Savage 340A 30-30

[otis24]

I’ve kind of been interested ina Savage bolt action 30-30. Was just looking them up online a couple of days ago. By happenstance, a guy that I sold my Hi Power to on payments asked if I had any interest in his Savage 340A :0-30. I stated that I was. I offered $350 trade for it against my Bushmaster XM-15. He owes me $450 difference. It looks to be in really nice shape from what I could see in the pictures.

I know that there were different grades. A, B, C. Maybe a D and an E. Can anyone tell me what the differences between the various grades are?

 

[biku324]

Dunno about grades, but owned one (hardwood stock) in the '70s and should not have sold it. It was as accurate as any other 30 caliber bolt gun I ever owned.

 

[sigp220.45]

Mine is the Stevens version - same thing, different name.

Its a solid little gun, good shooter. If there is a fancy grade I haven’t seen one.

 

[DWalt]

I believe they were just different cosmetic changes made at different times. I have seen them with both checkered and uncheckered stocks. Also with and without being drilled and tapped for side scope mounts. There was also a version having a factory-installed peep sight. But I have no idea of the exact meaning of the letters. I once had a 340 in .222. I did some trigger smithing and stock bedding on mine which helped grouping considerably, but it still wouldn’t have won any bench rest matches. It was a decent gun for the price for someone who needed an adequate short to medium range deer hunting or varmint control rifle. I would like to have one in .22 Hornet today, but I have never seen one of those anywhere.

 

[otis24]

I will post pictures when I pick mine up on Saturday.

 

[rufgr]

I converted one of these to 38-55,made a pretty cool little rifle. been going to do one in 25-35 just have not got around to it.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

340 Without A

If your 340 has a serial number, and a letter in a circle somewhere on the reciver that doesn't show, that is a date code. They were coded from in the mid 50's until the early 70's. They didn't have SN's until after 1968 GCA.

I've have had 5 in 22 Hornet and 1 in 30-30, most were old enough to have neither a SN or a Date Code. The 30-30 was coded to 1969'

I never shot regular 30-30 ammo in mine I used it as a varmint rifle. I shot Remington 55 grain Accelerator saboted 22 caliber ammo. At 125 yards It grouped 3/4". My Hornets poorer Hornets did that good and the best do one hole at that distance with factory Hornady V-max (from the 90's).

I bought it from my first ex-Brother-in-law, for about $150 around 1986 and sold it with the scope base (no scope) and test target about 1988 for $350.

Of the 6 340's I have owned all had somewhat good triggers in the 4 pound range, with some creep. There isn't any real way to adjust the triggers so don't whine, just use as-is and enjoy!

The scope mounting is offset to the left about 1 inch above the bore and about 3/4" to the left. I recommend you zero a 30-30 at 150 yards dead on at 300 you'll be 3/4" right (if you could even notice it!) I have used 4x12 40mm scopes (and one "Big Eye" 44mm), depending on your eye relief The blade off the rear sight will be in the way. (you often see 340's missing the rear sight because of this) I reversed the rear sight in the dove tail and zeroed at 50 yards. This was useful and keeps from losing the sight. 30mm objective scopes should clear the rear sight.

The scope base is a two-part Weaver side mount (the parts are sold separately. There is a dedicated side plate for the model rifle and the common side cantilever base. (The old ones the rings are built in.) Hardly any stores stock this system and you will have to order it in.)

Being a box magazine fed rifle you can use Spitzer, Round Nose, and RNFP bullets. But the action is just about maxed out at factory 30-30 pressures so keep the reloads mild!

These guns were made in 22 Hornet, 222 Remington, 223 Remington (very late production) 225 Winchester, & 30-30. The 225's are not common but have note a lot of "Collector" value and ammo and brass are getting very hard to locate. The one person I met that owned a 223 didn't like it! But his opinion was on the strange side. Everybody else I talked to loves them!

