New Guy, Older Savage 170

[Cree]

Hello everyone, pleased to find the forum...
So I sold a ratty old small ring mauser and used the funds to buy a ratty 170 in 30-30. I know, what was I thinking? Well, I had done all that could be done with the Mauser short of rebarreling to solve its problems, and I always had a soft spot for the 170 (when it feeds), and so it is in pieces in the shop, getting some rust bluing, some new checkering, a recrown, and probably a pine tar stock finish for the crummy days here in South Georgia ... that leads to this serial number question. Now, I have had a closet full of model 23A's, AA's, and currently have a 19NRA. I hunted with a 99 in 308 for years, and I know that with Savage, anything is possible (I also own a Marlin two barrel set over/under ... how rare are those?). Did Savage use one "running" serial number for all production (i.e. a Model 99 might be 12345 and the next 110 produced would be 12346) or were there certain blocks of numbers dedicated to certain firearms? I know that Savage has had all sorts of serial number issues over the last century, but when was my trusty 170 #A603*** built? I found an earlier post stating that the OP's 170 was a 1971 vintage, but the actual number A700,000 or so, was substantially higher (+100,000) than mine. I find it hard to believe that Savage would have delivered that many units in first year production, so does anybody know when mine was produced and how they sequenced the numbers at that time? Additionally, any idea how many units were produced in the 170 run from 1970-81?

Thank you guys for your time-
Cree

[bremereric]

Welcome aboard.

[Mad Dog]

To answer your first question, no, not all Savages were serial in order of their acceptance date, EXCEPT, when they switched to the A series serial numbers. Which means all the Savage 99's, shotguns, rimfires, etc had their own set of serial numbers, except for I believe the NRA 19's and 1922's ran with each other, maybe a couple other rimfires like the 1909's and 1912's. Then when Savage switched to the A series numbers (and letter) in 1969 the bolt actions and the 99's and shotguns, 24's, etc all used this serial number range. I believe but not sure because I don't own any rimfires above 1933 except for a model #7 that they weren't included with the A series range.

Your second answer is that your gun was made in late 1970, maybe even real early 1971.

You said your gun is being refinished, I'm hoping by you because to dump the amount of money you were talking about into a 170 would be more than what 2 of them are worth put together, heheh.

[Cree]

Thanks for the replies and the information. I thought that it may be a very early gun, but as with my 23A/AA's, Stevens 520, etc..., you can never tell. Oh, yeah... the refinishing is all me. I figured out a long time ago that you can knock a lot of ugly off a gun for the price of your own labor (stock work, rust bluing, checkering) and I enjoy the time doing it, but if you or your family aren't in the machine shop business, you will pay dearly for milling and lathe work. That's why the Mauser sporter went away, too many rounds downrange and rebarrelling was going to to require tools I don't own. I figure that the 170 will be a handy rifle to carry during the season, and since I handload, it'd be good to use for getting my twin boys (the smallest 13 year olds in the world) used to something over rimfire status ... Trail Boss powder and cast bullets and some steel plates will get them more excited in "bigger" firearms, and I won't have to let them use my Model 94 Trapper. That confidence in a weapon will help them when its not a steel plate at 50 yards, but a whitetail creeping through the thicket. And when it's all said and done, if it just don't shoot right or do what it's supposed too, it'll look better, and I guarantee that I will get all my money (not time) back out of the deal. And what else was I going to put that Bushnell CommandPost 1.5-4.5X scope on? It's been sitting on the shelf in my shop waiting on the right brush gun...

Thanks, guys-
Cree