage owned Stevens (and Fox) at that point and made & sold several of the same guns under both names,,plus the 'house brand names for several different large retailers.

Most Savage/Stevens post war, but pre-68, 22rimfire rifles will not have serial numbers. There are exceptions.

Most of their pre-war2 rimfire rifles are serial numbered. Again exceptions.

After 1968,,all their 22 rifles, and their shotguns are ser#'s per the GCA.

Good mechanical condition but refinished, they usually go for around $200.
You have to be the judge of course with it in hand. I've seen them for a lot less,,I've also seen them go for that and more.
I think they are nice rifles,,but everyone wants a Win61 or a Rem12. You have to gauge the value & price of the Savage against those two I'd think. Neither of which is very inexpensive of late!

>> Also, Take the rifle down (TD). Comes apart just like any of the others mentioned. Unscrew the thumb screw and separate the two halves.
The bolt comes out by moving it to the rear of the receiver with the pump handle, then rotating it upwards from the back end of it,,and out of the receiver. You can get a good look at the firing pin, extractor, ect. that way. Plus the trigger group is in the other half and you can pick that over to check for wear, damage or DYI fixes.

I also see some of these with tight actions from sitting. A good soaking, cleaning and oiling will solve that. All of mine take all three 22 bullets. I can't remember which 22 pump rifle it is but there is a rack with 3 knotches in it inside the receiver. One is for shorts, another for longs and another for long rifle 22 bullets. Its a manual adjustment and i think it maybe an old stevens. But i'm not sure.

2152hq,
Your assessment of the relationship of the Premier and Premier Trail Blazer being made for Wards is probably correct, but mine is labeled as a Premier Trail Blazer and has an octagon barrel which would indicate to me an early model gun, unless they were made with a choice of round or octagon throughout their production life.

Myron

The 29A (post war rifle) was available with an octagon bbl for a while.
They started producing that model in about '47 I think.
I don't know how long they offered octagon bbl'd versions of it, but the oct bbl guns show up for sale on the auction sites now and again.
The 29B (same rifle but factory fitted for a 'scope) was only a round bbl offering I think. But anything is possible I guess.

Savage made a bunch of different pump action 22 rifles before WW2 that all look pretty much alike. The earliest were a hump back recv'r and clip fed,,so they're easy to spot (1903 Model). Then they made a 1906, 1908, 1909, 1914, 25, 29.
The last 3 all pretty much look alike.
I've got a 'Ranger' marked version of one of them and I have yet to really figure out which one it really is. I think it's a Model 1925,,but I have to do some more lookin'..

Savage also made store brand models of the same guns,,plus Stevens brands of some of the same guns after they took control of Steven Corp.
Meriden Firearms made one or two on the Savage patent before going under in 1918. Batavia Arms made one,,maybe two look a-likes. I think there are others.
I don't think anyone can keep them all straight...

2152hq,
IIRC, I read somewhere that the Premier Trail Blazer was the equivalent of the 29A, but I doubt that mine was made as late as 1947. Maybe even pre-war, as it was my dad's gun that he had loaned to his cousin who kept it for many years. I never even saw the gun until Dad gave it to me in the 1960's. He got it back from the cousin because he wanted to make sure that I ended up with it, but it was never in the house in the 1950's at all.
So the mystery goes on.

Myron

Many years ago i shot my grandfathers old 22 pump rifle thats what made me always want one. When the new grand son was born i had the excuse to get some. I have two savages model 29b one is a savage and the other is a western field which is made by savage. The LGS had both side by side so i hated to break up the pair so i purchased both. Plus with the growing cost of the centerfire ammo I found the 5,525rd cases of 22lr cheap for now.