I have seen a few Hornets and 30-30's, that the chambers were redone in "K-Hornet" or "Ackley Improved", not one of them shot well so I avoid them!

Replacement magazines in anything but 22 Hornet are very hard to locate, so do not store the mag anywhere but in the gun!

Ivan

 

[DWalt]

I did some work on my .222 340’s trigger. There are no adjustments provided, but the sear surfaces can be cleaned up a bit by stoning to get a crisper letoff. It has been over 50 years, but I still remember that it wasn’t the easiest trigger to get into to work on. But I did it.

I have the .222 reloading dies and maybe 50 pieces of brass somewhere, but I haven’t seen them in many years. I sold the 340 sometime in the mid-70s, before I moved to Texas. The only .222 I have ever owned.

 

[rosewood]

Mine is the Stevens version - same thing, different name.

Its a solid little gun, good shooter. If there is a fancy grade I haven’t seen one.

I have the Springfield model 840. Picked it up at a pawn show may be 3-4 years ago for $200+tax. Looked dang near brand new. I had intended converting it to a 7-30 waters, but it shoots so well, I decided to leave it as 30-30. Came with Springfield scope mounted on side saddle mount.

It is super light, short and very handy. Makes a good close quarters woods gun.

I removed scope and put Marlin type Williams Gun Sight fiber optics on it.

I thought I would be able to use spitzer bullets in it, but because the magazine is so short, it pretty much leaves you with using flat nose bullets.

Rosewood

 

[panther]

I worked at a gun shop in the 90's. These rifles were very popular with the farmers and ranchers in the area. The older guys loved the .22Hornet model for varmit control. We had a few guys who had a standing order with the boss. If anyone traded one in, he had to call them and let them know.
The 30-30 was a popular deer rifle.
If I remember right, there were models with birch or maple stocks and higher grade models in walnut stocks.
I never see them around here anymore. The gun stores here push the plastic semi-autos and pawn shops sell very few guns.

 

[SmithNut]

Great little rifles.....

I have a Savage 340 (chambered in 30-30), bought it at a pawn shop for $150 around 20 years ago, fun little carbine....

Earlier this year I was at a different local pawn shop and spotted another, asked to look at it and was surprised to see that it was the Stevens version - also in 30-30 - for $299 ---- I had to have it...

Interestingly both were made before 1968, so they are both sans serial numbers....

With all the hubbub about exotic rifle rounds over the years, I have been more than satisfied by what the 30-30 Winchester cartridge is and can do.....

I'm keeping my eyes out for extra magazines, only have a couple extras at this time.

 

[rosewood]

I have a Savage 340 (chambered in 30-30), bought it at a pawn shop for $150 around 20 years ago, fun little carbine....

Earlier this year I was at a different local pawn shop and spotted another, asked to look at it and was surprised to see that it was the Stevens version - also in 30-30 - for $299 ---- I had to have it...

Interestingly both were made before 1968, so they are both sans serial numbers....

With all the hubbub about exotic rifle rounds over the years, I have been more than satisfied by what the 30-30 Winchester cartridge is and can do.....

I'm keeping my eyes out for extra magazines, only have a couple extras at this time.

I had been looking for a spare mag and seems like they were $40+ online if you could find them. Finally found one at a pawn shop in their used mag bin and I picked it up for like $10.

Rosewood

 

[otis24]

Mine is the Stevens version - same thing, different name.

Its a solid little gun, good shooter. If there is a fancy grade I haven’t seen one.

I did see some pics of 340's that had a Monte Carlo stock. I haven't seen the one I'm getting in person. The wood looks fairly fancy. It's possible that it has been refinished. Couldn't tell if it had a Monte Carlo stock or not.

I'm going to be searching for a Williams or Lyman peep sight once I receive mine.

