Anyone have or had a 170 pump?

For some reason I've always wanted a Savage 170 pump rifle, guess I'm a sucker for obscur "deer getters" with no collector value and recently came across one in .30-30 which I may purchase. I'd like to find a .35 but they're a bit harder to come by and I rarely see the .30-30's anymore. Anyway, I've read of feeding issues with the .30-30 and wondered if anyone here has experience with this rifle. Another concern is the single slide bar - can this hang up or bend if the action is stroked hard? I'd mainly bang it around in the timber for deer but certainly don't want an unreliable piece of junk if thats what it is. Would you recommend it or advise against the purchase? I find them pleasantly unrefined and do like the forend rattle!

Any thoughts or shared experiences with this rifle are appreciated greatly! :D

I had one in .35 Remington twenty-odd years ago. Put an old K4 on it, and was astounded by its accuracy. No feeding problems at all, nor is the single action bar a problem. (How many great pumps like the Ithaca Model 37 made do quite nicely with one action bar?)
Never could understand why the 30-30's would have feeding problems, since the 170 is based on the .410 shotgun receiver. (.410's a rimmed case, too, as I recall. I have a Stevens Model 77 .410 and IT works like a charm!)
I'd say if you can find a 170 at a decent price, give it a try. I too like the unusual firearm; hope you can come up with one.

I'm thankful for your feedback Airedaleman. I've been reading reports of surprisingly good accuracy from these rifles (some reporting MOA or less) but others have noted jamming problems. Think I might give this one a try. Asking price is $250 and the condition is good with only a few light scratches in the receiver and some varnish wear on the forend and stock from handling but looks to have been fired very little. Serial number is preceded with an "A" which seems to designate it early 70's? :P

Can't help with a date on that rifle, but the price sounds really good. I came across the sales slip for the .35 the other day; I paid 139.95
for it back in 1986. Good luck!

Parts are available no?

Stopped into a small gunshop outside of town today and the "dealer" had nothing but harsh words for the 170! Said he had owned a few and there were always problems with the extractor, plunger, spring, etc. And that parts were difficult if not impossible to come by. Said "if someone came in with one in mint condition, he would't give $150 for the thing". Said the 7600 was "twice the gun" and told me I should "keep my two or three hundred dollars in my pocket".

Anyway, when I returned home, I quickly located a source of extractor parts: Numerich Gun Parts Corp.

I typically like to fabricate my own opinions but there seems to be some consensus around feeding problems with the .30-30 so maybe he's got a point and I should keep the cash in my pocket. Just seems like a darn handy little deer killer if only the reliablity were there. Thought this article was good stuff and seems to refute the gunshop owners comments:

http://www.gunreports.com/special_re...1702516-1.html

Some like em, some don't I guess. ???

I have one I bought at a gun show for $125.00. It had some rust pits on he receiver and the stock needed refinishing. I sanded out the pits and reblued it, checkered and refinished the stock in an oil finish then topped it with a Nikon 3 x 7 scope. I love the little gun. I've killed a lot of feral hogs with it. The only problem I have encountered is the fired case will occasionally miss the ejection bump and not fly out but it gets knocked out by the next cartridge coming up on the feeder plate. I can't ever remember missing a follow up shot when needed and never a problem with the single bar while cycling the action. With Hornady 160 grain lever Evolution bullets the Model 170 will shoot 1 inch groups from a bench rest at 100 yards. For 52 years I have shot nothing but pump action shotguns so the Model 170 feels right for me. It looks like a shotgun, points like a shotgun and is quick and very accurate.
Cherokee69