Found a Savage 340C

[Bugle1]

I found a Savage 340C at the local gun peddler that I've become intrigued with. It's an 18.5" carbine that comes up fast and points great. Seems to be a great lightweight carry gun. I'm thinking of grabbing it and installing a peep to make a sweet little timber rig for whitetails.

The price is $300 which seems a bit steep compared to what others pay for these things in pawnshops but while I've seen many in the 20"-22" rifles It's the first "carbine" I've seen when browsing shops/shows.

Wondering if you guys that hit gun shows often come across the "C" variant much and is this price way off base for this gun? ???

[Smokey262]

I do not think the C designation is for a carbine, but rather just the design variant.

http://www.wisnersinc.com/additional_info/Savage_340.htm

http://books.google.com/books?id=tuVUMLRE47UC&pg=PA501&lpg=PA501&dq=savage+340c+barrel+length&source=bl&ots=tIDtwUsgBy&sig=qyPlkiqvvQLS45xRAcobZI_Diek&hl=en&ei=jYXbTry5LoeKsQKTrfX-DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&sqi=2&ved=0CF4Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q&f=false

$300 sounds like an asking price. I do not think these came with 18.5" barrels, and if that is true, then someone at some time chopped it, thus reducing its already (meager) collector value. Check how good a job the chop was, especially the crown

The rifle would be an OK buy at $225 to $250 though and you will like it. I have a Stevens model 325 30-30 that is pleasant to shoot, easy to carry, and accurate enough at the typical 30-30 ranges.

[Eric in NC]

Is it a 30-30 or 222 or 22 hornet or???

$300 is too much (my opinion) no matter what it is chambered in.

[Bugle1]

It's .30-30 with 18.5" bbl. Does not appear to be chopped.

[RwBeV]

I just picked up 2 both in 222 one for $200 and the other for $225, around here the 30-30's bring a little less. One of the 222's I have already rebarreled to 17 Fire Ball.

Bob

[Airedaleman]

It's .30-30 with 18.5" bbl. Does not appear to be chopped.


It wasn't. The 340 in its various guises was offered as a carbine at different times. The carbines were available in 30-30 only.
I have a very nice 340B in .222 Remington. It came with a mutt Tasco scope (immediately replaced with a Weaver K10); I paid $212.50
total for the rig. I personally would not pay more than $250 for any 340 - and I kind of like them!

[Bugle1]

It's much like the one in this ad I located online.

http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b476/buglemfar/340C.jpg

Kind of a cool little carbine!

Would a Savage 170 be a better gun (in terms of functionality) than the 340?
I've read of feeding issues with both guns (though there seem to be reports of more with the 170) and neither seems to possess a good trigger! :D

[flash]

I had a C about 15 years ago. It had a 4x Savage scope on it, dockendorf sight and a Savage leather sling. I sold it for $200 and at the time, that was on the high side. I paid $75 for it the year before. It was a great cast bullet shooter. I love the 340 for low pressure cast loads

[Smokey262]

I would take the 340C over the 170. That's a nice rig, hope you can get it at a decent price

[sniper15545]

I agree its to much but they are bringing $300.00 for standard calibers and the 222's are bring $400 plus.

[Airedaleman]

I agree its to much but they are bringing $300.00 for standard calibers and the 222's are bring $400 plus.


Where's that? I'd turn my 222 for four C's in a heart beat (I think)...

[Bugle1]

Is the Savage 340 a good "working" gun? With respect to utility, Is it durable? Relatively reliable?
Can these take some hard use and continue to function? ??? I know it's not a controlled-round-feed Winchester or Ruger but, for those that have used them in the field, what has been your experience?

[Big Old Boy]

$300 may be a bit high but if ya like it just do it. I had one in 22 hornet years ago and it was a fine gun.

[Eric in NC]

Is the Savage 340 a good "working" gun? With respect to utility, Is it durable? Relatively reliable?
Can these take some hard use and continue to function? ??? I know it's not a controlled-round-feed Winchester or Ruger but, for those that have used them in the field, what has been your experience?


Not what I would want as my only gun if my life depended on it, dangerous game gun, etc. but they are reliable etc. Magazines can drop out (weakness of all drop mag guns) other than that the extractor is about the only place that can cause problems.

[RwBeV]

I have been shooting my 222 since Disco was around, and have never had a problem, The spring that holds the mag is strong and I have never had one fall out. I just rebarreled a 840 Stevens to 17 Fire Ball and it shoots great, but Im not real impressed with the extractor in it, but so far it has worked just fine. In my experience they are very reliable just real ugly.

Bob

[utbrowningman]

Just looked at a 340C with a serial number starting 1951 for $175. Anybody know what year a 1951 serial number is...or is it 1951?

[Bugle1]

I'm unsure of the serial number sequence and dating.

In poking around online, It seems the "C" designation for the 340 is used on all barrel lengths as I've seen 340C's with 18.5, 20 and 22" barrels.

The following "Shooting Times" article indicates the 20" carbine was introduced in 1962 and dropped two years later but makes no mention of an 18.5" carbine? Seems the later "E" series carbines had 20" barrels and I've seen a Springfield 840 with 18.5" barrel. ???

http://www.shootingtimes.com/2010/09/23/longgun_reviews_st_840roots_200810/

[Airedaleman]

Interesting article, but it contains a number of inaccurate statements. The rifle was initially introduced as the Stevens Model 325 - not the 330 - in 30-30 only. Had one that was virtually new. For some reason or other, I never got around to shooting it. The 250-3000 chambering is a new one on me, and I doubt if Savage even considered it. (I had a 340V in 225 Winchester, a rifle I never felt comfortable with as I thought that the factory cartridge was pushing the limits of the action. I shot it with less than maximum handloads.) Early rifles had a pivoting ejector, superior to the plunger ejector mentioned. The 340B 222 I now have (manufactured in 1953 - Savage jumped on the 222 band wagon quite early) has this ejector and dual extractors. There are so many variations in certain design features - mostly cost-savings measures - that it's difficult to keep track of them.
All in all, this entire series of rifles is, in my estimation, largely overlooked and are sleepers. There's a dizzying list of house branded 340's in addtion to the Stevens/Savage variations. Some day collectors will be paying big bucks to get one of each (providing, of course, that
gun collecting is still legal then...)

(By the way, I think a scoped 340 in 30-30 can do better than "sub-2 inch" groups at 75 yards!)

Also, prior to 1968 this entire series was not serial numbered. Pre '68 guns have a barrel code indicating the year of manufacture.

Can't help with serial numbered guns; not sure if any records exist for the 340