 

[mtgianni]

Stevens 325 / Savage 340 Bolt Ac
Gunsmithing the Savage Model 34

Leroy knows a lot about them. I have corresponded with him and think he is still alive.
I have owned two in 30-30 and currently own one in 222. In general the smaller the caliber the better the wood. It is possible to get a sidemount scope base that is centered over the barrel. I forget the vendor but amazon had them a few years back. I got one from a large parts house that the screws had about two threads into the action. The're fun guns and good shooters.

 

[SmithNut]

Question about the bolt handle

Stevens 325 / Savage 340 Bolt Ac
Gunsmithing the Savage Model 34

My Savage has a traditional bolt handle, while the Stevens has the flat - butter knife - bolt handle (dare I say Mannlicher-esk in looks), was this universal or just certain models/years??
The Stevens also have the lighter birch wood, while the Savage is much darker wood.
My Stevens looks just like the one in the linked article above, a spittin' image...

 

[Buford57]

I inherited a 325 C from my grandmother and picked up a couple extra magazines while they were still available without breaking the bank. Good solid little rifle that I shot recently for the first time in about 20 years. I also picked up the lower side mount many moons ago but never got around to drilling and tapping it. Looks like now I won't.

 

[garddogg56]

I bought two for my Grandsons,I like them having bolt action rifles in a 30-30 with a tang safety versus a lever action without a safety.
THE 340 is very accurate out to 150 yards

 

[jimmyj]

Reading this post, I went and looked in my "Purchased but Never Fired" stash and discovered I have a Savage / Springfield Model 840 Series E .30/30 Rifle. (Model 340 or 840 ? lighting is dim). I think ? the wood is light colored.

 

[rosewood]

Reading this post, I went and looked in my "Purchased but Never Fired" stash and discovered I have a Savage / Springfield Model 840 Series E .30/30 Rifle. (Model 340 or 840 ? lighting is dim). I think ? the wood is light colored.

The "Springfield" is indeed a model 840. Same gun.

 

[2152hq]

The Savage/Stevens 340 rifles being center fire caliber long guns Should have been ser#'d when mfg'd even before the GCA68.

CF Long Guns and All caliber handguns were required to be ser#'d before the GCA68.

Why Savage/Stevens did not always ser# the Model 340 during production doesn't seem to have an answer. Just speculation.
The Model 219 break-open rifle (30-30, 22H, 32-20, 25-20)was also subject to this sometimes ser#'d/sometimes not thing.

There is some production of both Models that are pre '68 mfg that are ser#'d.
There are also the same production that at times that was not ser#'d.
There doesn't seem to be any reasoning or link to any company changes that may have caused it.

Why the IRS/Treasury (the pre GCA68 BATF) did not come down on Savage at the time for it doesn't seem to be noted anywhere either.
Marlin failed to ser# the first 5000+ production of the centerfire caliber Levermatic rifles in 1963 and the Feds were right there to let them know that they were not at all happy about it.
A recall of the unser#'d rifles continued at least into the 80's in an attempt to get them returned to the factory for a ser# to be stamped on them and returned to the customer.
Any of the un#'d rifles returned for service got a # applied along with the requested repair.

Savage /Stevens Date Codes will show on their products starting with 48 or 49 production. There are charts on the net to show he codes/yrs mfg.
Savage had moved their mfg'ring from Utica, NY in 1946 to the Stevens facility in Chicopee Falls, Mass.
Savage had bought up the bankrupt Stevens Co in 1920.
Savage had bought out A.H Fox of Philadelphia in 1929
So that's where 'Savage/Stevens/Fox' comes from.

Savage continued making the A H Fox shotgun while Savage was still in Utica, NY.
(Utica, Fox they are called) but stopped production of the original design A H Fox shotgun when Savage moved to Chicopee Falls in 1946.
Savage still owns the name 'A H Fox' so they used 'Fox Model B' as an upgraded 311 model.
CSMCo (Connecticut SHotgun Mfg Co) makes the 'new' A H Fox shotgun and has done so since the mid 1990's. They pay Savage for the use of the AH Fox name in a legal licensing agreement..