Old 110 with 4-digit serial number

[PhilC]

Starting to get back into things again after a several year hiatus. Some recent reading here made me wonder about the 110 (30.06) my Dad gave me. I know he got it from a neighbor in trade for some automotive work and that had to be between '67 and '69. This was the first high powered rifle I ever shot.

I pulled the rifle out and confirmed it has a 4-digit serial number, 1071, and the barrel stamp is 16I not J.



Receiver and bolt match.



All original including the metal butt plate as seen here.



Stock is in decent condition and shows what I'd consider normal wear and tear for a working rifle.



I remember mounting a scope on it during my late teens, a B&L Balvor 2.5 - 8 (now on my 110E in 7RM). I still have the front sight stored away. Sling studs were added by my uncle after I left home for a career in the USAF. I pestered my dad for years to sell this rifle to me but he always refused and never told me why.

On a whim, sometime between 1990 - 1992 he retrieved it from his brother, gave it to me, and told me he wanted me to have it.

Haven't seen any 110s here with a lower serial number nor one with an "I" barrel stamp so thought some may be interested in seeing this.

[J.Baker]

The 16I barrels tamp is just the final assembler's stamp, meaning the person who put the rifle together at the factory. The "J-Series" that I think you're referring is something else all together. You will also find another stamp with SP inside a circle on the barrel (often on the under side just ahead of the barrel nut) which is the proof mark indicating it was proof tested at the factory (SP = Savage Proof).

Love that it's still in its factory original configuration after all these years. Definitely a keeper!

[RC20]

That's great, thank you

[PhilC]

Thanks for the feedback.

The SP stamp is there as well. Thought I saw a chart here on the forum correlating the letter code of the inspector's stamp to year of manufacture but it may well have been another site. The chart started at J and indicated 1958 as year of manufacture. Was wondering if maybe the "I" and early serial number might suggest a pre-production run rifle. I'll try to contact Savage Arms to see if they can shed any additional info.

Doesn't really matter, I don't consider it a collector except from a sentimental perspective. This one will stay in the family. :-)

[RC20]

Savage throws out there data base after X number of years.

When they had it on line my 2010 did not show up.

Can't back track an old gun. Other places have some of that data.

Highly frustrating for the collectors and interested parties.

[Mad Dog]

Wow, not sure how I missed this. Thats the 71st Savage 110 they built. They started the serial numbers on the 110's at 1000.

The first Savage 110 wasn't offered till 1958 but they started building them in 1957, thats why your date code is for 1957. I only have one more 110 made in 1957 in my data, serial 12XX.

Very nice gun!

[Zero333]

It's a beauty !

Thanks for posting.

Good info Mad Dog, makes it look even nicer !

[Texas10]

Very nice gun! The gun case looks like my 60's vintage Monkey Wards gun case. Is it flannel on the inside?

[RC20]

That is just too cool. Glad you got it to us.

We still have a Sako Finnbear 270 in the family that's a 4 digit number.

Suspect its a 2nd year production - the only guy who has a good data set won't publish it! He is waiting to make it perfect.

Will never know how my dad snagged it, not something that would normally be up here that early.


The enemy of good enough is perfect. I would rather have some data than none.

[PhilC]

Sorry for not replying sooner. Actually found a reference earlier today about the 16I date code on 24hrcampfire site and in that post (2009 I think) was a comment about Mad Dog keeping records. What I read on that site said 16I is 1957 manufacture, so thought I'd update my post, lo and behold, has been confirmed here. Rifle was manufactured same year I was born, and 71st one off the line. How cool is that!

I meant to say I still have the rear sight stored away somewhere, now I need to rummage through my stuff and find it.

Texas10 - The interior of that case is indeed flannel lined complete with camp scene, camp fire, canoe, tent. etc. I'll post a pic if you want.

[RC20]

It just does not get any better than that.

You have a real keeper.

[PhilC]

Found the rear buckhorn sight and ramp yesterday. Now it's complete!

[Phreddie30.06]

Found the rear buckhorn sight and ramp yesterday. Now it's complete!

That is a beautiful rifle. My dads gun came from Montgomery wards also. Sadly, the case was pretty tore up and had to trash it. Still have the recipe for it in the file cabinet next to my wife, and she is currently working from home, so I have no access.

Any one know what type of finish Savage used? And who can I get to finish the checkering on the furniture? Savage did not do a good job on it.

Thanks Dad

[Dave Hoback]

You should look into the cost of the few tools needed & doing it yourself vs having someone do it. I’m sure having checkering/refinishing done is incredibly expensive, as it’s time consuming. But there is nothing difficult about. Good ol’ Larry has a rear tutorial on YouTube showing every step of the process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lbK3us_JCY

[PhilC]

That is a beautiful rifle. My dads gun came from Montgomery wards also. Sadly, the case was pretty tore up and had to trash it. Still have the recipe for it in the file cabinet next to my wife, and she is currently working from home, so I have no access.

Any one know what type of finish Savage used? And who can I get to finish the checkering on the furniture? Savage did not do a good job on it.

Thanks Dad

Not difficult to recut the checkering, I have some Dem-Bart tools I used to re-point the pressed checkering on my brother's 90s 110.

I'm leaving this one as is, means more to me that way than if refurbished. ;-)

[CFJunkie]

PhilC,

That is a great rifle and a great gift from your Dad.
I agree that the memories of the rifle, just as it is, are far more valuable than having it refurbished.

But it is a rare find.

[Cosmic F]

Hey guys, looked at all the forums here in the 110 section and I saw that we are no longer dating rifles with a letter prefix. I thought maybe posting in this discussion with some knowledgeable people would work out for me. The SN on the 110 I have is 11111, called savage and they didn’t really have any information for me so I’m just hoping maybe someone here could tell me roughly when this thing was manufactured. Thanks, F

[Dave Hoback]

Hey guys, looked at all the forums here in the 110 section and I saw that we are no longer dating rifles with a letter prefix. I thought maybe posting in this discussion with some knowledgeable people would work out for me. The SN on the 110 I have is 11111, called savage and they didn’t really have any information for me so I’m just hoping maybe someone here could tell me roughly when this thing was manufactured. Thanks, F

Is it an older 110? If so, it’s pre 1969. On the barrel is a stamp, number & letter in an oval. Look at this thread. https://www.savageshooters.com/showt...of-manufacture

[PhilC]

Hey guys, looked at all the forums here in the 110 section and I saw that we are no longer dating rifles with a letter prefix. I thought maybe posting in this discussion with some knowledgeable people would work out for me. The SN on the 110 I have is 11111, called savage and they didn’t really have any information for me so I’m just hoping maybe someone here could tell me roughly when this thing was manufactured. Thanks, F

Welcome!

Would be best to start a new topic for questions about your rifle. If the barrel is original, when you start a new topic, provide the barrel stamp - should be an oval circle with 2 digits followed by an alpha character. Look at the first picture I posted in 2017, that's what the barrel stamp will look like, the alpha character will ID year of manufacture.

[Cosmic F]

Awesome. Thank you for that. So move is 11j which I see makes it a 1958 right. Pretty cool.